The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-04-29

| any Such order as t0at mentioned Dy nin
and described in Whit,iet's poem, or wit
messed any firing. hp his or any other officer
command. upon fl ,g in Barbara Frietchie's
or any other woman's Eand, then he heart
| and witnessed what was heard and witnessed
| bv no other mortal man. Neither Genera
| jackson nor any other officer III our army
! was capable Of giving such command
| On the morning that we passed through
Frederick. on the expedition for the capture
Of lIarpcr's Ferry, the two following Incl
dents occurred, one of which witnessed in
| person, and the other was described to mt
by an entirely reliable officer of Hays;
| Louisiana brigade: AS my brigade, o
| EwclfS division, was marching through tho
town, on the street which connects with the
road 10 Boon>boro', young girl about ten
| or eleven years old was standing on the plat
| form in front of 4 framed wooden house, on
| the lett side Of the street as we marched, with
| n sm4ll llay United States), Of the size com.
| monty called candy.flags, i'll her hand, which
she was slowly waving while reciting, in q
dull, monotonous tone, "Hurrah for the
Stars and Stripes! Down with the Stars and
Bars J" BY her side stood another girl
| about five or six years old, looking as If she
did not know what it all was about, and the
girl who was going through the performance
seemed to have no heart in the matter, but
to be merely going mechanically through a
recitation she had been taught. The
doors and window-shutterS Of the house
were closed and not another human
being was visible about it. The men,
as they passed, laughed and joked
pleasantly about the affair, but not
rude or unpleasant remark was made by
them. The only indication of a disposition
to interfere with the girl was by one-legged
man who had been accompanying one of my
regiments on horseback during the campaign.
When I got up found him somewhat ex-
cited, and upon my asking him what was the
matter he called my attention to the girl with
the fla., and said he had good mind to get
down and take the flag from her. He had
evidently taken two or three extra drinks,
and told him he was fool-t to 20 on and
let the girl sIonc-she could do no barm with
her candy .iltg; and thereupon he moved on.
The other incident occurred farther OIL
think jast across the bridge in the western
part OF the town. AS the Louisiana brigade
(Hays'S) was passing, 4 coarse, dirty. looking.
woman rushed up Il narrow alley with a
United States hIg, very much Soled, which
she thrust out OF the alley, when an Irish
soldier in the brigade, with his ready Irish
wit, made remark about " that dom'd oud
dirty rag as he called It, which sent her
back with her fig in hurry, and no effort
to take the flag from her was made. Upon
these two incidents, l presume, are based
Mr.. Whittier's lofty numbers" and the dis
plIted claims 10 the honor and glory Of hay
ing Haunted the Union flag " in the faces Of
S'ouewall Jack>on's "ragged rebels" as
they passed through Frederick. The story
49, 4 tl, Nc iol- Innf nf n
sun about flag being stricken from the
band Of Mrs. Quantril by one of our Off
GERS is, think, as GrouDdlesS as that told in
Whittier's verses. If any such incident had
occurred, and it had been the subject of
reprimand or disapproval By his superior
officers, think would have heard OF it. l
have witnessed Il number OF instances Of
the display Of small flags, or the Union
colors. aS they were called, by ladies in the
enemy's country is we passed through their
towns, but l never heard Of an instance in
which any violence or rudeness was used by
our officers or soldiers on such occasions;
though, when the exhibitions became OBJ
trusive, our boys were always ready with a
good -natured witticiSD or jest that put an
end to these eXubcrant displays OF patriot
ism. have also seen ladies, even in Penn
Sylvuuia, wave their white handkcrch'ets 10
our troops. Whoever is disposed TO claim
the honor Of either Of the Two incidents in
Frederick that | have mentioned is entirely
welcome to do so.
will add that have been informed bya
gentleman who was for long time citizen
of Frederick that Mrs. Barbara Frie,chie, or
her husband, was descendant of one OF the
HcS>iaD> that were brought over to thrash
into obedience. another set of "reGels";
and if she had been the heroine Of the Incl
dent which Mr.. Whittier's prolific imagina-
ton has created she would only have been
acting in accordance with the traditional
principles Of the family. believe Mr.. W bit
tiers q laker ancestors were somewhat in
sympathy with the cause for which the Hes
sianS fought, and hence, perhaps, his admi-
ration for the supposed exploit Of one of their
descendants. have seen within the last ye,r
or two letter or statement from Barbara
Frctchie's niece denying that her aunt had
hosted the flag or been fired on, but saying
that she had driven of some of "the ragged,
lousy rebels " from her house with broom
stick-and who would not run from au old
woman with scurrlous tongue in Eer
mouth and a broomstck in her hands?
j. A. EARLY.
J.,.oJb,,,., ApriI 0c 1879