News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-07-16
BARBARA FRIETCHIE'S FLAG.
How The Story Started - Anothe
Historical Error.
BY vIRGIE oUANrRILLE BROWN.

Historical Error.
BY VIRGIE QUANTRILLE BROWN.
Histories of the late civil war are
replete with acts of heroism. Most
of them. it is true, are credited to
men; but a few women who made
sacrifices in order to save to thecOun-
try every man it needed in it's great
peril have inches also in the temple OF
fame. Do the historians ever err in
their choice of subjects for immortal
ity? Who has not read and admired
the poem about Barbara Frietchie
written by thegood old Quaker Whit
tier? Yet in Justice to her it must be
said that, had it been written while
she was still living, her honorable
character would have repudiated the
tribute. This woman is received by
a great people; her memory is kept
green in the minds of our schoOl-chil-
dren; travellers search for the house
where she lived and the grave where
she rests, and long to carry away
some memento of a woman whom
they coupled with the Maid of Breg-
enz or Joan of Arc. Hers is beau
tiful story as Whittier tells it; but
between the lids of the most ancient
mythology a greater fable could not
be found.
When the South declared war Mary
land remained loyal. 1t was often
the scene of invasion, and one of the
most desperate battles was fought
upon it's soil at Antietam. Frederick
City is about eighteen miles from An
tietam. 1t is beautiful town, and
then ranked, as now, second to none
of it's size in prosperity, health and
the intelligence of its people.
1t was not an unusual occurrence,
during the war times, to be eawakened
in the dead of night by the clatter OF
horses hoofs plunging through our
peaceful streets, carrying Mosby's or
Ashby's troopers bound on raid
Those citizens who were heaviest los
ers are trying now to be reimbursed
by congress for the $250,000 de
manded by Mosby, and gotten, too
as the alternative of burning the town
to ashes.
Ny father, Archibald R. Quantrille
son of Major Thomas Quantrille, ont
of Washington's Oldest citizens. haC
his residence and place of business il
Washington city. My mother wa
the daughter of Geo. w. Sands O
Frederick. She had two brothers
: One, Hon. Geo. w. Sands, died i
1874 at Ellicott City, and at the tim
of his death was prominent Repuu
lican lawyer and politician: Ate
4 ~ fIfNT1 \
: German succeeded him as internal
: revenue collector of the fifth Mary
land district. The other brother j
, Rev. l.. C. Sands of Livonia, n. I
Nv father, thinking Washington
? would be the scene of turmoil and &C
ton, sent his family to Frederick tt
stay at their grandfather's, returning
to his business at Washington.
My grandparents lived in Patricl
t street, which runs east and ives
through Frederick city and is one o
/, it's prominent thoroughfares. ltwa
e not contrary to etiquette for ladie
4 to sit upon their porches and EMO,
E the morning air and exchange cour
i tesies. and watch the bodies of troop
S which so often marched through til
: city. We had a large flag, on who's
field of blue the stars representing TN
S union of states formed the letter
, "J, s." 1t foated from our windo'
l. ALWAYS, attracting great attentlo
n because it was both suggestive an
l. unique. | remember my mother
telling how, when news of an AZ
preaching foe reached the city, hag'
k Tvara hanled in and hidden betwee
bedding and in stOve-pipes and IN II
describable places; but ours nevt
re came down, until, in response to pc
sistent urging, she gave it to some
le Burnside's men on their way TO ANU
I'd tam.
ie The house became noted for 4
T. stubborn loyalty. Valerius Eber
ne who was then mayor of Frederick,
to bitter secessionist and nephew
It Barbara Frietchie, rode past OF
tn house in company with some COME
crate officers, and, pointing at u
building, said;
m "See there is the house that foa
Ill the 'U. s. flag" 90
=" In the first week of September, lS6
NJ the confederate troops under Gener
n Lees personal command lnvad
Ike Frederick. They were in a deplora
ry state, and seen the city looked as u
ut human cyclone had struck it. Tn
III took possession of stores, church'
he schoOi-houses; and the male citizel
lls decamping for fear of capture, left t
lp- women and children to "hold I
al, fort" There were no acts OF brutf
cl- tv or personal violence, but just
III, desperate sense of self-preservatlon
elk, the first law of nature. Domes
ply provisions were giving out, and lad
ur- went creeping through an army
5he men and horses to stores where I'll
had to beg the new lessees for fo'
en- But on the morning of the llth, al
are indeed, at the eleventh hour, the j
yer full report came that the cOnfedera
on must get out, for Burnsides troC
ten we're not three miles away. All v
90 hustle and dconsternation. CommaI
a ing officers hurriedly got their d
+. siOns together. martial music Du
from a thousand brass throats, a
the line of retreat was taken up.
was "a grand but sad sight. The d
ttn tna had covered the gray uniforms of
men and begrimed their faces. II
~ III were worn with travel and deprl
'fio, r, ton, and many of them, though Il
~ smiled, felt more like moaning. II
v'h oah were leaving sweethearts behind til
oIo4 I wives and little ones, mothers
'th tIV sisters, to go into deadly strife. III
~, , plight awakened sympathy-not
onu omv the cause they had espoused, but
oul the human hearts which were wr1
W by the parting. Buckets of VIZ
noo nov were placed upon the sidewalks, wi
,4h ,,In a cool drink could refresh the pass
nnr. ,pm troops, regardless of the color of
coats.
Mrs. Quantrille was seated on
i,od porch. With her were Mrs. lsab
ap- Whaley, Mrs. Martha Arnold
lany Miss Mary Hopwood, daughter
leas, James Hopwood, one of Frederi
nils piIls most prominent citizens They '
dtsh conversing, and intently watching
Fna stream of humanity thatsurged p
ImSf naSfE A division approached whose b
: pIayed. "Maryland, My Maryla'
Tho Moment hPp eaF caught