Evening star., 1927-12-02

then SO years of age) as nimbly as
cending to her attic window and wav-
ing her small Federal flag defiantly
in the face of Stonewall Jackson's
troops. Now. what are the facts at
this point? Dame Barbara was. at the
moment of the passing Of that dis
tinguished general and his forces
through Frederick. bed-ridden and
comotion She could at this period
only move, as she was moved, by the
help of her attendants.
These are the true and stern facts.
proving that Whittier's poem upon
this subject is fiction. pure fiction. and
nothing else, without even the remot.
est semblance or resemblance Of fact. !"
Other Writings Quoted.
Other writings quoted by Mr.. Proc
tor IN supporting his contention that
Barbara could not have waved flag
at Gen, Jackson, included those OF
Jacob Englebrecht. one time mayor
of Frederick. and neighbor or MRS.
Fritchie, who declared that neither ne
nor any other neighbors of the FAMOUS
old woman heard anything OF the Incl
dent of the flag waving until after the
OIL the w UitLiCi PON'b'
so far as Frederick is concerned,
Mr.. Proctor read, my opinion is that
the real heroine of Whittier's poem
was Mrs Mary Quantrell. though the
statements in the poem would not nj
her entirely either.
IAN interesting event taking place
at Middletown. Md, after the Con
federate Army had left Frederick, is
recorded by Col. II. kyd Douglas. he
speaks of two very pretty girls VINO
rushed out of their home as Jackson
and his staff were passing and waved
their colors defiantly in that generals
face. He states the general bowed
and raised his hat and. turning with
his quie smile to his staff. said: we
evidently have no friends in this
town.
After speaking to you last meet
ing. I had a delightful visit with 4
Mrs. Annie NJ. Hildebrand and her
daughter. Mrs. Henry j. Robb. now
residents of Washington at 4Slo Con-
necticut avenue Mrs. Hildebrand told
me that her mother, then Nancy
Grouse. was one of the girls referred
to by Col. Douglas. and that the other
one was Effie Titlow who married q
Mr.. Heron and who is living. or did
live, in this city"
Mr.. Proctor asserted that 1t was
not his intention to ridicule Whittier's
poem but merely ito take side against
what, in my mind, is an overdrawn
and misleading story" He contended
also that the question is not sec
tional one" since residents Of both the
North and the South have written re-
futing statements to him.
Holds No Animosity.
The vice president of the association
indicated he held no animosity toward
the CITY of Frederick when he read:
Frederick does not need this story
for its continued existence or glory.
It was a prominent place nearly a
hundred years before the Civil War
began, and even then it was as fair
as a garden OF the Lord 1t was one
of the first places to send troops to
the assistance of Massachusetts, after
the Battle of Bunker Hill, June II,
1875. / am proud to say that my
great t-great-g t-grandfather, John Hines,
father of Christian Hines, who wrote
early Recollections of Washington
CITY, and who was member OF this
association, was among the troops
which made this long and arduous
march"
Expressing the opinion that most
written treatises on the Fritchie Incl
dent are copies from a preceding re-
port save for some peculiar change In
detail. Mr.. Proctor said that one
writer claimed the flag Mrs. Fritchie
waved was of the Revolutionary War
period. but that the written piece was
illustrated with a cut of a Civil War
era Federal flag. That was but one
evidence, the association member de-
clared, of efforts to give the story
kick and additional news value"
81 trust you will see what / am
driving at" he explained, II contend
that the whole basis--so far as Par.
bara Fritchie is concerned--for Whit
tiers poem, is the result of the re.
sourceful brain Of a first-class news.
paper reporter, and that the great
poet swallowed hook, bait, sinker and
all, and practically went as far as he
consistently could in confessing as
much"
When he had concluded his essay
Mr.. Proctor read several letters writ
ten by persons who had read the re
port of his initial Barbara Fritchi'
refutation. printed in The Star of No
| vember 3, and from those who quoted
similar articles reprinted in papers O.
other cities. Among these was on'
from Mrs. Ella Morrison Mcfarland
Youngstown, Ohio, who declared her
| self to be the daughter of Mrs. Mar!
c. Morrison, one of the women who