The Washington times., 1914-08-26

Fifty-two years ago, ninety-six-year-
old woman leaned out of a window OF
an old house in Frederick. Nd, and
waved the flag of the Union in the
face of an invading and hostile army.
She held to her colors. and stood by
them in face of certain death, rescued
then. and raised them to a place OF
honor at the risk of her own life.
It was a deed inspired by the same
nobility of character and action Which
commanded the Iron Cross of Germany
or the Victoria Cross in England. yet
for fifty years, aside from the immor-
tality granted Barbara Fritchie by The
poet Whittier. nothing has been done
by the men of the nation that was saved
to perpetuate the memory of this noble
woman, or to hold her supreme act up
as a model of loyalty to the sons and
da lighters of America.
The Barbara Frithcie Memorial AS
sociation. however fifty made up OF
women, realizing the uselessness OF
waiting for man to raise any kind or
a statue to a woman, perhaps because
she did not have on a uniform, fas
collected funds. engaged sculptor. he'd
a monument made, and on September >.
will unveil ct Frederick Md. fitting
tribute to one of the noblest human
beings of history.
The monument will b. massive sEaft
thirteen feet in height. Realizing that
in this world devoid of statutes of wom-
en-. a figure could be incongruous and
out of place, the association arranged
with the sculptor. Mr.. Kelly, for max
ing a huge bronze slab. with the face
of the aged woman in bas relief at the
top.
This piece of bronze is about two feet
wide and nearly seven feet long, carry
ing the entire poem by Whittier on
its face 1t will be placed in the center
front OF the shaft
The first base will De six and hall
feet square and one and half feet
high. and the sub-base, on which the
shaft proper rests. is four feet FOUR
inches square and one foot and four
inches high. The shaft proper will
then be a little over Ten ieet nlSh. Az
the base it will be three feet four inches
square, tapering slightly toward the top
TO about three feet square.
AS to the existence OF Barbara
Fritchie:
The following facts we're collected by
Edwin / Shope. of this city. in an ef-
fort 10 throw more light upon the poem
and the story. They are Nouched for
bv the memorial association and the
relatives Of Mrs. Fritchie:
] Mrs. Caroline VI Winebrener tnee
Ehert. a niece of Barbara Fritch!e.
made affidavit to the fact Of her
aunt's flag waving defiance to the
nassinr Confederate troops on that
memorable September day, when,
with patriotism At full tide. she lS-
nored the threats that the nag would
Re shot out of her hand. This af-
ridavit was based on the stnrI ot
the incident as related to this niece
by Barbara Fritchie herself. ct may
be added that the Barbara trItchle
Memorial Association has officially
adopted this story as the authorized
version OF the flag episode
. Gen Nelson A. Miles. who was
among the commanders IT the Fed
eral army in pursuit of the Confed-
crates through Frederick. has. IN
one of our leading ma gaines. inter
estinglv referred to the then current
fact of Dame Baroara's deed and
its inspiring effect upon the bows
in blue shortly after the incident.
Dared Foe to Shoot.
Mrs. E. d. N Southworth, the nov-
elfst was the one to suggest the poem
to Mr.. Whittier. Her own story is
as follows:
II remember rightly" said Mrs.
SouthWorth Barbara was at the
time more than ninety years old. Ihe
town was about equally divided be
tween symDathizers with the South
ern cause and those who upheld the