The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-07-13
BARBARA FRITCHIE.
Did She or Did She Not Wave a Flag
a. Frederick?
Searching After Truth at the Scene
Of Her Alleged ExplOit-In
Daze Of Uncertainty.

lnt0 FREDERICK Clty on tnat Septem.
Der morning OF 1862. with his Con-
federate army Justify chanting my
Maryland" he made the sleepy old
town from that moment one of the
historic spots OF the war OF the rebel
lion.
Not because of a great battle, but
through a poem. the growth OF an
incident said to have occurred during
his progress through tine streets. An
old dame, fred With an inextinguish-
able devotion to the Union. was re
ported to have waved small United
States flag from an upper window OF
her humble home az Jackson rode
by. That was Barbara Fritchie. The
incident was told to Mr.. Whittier
some say by Mrs. Southworth-and
out Of the sentiment and patriotism
of the act the poet has woven a story
90 simple and beautiful that it will
live as iobg as the war is remembered
| with interest in the history OF the
nation.
Nearly all concur in one fact
Stonewall jackson did not pass the
house of Barbara Fritchie, but enter.
ed by another street and thence
Through Mill alley, and 30 by the
residence OF some old friends. At
1.-THE corner OF the alley, according to
come, Mrs. Quantrell! waved small
hand flag; but you may walk for q
tday and you will fail to find any one
lin Frederick who saw her do it. II
seems to have been born OF the after.
crop OF that fruitful imagir alton
which ripened and bore so marvel
lously when the cruel war was over,
Respectable people who stand nr
boldly for Baibara sneer with con
tempt at the Quantrell rivalry, and
hundreds OF other respectable peopl,
Ismiled with stolid incredulity at thu
claim OF both.
UNCERTAINTY.
You go into Frederick a firm be
liver in Barbara, and yon leave it il
a dsze of uncertainty. The Repub
lIcan, man or woman, whether il
Frederick or not. will declare loudly
for the whole truth OF Mr.. Whittier
LITTLE epic, unless. indeed. you NEE
sthers who ignore old Barbara an
t=lIyou ii was woman named Q ian
trell who waved that flag at IL 8 oil
Ironsides of the Confederates. She
they will tell ycu. is in one of th,
| Washington departments holding
clerkship on credit OF that same flag
Others will as boldly declare that tn
event never occurred. Republicans
again, will say that these last simpl.
voice the sentiment of old Maryland
| And so you founder.
WHAT HE SAW.
| An intelligent colored man wa
found who saw Barbara Fritchie way,
the flag from the dormer window O
her small one and one.half stor,
house. It stood on the bank of thu
creek and by the bridge crossing, sn'
| on this bridge Fritz Hugh Lee sat OF
his horse while his men lay arounl
Iat their ease at "a halt" There wa
la flag presentation to Captain Dor
sey's company OF cavalry-raised il
| or near Frederick. The colored mai
saw Miss Fanny Ebberts. then &
young girl, present the flag, and a
that moment Barbara Fritchie wavet
the Union flag from her window
There was small excitement amonl
the Confederates, and two men rush
ed to the house and tried to force th'
door. Fritz Hugh Lee ordered then
back, but there was no shooting ami
"no particular great excitement
after it. All this the intelligen
colored man saw for himself and wa
glad to describe Enthusiastically
adding that good old Union man
one Jacob EDgelbrecht. living immed
lately opposite Barbara Fritchie. say
this also, and was exultant quietl.
that "some one lived brave enough Il
wave the old flag in the face of tn
rebels"