The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-12-01
ARMORY IS EVACUATED
old Home of Flashing Battery A Passes Into Oblivion
BY TRISTRAM COFFIN

WITHOUT the roll of drums
w Or the fanfare of trumpets,
the historic Curtis armory, Six
teenth street and Senate avenue,
former home Of the flashing Bat
terry A, has resigned from military
life and been evacuated.
The armory was named after
the Beloved Jim Curtis, COM
mander of the battery in its most
brilliant days. Battery A was
known by shy Victorian ladies as
a FOSTERING, gambling corps of
society men, trained to crack per-
lection in drill.
Much like the famous aristo-
cratic Richmond Blues of Vir-
ginia, the Battery A members
were recruited from the gay
young blades of the city Instead
of going to the country club for a
game of golf and a round of cock
tails these dashing gentlemen
would go to battery headquarters
to ride, drill, play poker and
drink whisky.
One August day in 1882, a group
of young men gathered to form
the Indianapolis light artillery.
Meeting at the Denison hotel, a
favorite rendezvous, we're James
B. Curtis, Harry Jackson, Harry
Allen, Lew Cooper, Fred Ditrichs,
Charles Sisloff, Charles Gladding
and Edward Miller
They were sworn into the IN
diana Legion, with George john
son serving as captain. A reg
ular army officer, Lieutenant
Hamilton, was selected as instruc-
tor.
The battery was relatively in
dependent organization. Aside
from the fact that they received
their arms from the government,
they paid their own expenses.
MOT SO long after the stirring
~ Civil war days, the uniforms
had a dash and a verve that
charmed the young ladies. Captain
johnson himself was a Union Of
f1cer. When Battery A rode gal
lantly by on parade the town
turned out to see the blue uni
forms trimmed with red stripes
and braid.
Mr.. Curtis became the next cap
tain and under his guidance the
battery developed into a crack
drill outfit competing for national
honors in Washington, Philadel-
phia, st. Louis and New Orleans.
Often the members would stray
gle home after winning prizes,
dead broke from their sightsee-
ings. Charles Garrard, quarter
master-general under Governor
Morton and Governor Ralston,
then a lieutenant in the outfit, re-
members virtually having to walk
home from New Orleans.
They won eighteen ribbons for
first, one ribbon for second and a
black ribbon at New orleans.
While on exhibition in the Bayou
city, they failed to have the right
kind of powder sacks.
Newspapers of that day tell of
the popularity of the prize vim
ners and the grand balls held in
honor of them Young women
We'd for the honor of having a
battery man as an attendant.
The peak of the battery'S
popularity came as result of che
national drill competition held in
old Camp Morton here the week
of July 2, 1891. The Commercial
Club and the Board of Trade CO.
operated with local business firms
in subscribing nearly $4,000 in
prizes.
FLASHING parades were held
l. through city streets and on
July 4 record crowd of $4,000
people witnessed the drills. Society
women were selected to act as
sponsors for visiting units. Among
them were Mrs. Curtis, Mrs. H. H.
Rowland, Jane Graydon, Emma
Thompson, Claire Shower, Kate
Lands and Cara Atkins. Miss
Elizabeth Dye was appointed
sponsor for the Indianapolis Light
Artillery, Battery A.
During the celebrations a con-
test was held to determine the
most popular officer among the
companies for the competition.
Captain Curtis was the proud
winner of sword and according
to accounts, "modestly received the
award"
The money made at the Camp
Morton event and prizes previously
won by the battery went toward