The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-05-04
Barbara Fritchie- Confederate Soldiers.

Barbara ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OoiOooA %
Mrs. MARY A. QuANTR1LLE publishes
another letter in the Washington Star OF
Saturday last, in which she reiterates her
claim to Immortality for the reason that
she displayed the stars and stripes in the
presence Of the rebel army, on the l0th OF
September, 1862, in Frederick City, Md.
The poet WHITTIER, as our readers know,
has made BARBARA FRITcHIE famous as the
heroine who performed this deed Of dar'
ing" Mrs. QUANTRrLLE and her friends
are not disposed to allow the claims OF the
latter to be overlooked. The evidence
seems to prove clearly that both these Ia
dies ore entitled to whatever credit is due
to such heroi mes as they claim to be.
But the only parties upon whom this in
cident of the war reflects any real honor are
the Confederate officers and soldiers. 1t 10
true the accounts differ-one saying that
tone of his (JAcKsoN's) own men raised
"his gun towards her, and JACKSON
"knocked his gun aside, and raised his
chat" whilst WHITTIER says thst "JAcK-
"soN ordered o 'halt' and fire that
"shivered the window and rent the BAN
"ner with seam and CASH." But WHIT
TIER knew nothing as to the facts OF
his own knowledge. He repeated the
story told him by some person disposed
rather to make up thrilling narration
than to tell the truth. Mrs. QUANTR1LLE
testifes that no Confederate soldier laid his
hands on her; whilst the fact that BAR
BARA, even if she too waved flag in the
face Of our soldiers, was not harmed for SO
doing proves that the true spirit of q SOL
dier beat in the breasts of the ragged re-
bells who were then masters of Frederick
City and oil its inhabitants.
The northern papers boast Of this act as
If it reflected credit upon the woman or
women who did it. Perhaps it does. We
say nothing as to that. But If 30, what
shall we say of the Federal Generals (not
privates) who insulted our women and even
imprisoned them and banished them for
merely refusing to salute the flag of the
UnionY What if sToNEwALL JACKSON had
hung BARBARA FRITcH1E for this act, as
BEAST BUTLER hung MUMFoaD, Of New Or
leans, for taking down the Federal flag
What if JACKSON had arrested her and I'M
prisoned her, as many Baltimore ladies
were arrested and imprisoned by Fedora
officers for offences Of less magnitude
What If a general order had been Issued
by SToNEwALL JACKSON declaring that al
Union women who Haunted flags in the face
Of Confederate soldiers should be treated 81
women Of the town "plying their voca
tom? BUTLER issued such an order il
New Orleans, and the came journals which
laud BARBARA FRITcHrE for bravery de
nounced the New Orleans ladies as I'm
worthy of better treatment.
II does not surprise any southern mai
to hear that his comrades declined Il
fire upon defenceless woman, although
she might have been foolish and fanatical
1t does not strike any southern man tina
theswoman was in peril. On the contrary
the conduct Of our officers and men wal
just what their people at home would have
expected from them. They fought Will
men, not with women and children; ant
the whole South would to-day feel in g mea
sure disgraced by the act if BARBARl
FBIroH1E or Mrs. QUAsTR1LLE had beer
plasn