The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1906-03-20
The True Story Of
Barbara FTiet(hie

The following extract from letter
written to me by John G. Whittier
will set at rest all speculations-so
far as the poet is concerned--in re-
gard to the origin of his poem-Bar-
bara Frietchie:
Oak Knoll, Danvers, Mass.
10 Mo-, 10, 80.
My Dear Friend: had a portrait Of
the good Lady Barbara from the saint
ly hand Of Dorothea Dix, whose life Is
spent In works Of love and duty, and
cane made of wood from Barbara's
cottage, sent me by DR.. Steiner, of
the Maryland Senate.
Whether she did all that my poem
ascribed to her or not, she was a
brave and true woman.
followed the account given me in
a private letter and the papers of the
time. | am very truly thy friend,
John @. Whittier.
Barbara Frietchie was my great
aunt. and the true story of her life is
as follows:
Her maiden name was Barbara
Hauer. and she was born in Lancas-
ter, Pa, Dec. 3, 1766. Every drop of
ancestral blood in her infantile body
had come from the founders and pre-
servers Of the then youthful union. In
childhood she removed to the ante
colonial and beautiful mountain-gir-
died town Of Frederick, Nd, accessi.
BILE from either Baltimore or Wash
ington, d. c., by two hours ride In
railroad car.
When forty years old, May 6. 1906,
she welded John Caspar Frietchie,
and having no children of her own,
devoted herself to the training OF
numerous nieces and nephews, for
next to her instinct of love OF country
was that Of maternity and love Of do
mestic life.
Frederick was then and is still es-
sentially city of homes. Around 1t
cluster more associations with Amer
ica's colonial life than about any other
town, except Annapolis, in the old
state Of Maryland Here, upon "Old
Barracks HILL" stand today, in the
rear of the state institute for the deaf
and dumb. the stone barracks which
were erected during the reign OF the
good Queen Anne" for the reception
Of French prisoners, and in which, in
1854. George Washington, the youth.
full aide-de-camp Of General Braddock,
met in council with his general and
Benjamin Franklin while en- route
for the scene Of Braddock's memor-
able defeat Here Charles Carroll OF
Carrollton spent days and weeks dur
ing his historic career, the center of
circle of friends whose minds were
as highly cultured and whose manners
as urbane as his own. Here the ven
erable General Scott was arraigned, in
1S49, to answer charges preferred
against him by General Pillow. Here
Roger B. Taney, chief justice Of the
Supreme Court Of the United States,
lived during quarter OF century.
And here, in ITO. was born Francis
Scott Key, the author Of our national
anthem. "The Star-Spangled Banner"
Amid such class of patriotic citi-
zens. and in such an atmosphere, Bar
bara Frietchie developed into her
womanhood. noteworthy among the
most notable danes Of that period for
her sturdy good sense, incessant in
dustry and intelligent enjoyment OF
the limited opportunities then offered
women for their intellectual advance
ment. She was gentlewoman and an
aristocrat of the true American type.
Her aspect was stern and somewhat
cold, but her gray eyes were clear and
true, and one could not be with her
any length of tine without seeing how
an emotion Of love or little fun could
soften the lines which, in repose,
might seem somewhat harsh.
Her house was a story and half
high cottage. built of stone and brick.
with high gables and dormer windows
and devoid Of external decorations.
Its location was on broad thorough
fare known as Patrick street. Not
twenty yards from the house the
street made decided curve, which
at its bend was intersected by a deep
but narrow creek, called Carroll's
creek, over which an ancient looking
wooden bridge offered passageway.
On one side Of the bridge was flight
Of stone steps which led down to its
right bank and--guided by the paved
walk of blue fIagstones which ran
close to the margin of the crack
conducted one to a large square
spring. through whose ever-bubblIng
water Of crystal clearness the pebbled |
floor shone as though vanished by |
sunbeams. From time immernorial |
two iron dippers, fastened by chains |
to iron hooks riveted in the rocky |
wall. invited the thirsty traveller to |
partako of its rare quality, and fur
nished the Frietchie family with all the