Evening star., 1927-11-14
Barbara Fritchie Story
True, Says Her Relative
Tn the Edifnr of The Star:

y
True, Says Her Relative
To the Editor of The Star:
In the November 3 issue of The
Evening Star you published an article
entitled Barbara Fritchie Story Re-
futed," in which it was stated that
John Clagett Proctor, at meeting of
the Association of Oldest Inhabitants,
read q paper on ''the three authenti.
cally recorded reasons why Dame
Fritchie could not have waved the
American flag that memorable Sep
tember 10, 1852" The occasional at.
tempts to discredit the flag-waving
incident 1 usually read, and consicn
to the waste basket, because from
more than "three authentically re-
corded sources l have learned that
she did wave her flag to the Confed
crates as they stood in front of Ter
house on the morning OF September
10. 1862, waiting for A. p. Hills divi-
sion to come into Patrick street by
way of the Mill alley, but Mr.. Proctor
has made several statements so abso-
lutely untrue that l feel a correction
should be made. Will you kindly give
this correction the same publicity you
gave the article refuting the Barbara
Fritchie story?
Mr.. Proctor evidently was not thor
oughly informed regarding facts. He
declared that the story of Barbara
Fritchie had already been disprOved
thoroughly. On what does he base
this assertion? Three reasons are
cited "why the famous woman OF
Frederick could not have waved her
flag"
The first reason given is, Barbara
at that time was bedridden, and mad
been so for quite awhile 1 know
that is not true, because she was re-
markably active for her years, and
during the time the COnfederates were
encamped near Frederick she was able
to go to the home of her niece, Mrs.
Hanshew, accompanied by com.
panion. After celebrating her Goth
birthday, December 3, she took cold
and pneumonia developed. resulting
in her death December Is after a lew
days illness.
The second reason, 1T was not light
when Jackson left Frederick, as evi.
denced by a note left at the door of
Rev. Dr. Ross. Presbyterian minister
of the time" The note, dated Septem.
ber 10. 1862, 5:15 am, is quoted. If
Mr.. Proctor were an early riser he
would know it is daylight at Sis am.
in September. but the Confederates
were not leaving Frederick wheE the
note was written. Jackson's corps was
encamped at Worman's mill, 213 miles
north of town. After breaking camp
they marched into Frederick, and as
the fiag-waving incident was wit
messed by a woman on her way to her
daily work it was probably about Z
am.
Mr.. Proctor's third reason that
brands the incident as a myth is that
Jackson's army did not march by
Barbara's home, but selected another
route"
There are persons still living who
will testify that this is not true. but
the most reliable evidence comes from
MFR. James L. Parsons of Washington,
u. c.
In letter written to the Baltimore
Sun, dated November II, 1913. reply.
ing to an article published in the Sun,
signed by w. Gordon McCabe. in
which the statement was made that
there was no such brigade as the
time of the occupation of Frederick
by Lees army, Mr.. Parsons says:
There was such a brigade as the
Third Brigade, also known as Tolli-
ver's brigade. composed of the Attn
and 4Sth Alabama regiments, the Esd
and 37th Virginia regiments. l was
a member of the 23d Virginia. This
brigade, with JacksOn's corps. march
ed through Frederick on the morning
of September 10, from camp about
ga miles north of Frederick, down
Market street to the Hagerstown pike.
Tolliver's brigade marched from the
1no1
Frederick, A. 2. Hills division was
ordered to take the lead. and Tolli-
ver's brigade halted on Market and
Patrick streets a sufficient time to
hermit A. L. Hill to march through
the Mill alley, which intersected the
HagerstoWn pike beyond Barbara
Fritchie's residence. This was not
short cut, as the distance from the
Market and Patrick street route only
amounted to q few hundred yards.
Tse use of the said alley was for the
purpose of transferring Hills division
from rear to front. l distinctly and
clearly remember stopping at the
creek and hearing considerable talk
and reference to a Yankee woman
having waved a Yankee flag at this
particular house. which Is known to
have been occupied by Barbara Frit.
chic" (Signed) James L. Parsons.
Washington. ID. c., November l.. 1913.
Mr.. Parsons also wrote a personal
letter to the late Mrs. Samuel Graf
ton Duvall, in which he gives a more
detailed account of the incident. This
is sufficient evidence that Mr.. Proc
tors three automatically recorded"
reasons are not authentic" The Con-
federate Army. except A. p. Hills di.
vision and Jackson and his corps, did
of ISn p1ao hi n
She was not bcdridden, for she did
wave her Union flag. According to
MIR. Proctor. capt. IL. Kyd Douglas is
responsible for the statement which
has really OccasiOned the writing of
this letter--a statement absolutely
false and without fOundatiOn-that the
LOYALTY of Barbara Fritche was not
above suspicion, as her relatives had
assured him il she had waved a flag
ito the rebel tread" it would not
have been the Union flag. No one who
knew Mrs. Fritchie could have
charged her with disloyalty to her
country and it's flag.
In her estimation, they who were
not loyal to the Union were base trai-
tors, and she did not hesitate to express
her opinion of them. am very sure
none of her relatives ever assured
any one that her sympathies were
with the "rebels." The quotation from
Mr.. Whittier. which Mr.. Proctor has
correctly given, shows very clearly
that Mr.. Whittier had "a mass of evil
dence," as MIR. Pickard, his biogra-
pher stated, to prove that the poem
was founded on fact. 1t may interest
you to know that the late DIR. Russell
Fl. Conwell told me DIR. Oliver Wen.
dell Holmes gave Mr.. Whittier the
of the "green-walled hills
and fertile valleys of Maryland, which
formed the setting for the posm.