Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-25
WH|TT|ER'S HEROINE
Grave of Barbara Fritchie in
Frederick.
QUESTIONS OF F ACT
ONE MAN WHO SAYS STORY rs
FALSE.
Points Out Why He Believes Waving
of Flag Could Not Have
Happened.
QUESTIONS OF FACT

FREDERICK Md October 25.-Tke low
or of heroes. should keep away from Fred
erick town. If the trustees of the Carnegie
hero fund were able TO take up the claims
of Barbara Fritchie they would have a hard
time in proving that she ever waved the
American flag in the face of Stonewall
Jackson If they were to depend upon testi-
mony of the neighbors of Winters hero
Now a trolley road crosses the meadows
rich with corn that mark the approach of
this ancient town. and passengers can get
a view of the place from which it is de-
clared that the heroine defied the fam
ished rebel horde" The graveyard in which
her remains lie Is not far away. These
two places are the objective points of in
terest of more people who come to this city
than is all the balance of the town. The
last resting place and monument of Fran
els Scott Key. the famous author of THE
Star Spangled Banner. does not attract
nearly so many visitors do the places
made sacred by memories of Barbara
Frtchie. All the men and women of Fred
erlck past and present, when considered
collectively, do not amount to a pinch of
snuff when compared to Whittier's heroine
1t is only occasionally that visitors to the
heroines grave meet the disappointing ex-
perience that was reserved for me when |
started out to view these interesting places
Working my way toward the section of the
city in which the graveyard that treasures
the remains of Barbara Fritchie is located
| inquired of uniformed officer of the po
lice department. who also serves the county
of Frederick as its superintendent of roads,
the way to the heroine's grave and former
home. He looked at with a counte-
nance that indicated his feeling of pity In
observing one who was bent on such an
ill-directed mission. He then offered to
show me the way to the cemetery as he re-
marked:
'Of course, you know there never was
any truth in that poem of Writers about
Barbara Frltchie. The people come here
III swarmS to see her grave and to view
the place in which she is supposed to have
defied the southern soldiers. But l will
let you judge for yourself. / knew Bar
bara Fritchie. and / very much DOUBT
whether she ever understood that there
were southern soldiers in Frederick. The
last time | saw her she was being led over
the bridge that crosses the stream near
her house, and she So blind that she
could not have well gone out alone. The
location of her house far away
from the road travelled by Stonewall jack
sen that ii would have been Impossible 'or
the scene described by Whittier to have
taken place"
The speaker was Mr.. J. A. Simpson. who
was one of the company of $40 soldiers
sent from Frederick to Harper's Ferry
to take John Brown and his fellow rioters
into custody. He was in that little band
of men that surrounded the barbados OF
the self-appointed emancipation of the
slaves of the south While these volun-
teers were there regular troops arrived.
and the capture of Brown and his men was
Effected After that Mr.. Simpson returned
tc Frederick and ever since has been close
" identified with the town. Barbara
Fritchie ner home and her friends were
ali well known to him. 81
Demolishing the Heroine.
II was In Frederick at the time these oc-
currences are alleged to have taken place.
continued Mr. Simpson. in his career of de-
mollshlng the heroine. land neither 1 nor
.Rr1
about 1t until the publication of Whittier's
poem. You may hunt testimony the world
over and you will not find any one who
ever heard of these alleged acts of Barbara
Fritchie until the poem was published
Not only was there no such Incident, but
will show you why 1t could not have hap
pened."
Mr. Simpson then led the way to a point
of vantage from which the location Of
these historic events could be seen. The
Fritchie home was built alongside stream,
but some years ago there was such a Sc
we're flood at that place on account of the
contracted bed of the watercourse that 1t
became necessary TO sacrifice the historic
house. and 1t was torn down to prevent
floods in the future
There" he said, indicating South Market
street. quarter of mile to the east of the
place where the Fritchie house had stood.
is the road that was taken by StonewaH
jackson and his troops. They went north
five or six miles. and came back to the
southwark along Brentz road. which you
see is several hundred yards from the
former location of the Fritchie house. The
entire circumstances are such that the incl
dent narrated by Whittier could not have
happened.
What is more. Mrs. Fritche's nephew.
Mr.. Veteran Ebert, who was mayor OF
Frederick in 1870. in letter published in
the newspapers here. denied the truth of
the statement. 1t was denied at the time
OF the publication OF the poem by many
people. but that made no difference The
family of Barbara Fritchie very naturally
like TO maintain the truth of the story, but
they can do no more than say they believe
II. They can give no evidence to maintain it,
1T is well established that Mrs Guam
trell. who lived several hundred feet from
the Fritchie home. did on some occasion
wave a flag while confederate troops were
passing within sight of her house She
was not molested at all. There was also
another case of young girl in Hagerstown
who waved the flag for a long time while
confederates were passing. and in that case
also the soldiers paid attention to It.
When this incident is said to have occur
red, in 1862. Mrs. Fritchie was nlnety-six
years of age. She died In that year As L
have said, from what | knew and saw of
Barbara Fritchie l doubt whether she was
ever aware that confederate soldiers We're
in the vicinity of Frederick"
In spite of this view that is taken by
many People in Frederick. the fame OF Bar
para trttchie is not only assured but the
verify OF the circumstances narrated in
the poem Is maintained By Mr. Henry NJ
NlNdorn or this city. who has written a
small volumes to show that the incident
might have happened exactly as tod by
whittier, although he does not give any
direct evidence of it,
Of National Interest.
whittier wrote his poem on the statement
OF Mrs. Southworth. Who was living in
washington at the time she correspondent
with the poet. 1t is stated that she So
cured her information from a neysnaner
clipping.
But the doubt thrown on the reality of in
cidents relating to Barbara FritchIe docs
not have the least effect in diminishing the
national interest that Is taken in her and
from year to year the number OF peop,e
visiting Frederick chiefly to stand beside
her grave and look uron tLe scene of her
alleged heroism does not diminish Her
remains are buried In the cemetery of the
German Reformed Church on the outskirts
of Frederick. 1t Is now seldom that an
interment Is made there, but the sacred spot