Evening star., 1927-12-02
FR|TCH|E INCIDENT
FURTHER REFUTED
Mephew.S Affidavit on Flag
waving Read to Oldest
Inhabitants.

Barbara iHritchie's poetry immortal
1zeH fiag.waving incident drew further
recitation from members of the AS
ISOLATION of Oldest Inhabitants, meet
ing last night in the old Union Engine
Hokse, Nineteenth and Fl streets.
when John Clagett Proctor, vice
president, read a supplementary
paper in answer to letters of cominen-
dation and condemnation he received
following the publication in news
papers in several cities of his original
essay on the much-discussed incident
which he presented at the November
meeting of the association.
In addition to the Frederick. Md,
"reminiscences, which resulted from
Mr. Proctor's paper. the ASSOCIATION
members recalled several or the Ia
NOUS cole swimming holes In ROCK
Greek, incidents centering ABOUT tne
lower section of Pennsylvania avenue
and historical data on some OF tle
Districts old mills an OF wn'on
Artemas c. Harmon discussed III
pa per he read before the assoclatlotl'
During the business session Whlcn
preceded the protracted period aiIoWeo
FOR remarks and "reminiscences WASH
ineton Topham. chairman OF the 40
sociation's entertainment coHllIl.tee'
ranorted that plans for the celebration
~ fhe associations siXty-second ahni-
versarv next "Wednesday night' are
completed. These include dinner at
7:30 nm. accompanied by prostali
of addresses by prominent "asiii,tS ..;;,
tonians and District officials. ana VIII
be held in the City Club. MI. 1opna''
told his fellow members.
Nephew's Affidavit Read.
roo,or;r1 that since he delivered his
4oIL on Barbara Fritchie at the NO
yember meeting of the assoclatloh'
"seyeral defenders of Dame Barnara
hove rushed into print in an attempt
to nrove the story true" While others
apreed with him in branding the inci-
dent "a fake, pure and simple: MI;
Proctor, who said he had coilecte9
data on the subject for q years; reao
an affidavit given by Valerlus Eoert'
a nephew of Barbara IN 1900 ne
read:
IT have lust read a communication
m the Sun purporting to set fortn
certain facts in relation to the life and
character of the late Barbara Fritchle.
the heroine of Whittiers celebrated
war poem. 1t may not be improper
70 state that I am the nephew or
sDame Barbara and had the setting
up of her husbands estate in the ca
pcaity of administrator. Ihls heces'
sariiy threw me into frequent COM
munication with that aged ana vener-
able dame.
.Barbara Fritchie, my venerable
amt was not a lady of % Summers,
as your correspondent alleges. but an
ancient dame of 96 Winters. when she
departed this life: and it is but truth
to add that she never saw the INSIDE
of the Federal hospital in this city.
Nor did she depart this life In Sep
tember, 1868, but died on the 18th OF
December, 1862. Nor did any OF the
Federal soldiers from the hospital at
tend the old lady's remains to their
last resting place. This, to my certain
knowledge was fact, no orders TO
that effect having been given. There
fore, none of these convalescing In
= valid soldiers were at my old aunt s
your New York correspondent state
ment.
Did Not Pass House.
snow. a word as to the waving of
the Federal flag in the face of the
Rebels by Dame Barbara on the occa'
sion of Stonewall Jackson's march
through Frederick. Truth requires
one to say that Stonewall Jackson,
with his troops, did not pass Barbara
Fritchie's residence at all; but passed
up what in this city Is popularity
called the Mill alley about 800 yards
above her residence, then passed due
west toward Antietam. and thus out
of the city.
with regard to this matter may here
be presented. viz: The poem by Whit
fior ronroSnntC o11r VQn1r0 hlp r6la tive