Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 27.djvu/295

 Tin- Real Barbara Fridchn-. 187

been a more humane way of getting rid of it than killing the men. Now, I have never considered women and children necessary append- ages to an army; on the contrary, I would rather class them with what Caesar, in his Commentaries, calls impedimenta. Homer's heroes were not paralyzed when Helen was carried off to Troy; it only aroused their martial ambition. Sheridan knew that if he did anything of the kind it would stimulate the activity of my men; so he didn't try it. As for our lieutenant-colonel, who, as Major Rich- ards says, married in that section, I think that, if Sheridan had cap- tured his wife and mother-in-law and sent them to prison, instead of going into mourning, he would have felt all the wrath and imitated the example of the tierce Achilles when he heard that Patroclus, his friend, had been killed and his armor had been captured. "Now perish Troy!" he said, and rushed to fight.

Very truly yours,

JOHN S. MOSBY.

THE REAL BARBARA FRIETCHIE.

Ninety-Six Years Old, Bedridden, and Never Defied Stonewall Jackson.

To the Editor of the Sun :

SIR, The "Barbara Frietchie " lie, dies hard. It has been " nailed " time and again, but at intervals of every five years or so "bobs up" again serene and cheerful, finds " patriotic" champions from Brooklyn (generous asylum ever of exploded war-myths!) to Waterbury, Conn. But some of the later champions take the very soul out of the myth and the point out of the poem by allowing that the aged Barbara waved her little flag in welcome to the Union forces and not in defiance of Stonewall Jackson and his ragged " rebels." Mr. J. C. Houghton, in your issue of January 24th, says: " I am glad to see that you have rescued Barbara Frietchie from the realm of myth. * * * I have a photograph of her, taken after her welcoming display of the United States flag to the Union forces as they were passing through Frederick City. * * * Mr. Whittier took a poet's license in making her defy with her flag the rebel Gen-