Evening star., 1927-11-23
Scores Fritchie Story.
Writer Denies Authenticity of
Whittier's Poem,

To the Editor of The Star:
Having read in a recent issue of The
Evening Star an account by Eleanor
d. Abbot, great -grandniece of Barbara
Fritchie, attempting to justify and
give credence to the f1agwaving story
immortallzed by Whittier's poem, will
you please, in the interest of justice
and preservation of true historical
events, be so good as to publish the
following facts:
ID My father, the late DR.. Samuel
J. Cockerille of this city, served as a
guide to Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson
and was with him as he passed
through Frederick on the morning of
September 10, 1852. He has often
told me that the hagwaving event
never occurred and deplored the fact
that the poem is being continually
published in a manner which would
indicate that the event actually trans.
pired.
(2) Gen. Jackson went through
Frederick with d cavalry escort, in
advance of his troops, who did not
pass through the town until he was
some distance beyond it. Had Bar
bara Fritchie actually waved the flag
in the face of his troops, it could,
therefore, not have been Gcn. Jack
(3) Barbara Fritchie was bedrdden
at the time of Jackson1 passage
through Frederick.
~ Jackson's troops did not pass
Barbara Fritchie's house, but passed
up what in Frederick was popularity
known as THE Mill Alley" about 300
yards above her residence.
The last two facts are substantiated
by none other than Barbara Fritch-
les nephew, Mr.. Valerius Ebert, his
letter in regard to same having been
published in the Southern Historical
Society Papers for September, 1879,
Volume VII, No. 9, as follows:
II have just read a communication
to the Sun purpOrting to set forth GER
tain facts in relation to the life and
character of the late Barbara F'ritch-
ie, the heroine of Whittier's cele-
brated war poem. 1t may not be inn
proper to state that l am the nephew
of Dame Barbara and had the
settling up of her husbands estate in
the capacity of administrator. This
necessarily threw me into frequent
communication with that aged apd
venerable dame. Barbara F'ritchie
my venerable aunt, was not lady of
22 Summers, as your correspondent
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 de-
part this life in September, 1868, but
died on December IS, 1862. Nor did
any of the Federal soldiers from the
hospital attend the old lady's remains
to their last resting place. This, to
my certain knowledge, was a fact, no
orders to that effect having been
given. Therefore, none of these con-
valescing invalid soldiers were at my
old aunt's funeral. So much for this
branch of your New York cor
respondents statement.
Now, a word as to the waving of
the Federal flag in the face Of the
rebels by Dame Barbara on the oc-
casion of Stonewall Jacksons march
through Frederick. Truth requires
me 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 300
yards above her residence; then
passed due west toward Antietam,
and thus out Of the city.
But another and still stronger fact
with regard to this matter may be
here presented, viz: the poem by
Whittier represents our venerable
relative then 96 years of age) as
nimbly ascending to her attic window
and waving 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 distinguished general and his
forces through Frederick, bedridden
and helpless, and had lost the power
of locomotion. 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 fic-
tion-and nothing else, without even
the remotest semblance or resem-
blance of fact.
"VALERIUS EBERT.
Frederick City, Md, August 81"
At the time that the above was
published there was no denial as to
the facts set forth therein, so it is hard
to understand why great-grand-
niece of Barbara Fritchie should
raise the question at this late date.
Apparently the Fritchie family ira
ditions are not now as carefully main
tanned as heretofore
AS recent a work as Walter Geer's
Campaigns of the Civil War" 1926
in the appendix, brands the Barbara
Fritchie story, along with that of
Sheridan's ride, as one of the three
great myths of the Civil War.
COLEMAN COCKERILLE.
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