Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-13
THE HEROINE or FREDERICK.
Wss II Barbsra Rrfetchie Mary Guam
trelis who waved the flag


Wa II Bsrbsr. Hri-schie or Mary Guam
tssiis who waved the flag.
~ b. tiil Disputed question AZ 10 whether
Barbara Prietchie or somebody else waved the
Stars and stripes In the face Of the confederate
% Frederick or whether the whole matter IL a
myth The various sides have been heard lately
In Tss srsa, 10 viii DO remembered Mrs.
eoufhvorth has upheld Barbara as the
heroine Of the occasion. while Mrs.
Virgil Qusntrellc Brown has vigorously claimed
nat her mother. Mrs. Mary Quantrelle, was the
real heroine. Mrs Brown ln.ely has given The
sr.s further testimony in regard to her side
Speaking Of her claim that Whittier gave the
credit 20 hsr mother for the heroic deed Mrs.
Brown says referring TO Mr.. Southworth:
Vow be contradicss my statement relative
b Mr.. Whittier's letters. Years ago, when
Senator Villas was Postmaster General,
nv sister Julia. since dead, made appli-
cation for . clerkship. and among other
letters filed were Whittisr's correspondence
and one letter especially indited. in which he
so, and trust her child will not AJAX in vain of
de government, whose loyalty thy mother dis
played in . signal manner"
BAnsARA's NIECE
Still another Interesting chapter In this affair
COMES to TEE STAR from Frederick itself. In
that city Evos . grand niece of Barbara Fret
chic, who speaks clearly and TO the point of
many Of the disputed questions. She likewise
gives the credit for the flag episode to Mrs.
QuxntrelleL
The srticls appearing in TEE STAR DIV Mrs
Virgil Quantreiie Brown" said the lsdy, ''is
very inaccurate. aud l take pleasure In con-
tradictine some Of her statements feel con-
hden, that any one In Frederick will vouch for
the truth Of what write Firstly. Mrs. Brown
~
m Frederick during the war. Here she
errs greatly. Jackson crossed the Poto-
mac September 8, 1852, and camped about
three miles from this city, where he was visited
By many Of our prominent citizens. On Sun
day he attended services at the Reformed
Church. and went 10 sleep during the sermon,
~ was his usual custom September 10 Jack
son With his army came into town about 5
O'Clock a M While Lee and the army passed
up Patrick street Jackson made a detour to
leave . note for his friend, Rev. DIR. Ross of
The Presbyterian Church. lie then passed
cot Bentz street into Patrick. shout sixty
three yards (actual messurement) from
Mrs. Fristchie's home. This Is vouched for
By COL H. Kyd Douglass and Others of Jack
sons staff Hence Il will be seen that as be
did not pass her house she did not wave her flag
10 him. Secondly. Mrs. Brown says Mr..
fristchie ~as hung - q tory In the court house
yard This IA incorrect, He led a quiet
life and died peaceful death Noveu-
D9R ~. lsAS, AGED elXtE-Dlne years, pelIR inc
3un1nr Of his wife by several years. Further.
Mrs. Brown atirms that at the time of the Incl
dent Mira Frtetchie vas bedridden, which ia not
correct Mr.. Henry NJ. NiIdorf, the author Of
The hfs of Barbara Frietchie. says tina. sep
tember II she stood at her front window and
waved her flag to Gen. McClellan's army. The
soldiers were delighted at this patriotic display
and some OF them ran 10 the window and shook
hands With her. Among them Was Gen Reno.
Who VS. killed shortly after at South noun
tain
Mrs Brown further claims tina. her mother,
Mn. Mary Quantrelle, was the heroine of Whit
1er's poem This is true, a. their old neigh
bors have vouched for. Mrs. Quantreile re-
sfded about one square above Mrs Frletchie,
and when the confederate army passed
through town she waved her Union
flag 10 them. When some of the 'rebs
demonstrated with her il IL said she
replied In such patriotic words that the officers
would not allow her to be disturbed. though
pfterward some soldiers knocked the flag out of
her hand and broke the staff. say this in
Justice, 50 that the true heroine may have due
merit for her patriotic deed. Mrs. Brown at
this time was but a child. and like
the writer knew nothing accurate but what
she heard from older and WISER heads. Her
dnal Affirmation that, not until the relatives Of
Mrs. Frie,chie found glory descending did they
admire the good poets beautiful sentiment
b far fetched. The danes kin knew she was q
patriot IN that she loved her country, but none
Of them ever cared for the glory Of what
vas not true. The poem has been set
TO music fmiserable In every respect); it has
been rung aud sung from every public school
rostrum in the north, but II has q glory that
fades away Ike a dream when the enthusiastic
nation finds out that IL L. fraud True il is a
beautiful poem, but only fiction.
Annexed to Mrs. Browns letter in TIE STAR
, another correspondents version. which falls
far short Of the truth This writer speaks Of
visit 10 Mrs. Catherine Hanshew. niece Of
Bsrbars Frfetchie and her adopted daughter
What is said Of her Ia true in some respects,
but she surely never said that Aunt Barbara
never was known to possess . fag.' as know
Mat the identical flag that barbara waved
20 McClellan's army was in Mrs.
Hsnshevs possession and 10 now
Carefully kept and treasured by her children.
Further, 10 was Mrs. Hanshew's granddaughter
(not niece Who illustrated the poem on a satin
banner, being taught to do 1t not by the sisters
ss the convent, but by Miss Florence Doub.
poted artist Of Frederick. This Is solid fact as
I can testify and others will vouch
for me. Mrs. Hanshev cared nothing
for the notoriety attached to her aunt, but be
u known TO your readers and the world at
large that Catherine Hanshev, too, loved her
country, and was buried last MAY with her
ccuntry's Gag clasped to her bosom, and the
national emblem now rests on her grave"