Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-05-10

what whittier says About Barbura
Erttchie.
From the Boston Daily Advertiser

From the Boston Daily Advertiser
Mr.. Whittier attended the Friends meet
ing in Amesbury on Thursday, for the first
time in several weeks, having been absent on
account OF Illness and on his return, in con- |
yersation with the writer, who called to ascer- |
tain the foundation of the poem, he said that
lie heard with regret OF the attempt to invali-
date the truth of the story. He said that his
belief in the verify OF the act as described
was as perfect and unshaken as the day when
first he formed it. The attempt to overthrow
the fact came undoubtedly from dissatisfied
parties, to whom remembrance of the matter
was distastefs OF this he was aware, not
only from Northern newspapers, but by the re-
ports of personal friends who had visited the
South. His confidence in the truth Of the
story was founded not only on the testimony
of friends who had learned the disputed facts
when i'll the historic city Of Frederick but by
contirmatory evidence protfered, not solicited
by numerous parties in the South and a large
number OF letters in support of the poem are
now i'll the poets possession.
The incident first told to Mr.. Whit
tier in a letter from well-known and popular
author, u lady, Nirginian by birth, now resi-
dent IN the District of Columbia and one
city She wrote to him in August lsG3, and
the following is p copy Of portion of her let
ter now i'll Mr. Whittiers possession
When Lees army occupied Frederick, the
nnly mon nag ulsplayed III the city WAS held
from an attic by Mrs. Barbara Fritchle, a widow
lady, aged ninety-seven years" such was the
paragraph that went the rounds Of the Washing-
ton papers last September. Some time after
wards from friends who were in Frederick at
the time (of his occupationl heard the whole
story. 1t was the story of a woman'e heroam
which when heard seemed as much to belong to
you az book picked up with your autograph Oh
the hy-leaf. SO here it IL Barbara Frtche
was born in l7G6. She was ten wears old at the
leUuninp Nd
years old at Its close Therefore. at the most re-
ceptable peried of her life she must have drawn
IN from that serious epoch the ardent spirit of
patriotism that inspired her to the act When,
on the morning of the 9Th OF September. the
advance of Lees army, led by the formidable
rebel, General Stonewall jackson, entered Fred
erick. every Union flag was lowered and the
halliards cut. Every store and every dwelling
house was closed. The inhabitants had retired
indoors, the streets were deserted and, to quote
the official report the city wore church-yard
aspect. But Mrs. Barbara Frtchie, taking one
of the Union flags, went up to the top of
held it forth. The rebel army march
ed up the street, saw the flag
and the order was given, "Halt Fire r
and volley was discharged at the window from
which it was displayed The ilag-staif was part
ly broken, 80 that the flag dropped. The old
lady drew it in, broke OF the fragment and
taking the stump with the flag still attached
to 1t i'll her hand she stretched herself as far
and stripes at arms length, waving over the
rebels, and cried out in voice of Indignation
and sorrow, Sire at this old head, then boys
1t is not more venerable than your flag
They fired no more; they passed in silence and
with downcast looks and she secured the flag i'm
its place, where it waved unmolested during
the whole of the rebel occupation OF the city,
Stonewall would not permit her to be troubled.
... She died few days after the Union troops
entered. Some thought she di ed of oy at the
frnt
excitement and fatigue that she underwent in
the ''lionizaton3 she received from those who
wonld not emulate the old lady's courage but did
honor to her act.
Shortly after the poem was published and be-
gan tH never-ending circulation, Mr.. Whittier
received a letter from Judge John G. Under
wood of the supreme court of Virginia, who
wrote to the author of barbara Fritchie" at
the request of IA daughter of Stonewal Jackson
then resident in the judges family to thank the
poet for his graceful and tender mention of
Stonewal in the true incident where the general
played such conspicuous and noble part
And let a tear
Fail, for her sake, on StOnewas s bier
In the summer of 1872 the virgnan lady re-
ferred to above, who furnished Mr.. Whittier
with the incident was in Massachusetts, and ac-
companied by nephew of Dame Barbara made
visit to the genial Quakers charming cottage
home. While there, in the conversation, which
naturally turned on the event Mr.. Whittier had
immortalized, this nephew of the heroic old la
dy confirmed In every particular the facts in the
matter, as previously furnished Mr.. Whittier,
and on the same occasion he presented the poet
with plain oaken cane, made from the wood of
Dame Fritchie's house.
Besides this array of evidence shown by Mr.
Whittier, he said that everything was favorable
for such an incident the principal actor in it
had during her whole life shown her patriotism
by word and deed, and her character knew no
fear. Every time tnat the incident had been
mentioned before the story was disputed,