Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1916-08-05
The Truth About
Barbara Fritchie

Writing. in Harper's Magazine for
August, Louise Closer Hale tells the
story of Barbara Fritchie as it was
told to her recently at Frederick. Her
version skaters another literary
myth.
"T fought with the South said the
veteran.
"'He did, continued his wife, and
my brothers fought for the North.
The two armies used to come raidin'
through the town, and pickin' each
other off right in the street some
times
"'Would you be scared?' l probed.
"'Scared? Why I'd be that scared
couldn't tell the colors of the uni
forms. Though l saw my brothers
in the front yard, and they were
Rebs. But they never hurt women,
neither side
emo, nobody ever hurt women in
those days. said the old soldier.
But us girls used to have good
times with both sides. We'd joke an
laugh with the Rebs, and they'd say
they would come back and marry us,
and while that would make US hoppin'
mad, some of 'em did come back and
marry u.s. The old, old lady and the
old, old gentleman smiled at each
other.
"'This amt tellin' her about the
Aao' ipcipIatod tho husband
"'No, faint. Daughter, run up
and get that picture of Mrs. Guam
trille. You know, ma'am, we always
felt battle ahead, and when the
orders came from Lee for General
Jackson-there didn't many call him
Stonewall then-to march his troops
through the town to seize Harper's
Ferry, we felt something in our
bones. He came by way of that
creek
"'Not past Mrs. Fritchie's house?'
"'No'm, just this side of it. We
were all on the stoop watchin' for
Mr.. jackson, who, we had heard, al
ways rode with a Bible under his
arm. There was good deal of de-
lay along the road, because, you
know, ma 'am, they waited for the
commissary. The Confederate band
was playin' down at the drug store,
and it was Hill, D. H. Hill-there
were two in this corps-who sent for
the musicians to serenade Mrs. Guam
trille and us girls. He had refined his
horse alongside of us and we were
all cutting up.
"'All this time Mrs. Quantrille
had a little Union flag in her hands.
It's the rule when an army comes
through a town that only the flag of
the army is shown, so l reckon hers
was about the only one flying. Mrs.
Fritchie was very old lady and was
sick in bed that day.
But ddi didn't anybody protest about,
it?'
"Well, Mr.. Hill said, Madam, you
ought to take that flag of yours and
make an apron Of it," but quick as
flash she came back, "You ought to
take yours, sir, and make breeches
out of it." They were terribly ragged,
that corps.
"'Then Hill rode on, and no sooner
had he gone than one of the privates,
gettin' into line, grabbed it with his
bayonet, and used some language that
wasn't very nice. Mrs. Quantrille
was as perky as you please. She
made a fuss about it, and said the
man ought to be arrested for rude
ness to lady. So one of the officers
rode on ahead and said he'd see to it.
Southern gentlemen were very par
ticular about language before lady.
l don't suppose anything was ever
done, because there was good deal
to think about just before battle.
"'But Mrs. Quantrille said, "Girls,
have any of you got f1ag?" We
used to all carry Union flags in the
bosom of our basques, and May went
into the hall and took hers out. So
by the time General Jackson came
along she was waving one again. He
never said word that l can remem-
Der, and we were all SO excited bowin'
to him that we had to laugh after
ward, because we forgot to look for
his Bible Yessum, we did.
"It was the other Hill of Jackson's
division-I always call him the Hill
on the cream-colored horse-who
brought up the rear. And he said to
Mrs. Quantrille, "You ought to be
shot for wavin' that flag" His
pistol was out of it's holster, but he
didn't shoot her. And Mrs. Guam
trille, who always had the last word,
said, you'll be the one to be shot"
1t seemed kind of prophecy, for
he was killed. But then a good many
was. And after that another soldier,
encouraged by what Hill said, l
reckon, cut the second flag out of her
hand and trampled on it. So if the
poet had got it right, he'd have had
two flags torn down.
$3.50 that 1 said, is the story of
Barbara Fritchie.'
MtYaSS11n They saw neonle who