Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-11-11
BARBARA FREITCHIE
ANOTHER VERSION OF THE INCIDENT
MADE FAMOUS BY WHITTIER.

/ II was O Younger w oman VINO waved
the Flag Mt the ConEcderatcs-Ecw Far
bara Came to Get the CredIt-Tl,e Char
acter and Home Of barbara Freischie.
It seems pity to upset so pretty a
picture Us the cne drawn by Whittier
| of the aged Barbara Freitchio waving
the stars ard stripes over the heads CT
the rebel hosts as they marc..ed through
Frederick, but truth compels the state
rent that Barbara only displayed the
| flag after the arrival Of the Federal
troops, while a younger woman dared
the rebels, without. however, being
fired upon.
| Earb:rG's maiden name was Hare,
and she WIS born Oh Dec. 5, 1906,
In Lancaster, Pa. Her family moved to
! Frederick, Md, when she was a child.
and i'll 1906 she married John Casrer
iFroitchie. One of ker relatives now Iiv-
ing in Frederick is authority FOR the
following statement:
Barbara IVES intensely patriotic.
| and in September, 1862, when the
Union soldiers drove the rebels out CT
| Frederick, Barbara manifested ho- de
| light by staEding at her window with u
SILK flag in her hand. Owing 10 her sd-
vanced age (nenriy so she attracted u
greet deal Of attention, both officers and
privates breaking ranks TO shake her by
the hand. Fer three hcurs she continued
by the window, until, becoming exhaust
cd, She was persuaded to come il sf.d
rest. Earlier III the day . younger vo-
man had waved small Union flag
from house in the same street while
the retels were passing. She was Eot
fired upon, however.
"In the excitement following on thc
retreat of the rebels the two incidents
became Blended together, and q resident
of the town, writing to Mrs. Z. D. E. 4.
Southworth. treated item rs oce. Ms.
SoutLwor,h. feeling that she could not
do justice to the theme, wrote III ac-
count Of it TO tie poet Whittier. WHO,
stretching poets license TO the liIrit.
penncd the we'll known verses entitled
Barbara Froitchic.
"BarbaIa's home was situated on
West Patrick street, on the east bank cf
Carroll creek. Directly opposite was tke
town spring, whose waters still bubble
up as rcfreshingly as they did through Ri
the years OF our bitter strife. WhicEuycT
party held Frederick was sCro 10 he rIp-
resented by its soldiers RI ihct srril;<,;;
There during hot summer days ilcv
would lounge in the shade cs Barbara :;
| stoop. If it were the boys in blue, shn
| was very gracious and would co,re dovL
and lend then, her tu,nblcrs or her dip
| per and give them biscuits. bat Eot 80
:Eo Ccrfede-ates, whom she would drive
from her premises or CrGor from hCT
, po,tico with n majestic motion Of Ec,
care, hcr great age protecting her from
| insolencc or harm.
barbara cied OIL Dee. IS, 1862, ri
| the age Of 90 years ard % Gays. Size
was buried beside her husband Ill the
| German Reformed. church yard CT Fred
| erick.
In 1865 food did u great Zeal Of
damage to Property OIL West Patrick
street, and Barbara's bousc was coz
demned and tern down o widen Carol!
creek. The carpenter who razed thu
| house made canes CT the balustr2dc and
sold them. Cnc was sent to General
| Grant as & souvenir.
After Ban hara's death there Was q
sale CT portion of her furniture, and il
was my pleasure few years since 20 sec
bedstead owned by her il an uphol-
stcrer's store. Old fashioned, sayerciy :
| plain and simple, should have Easscd
| it hundred times without noticing Ii
had my attention not been called to j;
by the stoIekeeper, who told me lie had
purchased it from Frederick dealer
upon sworn affidavit as to its genu.
| inenesa. The bed on which she died is
now owned ard used by sreGt-grcat
nephew. Her sideboard is the property
of another nephew.
| 1.-THE historic silk flag is il the pos
session Of the niece who stood Cpc,
that memorable occasion by Barbara
side while the latter held it in her hand
also among her priceless treasures thi.
same niece values O blue china coffee
pot, which was the property Of Barbara,
and from which coffee was served tt
General Washington when he visited
Frederick in 1891. Upon that occasion
Washington spent the night at Mrs.
Kimbal's hotel, where the City hotel
now stands, and Barbara Froi.chil
brought her Liverpool china to grace
| the table.
Whittier painted truthfu]ly whel
he said:
"The clustered spires Of Frederick, stand
Green walled by the hills of Maryland.
"Singularly enough, tie churches
are all grouped together within {
stones throw of each other. Barbara
was member of the German Reformed
with DR.. Zacharias as pastor. 4 few
years after the war he was interviewed
by some admirers of Whittier's exeri
site lines. 'Ah, yes, answered the doctol
}. tenderly, L was Barbara Freitchie'l
pastor for nearly 80 years. / handed lie!
the cup and the bread. At our com
munion service she always partook, q
had been her lifelong habit, standing
and afterward was sure to shake hand
cordially with her pastor. '"-Sostcl