West-Jersey pioneer., 1878-07-25


iiected over the water
The following sketch by Miss Dali of thu
personal habits and her patriotism. during
the war tallies with the account above giver
and that current among the people of Fred
erick; and also involves a good story at the
expense of Dr. Steiner, who is so wei
known in Lancaster; and who was at Mar
shall College at the time referred to.
After her husbands death she might be
seen every afternoon at the window of hel
little cottage, knitting needles in hand.
She wore black satin gown, with clear
Starched muslin kerchief crossed over her
breast. She had a lady-li1e, quiet air.
| Long before anybody had ever heard of a
photograph, Barbara Frietchie had her
dauguerreotype taken. The picture shows
her between fifty and sixty years of age.
wearing close cap and the costume l have
| described which was never changed She
| looks very much like the traditional New
England grandmother, reared under the
shadows of the Puritan church; and the
first feeling that had about the face was
that it was very familiar and not at all Ger
man. Stern and somewhat cold she looked
but her eyes were clear and true, and one
saw in a moment how little fun or a warm
love might melt down the harsh lines. She
had living with her at this time, and till
her death, her niece Harriet Yorner, more
properly Jahner, born on the 4th of May,
1897.
Her first trouble after her husband death
grew out of her patriotic devotion to the
| Union. In Casper's times the local politics
had seemed of very little Importance, and
he made one of his nephews his executor.
| This nephew turned out later what Barbara
called an ''arrant rebel' Every time she
received her dividends they had some sharp
words; she was nearing the last decade of
her century and she wished to live in peace
so she went to one of the oldest and most
| respected of the German residents, the
father of DR.. Louis NJ. Steiner, afterwards
well known in the army of the Potomac.
where he was an active member of the san
itary commission. She begged him to take
power of attorney and receive her money
from her husbands executor. Now Fred .
erlck is small city, and it had good many
cliques. Its people are Northern as well as
Southern, German as we'll as English born.
Protestant as we'll as Catholic Mr.. Steiner
was very unwilling to interfere, but he
could not refuse, so he continued to trans
act Barbara's business until his death.
Sometime before that, and previous to the
breaking out of the war he had stroke of
paralysis from which he recovered. Dr..
Lewis had been away at school and college
and knew very little of the towns people.
The first time the old man was able to walk
out he told his son that he had some money
to pay to Frau Frietchie, and he wished he
would make out a receipt for her to sign
'Frau Frietchie" suggested TO the young
doctor one of the old German woman he
had often seen hoeing in her garden and
ignorant of letters; so he made out re-
ceipt, but signed it in such away as to leave
room for her mark. When his father ush-
cred him into the presence of the black
satin gown and starched neckerchief he
must have been little startled, but his
heart did not fail him. He courteously pre-
sented the pen. Barbara took it, pushed
back her spectacles and looked at the sig
nature. "Bless you, honey!' she exclaimed
bending humorous glance on the doctor.
"Bless you! 1 wrote my name as well as
that long before you were bornr' Then
drawing line through the doctors sigma
ture she wrote her name firmly beneath.
drew this story out of my friend by ask
ing whether he had not an autog1 aph of
Barbara He had had great many, but
preserved only one, and nothing would in
duce him to part with that; and then he
| showed me the receipt in question.
In this way our Barbara lived, doing her
| own work with only Harriet Y Yorney to help,
until the war broke out. Then she found
enough to do even for one of her advanced
age She went in and out of her door
many times day. If she found it difficult
to get up or down for the litter of idle sold
iers that cumbered the steps, she was still
strong enough to strike right and left with
her stout cane, shouting in Shakespearian
fashion, ''Off off you lousy rebelsr'
In the winter of 1861, when things looked
| badly enough for the cause of the Union,
she went about helping and cheering. Hen
| ry Fixtorf, a Lutheran, we'll known for
sturdy piety and patriotism, would tell with
I tears in his eyes how after every bit of bad
news she would come into his shop, and
striking the ground with her cane, cry out,
''Never mind, Harry, we must conquer
sometime.
That winter Barbara bought a small silk
flag, to please younger relative. 1t was
only 12x IS inches, and not too heavy fol
her aged arm to wave; and this she nailed
in her attic window.
AS to the incidents Of the poem, which
made this venerable woman, native to oul
city, famous throughout the nation. Mis-
Dal's narrative of them is briefly this
That on Saturday, Sep. 6, 1862, the advance
guard of Lees army under Stonewall Jack
son came down the Bentztown road; they
did not enter Frederick. The creek which
ran by Barbara's house, and which in the
olden time swept away the trimmings o
Caspers SKINS forms the boundary between
Frederick City and the surrounding country
Just across the creek is narrow lane callet
the Bentztown road, which makes an acut
angle with the creek at the bridge and thel
sweeps along nearly in line with it. Fo
quite distance before the army reached
the bridge it was visible from every windov
of old Barbara's house. 1t is not likel,
that she was asleep that night; and whel
the army advanced she doubtless mounte'
to her attic, and aside Of the flag whicl
hung therefrom viewed it's march with ex
cited resentment. What happened thel
only the participators in it or the eye-wit