Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-04-11
LETTER FROM MARYLAND.

Maryland, some twelve miles from
the Potomac and seventeen from Har
per's Ferry, where John Brown u1-
dertook the task Of freeing the slaves.
Frederick was visited several times
by both armies. At one time when
the Confederates were in possession
and threatened to burn the town, the
city paid the Confederacy two hum
dred thousand dollars to save it from
the torch. At another time the rebel
soldiers sacked the town and nearly
cleaned out some of the stores belong
ing to Union people. You know they
had an antipathy against the Union
and all who adhered to it. They real
ly intended to dissolve this old Union
of ours, but now are glad they failed.
Some days since, while in the store Of
an elderly gentleman, situated on w.
Patrick St., talking politics with him
to learn what we could from an older
and better posted man than ourselves,
he related to us several instances of
the war which took place on that
street He spoke of Barbara Fritchie
and her patriotism, as she was then
in the habit of coming to his store
daily to talk with him. He knows her
well and what her feelings were re-
garding the war. On one occasion she
said that if she had many sons she
He spoke of the time when she hung
out the stars and stripes as Jackson
was marching his troops through the
city, and what followed. But Whit
tier has told the story much better
than we could, and SO we leave it. At
one time the gentleman with whom
we were talking had the stars and
stripes floating in front of his store.
Hearing that the "Rebso were in town
he said to himself, ssI'll never surrender
my flag. to them.',l He was told they
were coming for it SO he took it down,
rolled it up and carried it into the at
tic, tore up some oak floor and placed
the flag underneath, and then nailed
the flooring down again. Laughingly,
he said, IT haven't seen the flag since,
for [ was so excited at the time I
could not remember just where I put
it, and so let it remain 1t has been
a mystery to many why Maryland did
not secede. Perhaps I can explain it,
as am told the legislators were gath
cred at Annapolis for this purpose,
but learning that the Union forces
were getting near there they adjourn
ed to Frederick, and while in session
there and about to vote the state out,
they were surprised. There was a
body of Union men around and in
grove, waiting for a signal from one
of their number whose business it was
to keep posted, and when the right
time came to signal to them from the
court house, that they rushed in just
in time to prevent what they inten d
ed should not take place, namely: The
declaration that the state of Maryland
was voted out of the Union. AS they
were about to move, they were sur
prised to see an Illinois regiment of
cavalry ride into town and up to the
Court House, enter the same, and at
the saber's point demand the surren
der of the legislature. They surren
dered and the members were permit
ted to take the oath of allegiance to |
the United States or go to prison at |
Washington. Some went to prison,
and one stayed there two years be- |
fore he could make up his mind to be |
true to "such a government as he /
called it,
Four miles away is Monocacy juno
ton, where on July 9, 1864, took place
the last battle in which the Confeder
ates were victorious, and where the |
10th Vermont were compelled for the |
last time to turn their backs to the
foe. Although our boys were defeat
ed in this battle, yet it proved victo
ry to our country, as it saved our ma
tion's capital by delaying the Confed-
crate army one day on their march to
that place, thereby giving General /
Grant time to forward from City Point |
the balance of the Sixth Corps to the I
defence of Washington, and not an
hour too soon. | think that this is
conceded to be a democratic state, |
caused by the city of Baltimore being
such a hotbed of democracy, as was
shown in '61, when the Sixth Massa-
chusetts regiment was there attacked
by mob and pretty roughly handled.
Thinking of how the elections are
carried on here, one would think this
party had been taking lessons in steal
ing of Senator Hill of New York. But
that state has shown in the election
which has just taken place there that i