The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-12-24
s,THE LGTrLEsT REBEL" wo

"THE LlTrLEsT REBEL H. y.,. won
Lake thcater last night. as great
victory over the hearts of hoE
audience as the play pictures her win
ming over the men of iron who met in
the last grim death grapplc for the
possession of Richmond in 1860. Inc
Littlest Rebel IS a war play that
ranks with '.Sccrct Service - and 1.-The
Heart of Maryland, and is written by
one who wieds the magic element OF
pathos moro powerfully than either
William Gillette or David Bclasco.
Technically the play is not as consum
mate In It's art as Secret Service noI
docs it present "tbe pride, pomp and cir
cums,ance of glorious war as command
lnCly as THE Heart of Maryland" but
its appeal is more universal. Edward
peplc. It's author. will be remembered as
the writer who gave The Prince Chap
10 the world about a dozen years ago
As In that bewltching romance he made
little girl the piece de resistance Of the
plot so in his war play he makes VIZ
Sie Cary" a wlnsonIc child OF the south
land. the character AROUND Nl'NII ''-
wolves the. action of the drama.
The three central characters are Nir-
sic. Captain Herbert Cary, Confed-
crate scout. who Is her father, and Lieu
tenant Colonel Morrison. L. 5, cavalry,
although In the concluding act General
Grant becomes one OF the dominant lS-
ureS.
Captain Cary is hunted BY the Union
army because he Is one OF tnc clever est
and most daring OF the southern scouts.
Many times he has entered the Union
lines and obtained Information that has
led to Confederate victory, He Is sus-
pected OF being IL SPY and death Is the
penalty III he Is captured. Inc ulstinc-
ton drawn between scout and sp!
IN the rules OF war is definite. y SPY
Is one who assumes the uniform OF the
enemy To learn their secrets, whereas u
scout retains the uniform OF his own
The first act reveals the home OF Her
bert Cary. IL few miles below Richmond
on the James river. in the spring OF
1864. Virgle and her mother are living,
as did many another Confederate family
IN the closing days OF the civil war, III
the most grinding distress. ON one OF
his scouting expeditions, Captain Cary
returns 10 his home pursued by Lieu
tenant Colonel Morrison. VIII the aid
of his wife he escapes Just before Morrl :
son arrives. In Morrison's command is
Dudley, drunken non commissioned Of
ficcr. who is insolcnt to Mrs. Cary and is
punished by Morrison. Dudley. in re-
yenge. sets fire To the house when he
thinks his fellow soldiers are gone He
runs from the flaming house with a
torch in his hand and meets Morrison,
who kills him.
For q time Nireie and her mother live
in an overseer's cabin on their plauta-
tlon. Then the mother dies and Nirglc
Is left alone. Her only food Is black
berries except when her father can creep
through the Union lines TO bring her
something more substantial. On one of
these trips ne is trapped by Morrison.
He climbs into the loft OF the cabin and
draws the ladder ND after him.
II is here that some OF the most pa :
thetic passages of the play take place.
with Virgic on the one hand and Colonel
Morrison on the other. The girl lies 20
save her father. but the colonel finds
nim in the loft.
At the end OF this act the colonel proves
false 10 his military duty. So overcome
Is he by the love OF the father and the
child for each other that he decides Il
save them, lie permits the captain to
return 10 the loft. Then the colonel
calls In his men. who have been search
ing the vicinity for trace OF the scout