The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-02-11

cess.
Long before they reached the defenses
of Washington, from the steady, sullen
roar Of artillery in the direction OF
Manassas, they knew that Pope's army,
from which they had been SO unexpect-
edly cut of, was hotly engaged in battle.
How they came TO be cut off by large
army in Pope's rear, without any warm
ing Of Its having been there, very greatly
mystifed them at the time, and not until
some days later did they learn that they
had been trying to whip StonewaIl
Jackson's army of $4,000 men in their
effort to join Pope.
If he had known it at the time, it
is doubtful if their communicated.
Scammon-would have thought it ad-
visable to have them make the effort.
But, on the whole, twas providential that
they did, and that Jackson was as ignor-
ant of their weakness as they were of
his strength, as otherwise he might have
concluded-if indeed that was not the
real purpose of his flank movement-to 60
on to Washington; for, as its happened
at that time, they were the only obstacle
in his path, and he less than go miles
away"
And so it is that two regiments of the
Kanawha Division claim the credit of
having saved Washington. Who can say
they are not entitled to it; for at the
time its defenses had been stripped of
every available man to reinforce Pope,
and McClellan's army was en- route by
boat from the James.
Jackson probably knew that this was
the situation, and was taking advantage
of ii. When he ran up against part OF
the kanawha Division he
THOUGHT HE HAD STRUCK MCCLELLAN,
arrived ahead of time-which the ka-
nawha regiments also accept as quite
complimentary to them-and before he
learned his mistake it was too late, and
SO he returned to Pope's front that night
by the way he came.
A few days later. when Popes broken
column and McClellan's army had
reached the defenses of Washington and
had been re-organized, with Mcclellan
in command, the march through Mary
land to meet Lees army, then crossing
the upper Potomac, was begun. The
kmawha Division, which had been as
signed to the Ninth Corps, had the
honor of leading the columns of the
marching army. When it reached
Frederick City, on the 18th of Septem-
Der, it found Wheeler's Cavalry-5,000
strong-in possession and disputing the
passage of the Monocacy.
After sharp fighting at the bridges
and in the streets Of Frederick the enemy
hastily retired. Since that day no sol
dier Of the Kanawha Division has ever
doubted that Whittier's Barbara Fret
chic poem had a substantial basis of
fact, as even while the fighting was
going on in the streets they saw scores of
Barbaras-young and charming at that
=" welcoming the coming and speeding
the parting guests " by waving "Old
Glory" from their windows and door
ways at the imminent risk of their lives
And in further proof of their loyalty
and devotion to the old flag, as soon
as the fighting was over they threw open
the doors of their houses and invited the
soldiers in to well-filled tables spread
and supplied "by willing hands and
fair"
To this day the heart of a Kanawha
veteran gives thump when he remem-
bers the many charming, loyal, and hos
pitable young
BARBARA FRIETCHIEs
of Frederick. But he has still other
and greater cause of gratitude to them
than the memory of their flags, fried
chicken, and enthusiasm, in the fact
that when, two days later, the ambu-
lances came back from South Mountain
heavily laden with wounded they took
their stricken comrades in once more
and tenderly nursed them back to life
or soothed their hours of death.
ii.
On the morning of the 14th of Sep
tember the army again moved forward,
the Kanawha Division leading as be-
fore. AS its columns crossed its north
ern ridge the beautiful valley Of the
Cumberland, with its rich fields of
deeply-contrasting colors and its neat
farmhouses and barns costly set in in
viting orchards, lay spread out beneath
them like map.
Over it all the peaceful quietude of