St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-13
CORRECTED HISTORY.

The truth finders are playing havoc with
our favorite American historic stories.
The disappearance of WHITTIER's BAR
BARA FRIETCHE into the realms of myth
was severe blow to American pride and
patriotism. The scene of the venerable
BARBARA waving the Union flag in the
face of the great rebel captain and defying
the power of his legions was too inspiring
picture to be destroyed by the narration of
the bare truth, that the good old German
lady was in the kitchen cooking cabbage
and potatoes for the midday meal when
StOnewall JACKSON passed through the
town, and that she didn't even take suffi-
Gent interest in current events to drop her
work to go to the door to look out upon the
rebel army. JACKSON and his men marched
on and Mrs. FRIETCHE continued the prep
aration of dinner. Then came the tearing
down and destruction of another old, old
story, which made the most fascinating
chapter in the history Of our country's
early settlement. The heroine of the
Chickahominy is no more. The roman
tic love of PoCAHoNTAs for Capt
JOHN SMITH never had an existence
except in the fertile Imagination OF some
early TOmancer. Instead Of being the
stately monarch that he has been pictured
to us, PowHATTAN was only an Indian of
the Minnesota or Dakota type, with his
aboriginal fOndness for stimulants, who, in
consideration of a supply of leaf tobacco
and case OF red water. gave the English
explorer his freedom. The destruction of
the PoCAHoNTAs legend has had the effect
of removing the faint from the memory of
Capt. JOHN SMITH. For more than three
centuries disappearing people have held
a grudge against JOHN SMITH because he
didn't marry POCAHONTAS in token Of his
gratitude. Now it turns out that SMITH
was under no special obligations to the
daughter of the chief of the Mattaponis,
and there is no reason why he should have
married her if he didn't want to. 1t lets
the SMITH family out, but makes it little
tough on the first American families, who
are proud of tracing their ancestry
back to POCAHONTAs. Now we are
confronted with the overthrow of
another memorable episode in early
American history. LoNGFELLow's pretty
story about PAUL REVERE's ride
has been knocked into cooked hat by the
publication of an article in last Sundays
Philadelphia Times. The grandson of
PAUL REVERE furnishes the proof to show
that his grandfather did not arouse the
people of Concord and Lexington from
their slumbers for the very good reason
that the people aforesaid were not asleep
that memorable night. They were wide
awake and making preparations to give the
Britishers warm reception the next day.
Mr.. REVERE did take ride out into the
country that night but it was common
place sort of horseback ride at an easy
gait and very little noise about it, as he
was trying to find his way outside of the
English lines without being discovered.
The story about his galloping along at
break-neck speed, whooping things up
after the fashion of countryman returning
home from the fair. was a piece of poetic
license which Mr.. LONGFELLOW INDUCED
in at the expense OF historical accuracy. 1t
is too bad to have our pretty American
stories spoiled in this way. And if it keeps
on at this rate people will begin to doubt
whether the battle of Bunker Hill was
really fought, and the suspicion will creep
upon the American mind that the York
town incident was only a political inyen-
ton to boom WASHINGTON for the pres
idency.