The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-05-04
BARBARA FRITCHIE.
General Bradley T. johnson
Tells What he Knows of
the Legend.

| NoHCIdI DEduIoJ L. OOunSOn, UDe
well known Confederate leader,
tells an interesting story of the
Barbara Fritchie legend, and ut.
terly riddles the time worn idea
of Jackson's rife volley at the
aged heroine of Whittier's poem;
l suppose the San is correct in
saying that the fable of Barbara
Fritchie is an ineradicable and
ineXtinguishable as that similar
one of William Tell and the ap.
pie. But l would like to put on
record the testimony of an eye
witness and actor in the contem
pOraneOus scenes and acts of
those days.
| had commanded Jackson's
Second Brigade at Second Man.
assas, and on our approach to
Frederick September &, 1862,
General Ewell directed me to
take the right of his column, he
being on JacksOn's right, move
into the town, take possession of
it and police it. He knew that
was a native of the place and
appreciated my feelings.
Taking Captain Lige Whites
cavalry company, which was Ew-
ellis headquarters guard, we gal.
loped down Market street to the
square at the intersection of Mar
ket and Patrick, where L halted
and sent out pickets around the
town. The sunburned, weather.
stained face were recognized as
flashed down the street, and |
could hear the cry behind me as
| went, "Why, it's Brad! it's
Brad JohnsOnw and the square
was filled with excited people in
a moment, all pressing around my
horse to shake my hand, first and
foremost being the Union people,
who were unaffectedly rejoiced
that it was |. The Southern sym.
pathizers were more prudent and
less demOnstrative, though more
excited.
assigned Captain Louis Ran
dOlph to do duty as Provost Mar
shall and he policed the town
thoroughly and forbade all pill
Laying at once, and | advised my
friends to sell for cash in Confed-
crate money at double their old
prices. For those four days
know that l was more popular
than l have ever been since.
Stark's Louisiana Brigade
camped north of the town and
my own on the barrack grounds.
We got in on Friday and left on
Tuesday, the 10th, think. Jack
son went to the German Reform
ed Church on Sunday and went to
sleep. | have seen him sleep un
der the fire of McClellan's 70
guns at Malvern Hill. Why he
didn't go to the Presbyterian
Church | don't know. DR.. Ross
was the pastor, being a Virgin
ian. l suppose it was thought
best not to hold services.
On Tuesday, the 10th, the day
we left Frederick, l rode at the
head of my command down Mar
ket street to the Baltimore and
Ohio depot and thence by Jail
street to the HagerstOwn pike,
where l joined the column moving
north. There were few men in
evidence, but the women crowded
the windows, doors and front
porches-stoops they are called
in Pennsylvania. AS l rode by
one house, the doors were packed
with women. There was lolling
out of the window an old lady
who had long survived her beauty
and her teeth, looking at the
whole ragged, barefoot and dirty
procession with hate and scorn
written all over her ugly counter
ance. AS came up some one in
the room evidently behind her,
told her who l was, and she
turned her face to me and made
the most diabOlical, grotesque,
toothless ordnance conceivable,
expressive of her estimate of re-
bells and that particular Fred
erick rebel especially.
Jackson rode up to DR.. Ross
house by the Presbyterian Church
on Second street, l think it is,
and called upon Mrs. Ross, who
was the daughter of Governor
Mcdowell, and who had been
born and raised in Lexington and
whom the General had known
all her life. After that visit he
and his staff rode down behind
the courthouse by Bantz' lanyard,
across the Town Creek up the
Mill alley and thence up Patrick
street to get to the head of his
column. The Barbara Fritchie
house is on Patrick street, on the
east corner of the Town Creek
bridge and a square east of where
Jackson came into the street.
/ TT