Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 27.djvu/296

 288 Southern Historical Society Papers.

eral in a previous march through Frederick." This being granted, the whole raison d' etre of the poem goes by the board.

No one, so far as I know, has ever contended that Barbara Friet- chie never existed. She undoubtedly did exist, and was the wife of a citizen of Frederick, who was said to be descended from one of the Hessians brought over to subdue the American colonists!

It is a perfectly well-known fact that Stonewall Jackson did not pass through Frederick along with his corps, but rode rapidly through the town with a small cavalry escort about an hour before his troops marched through the streets. Neither he nor his troops passed Barbara Frietchie's house. There is not one single incident in Whittier's poem that has an historical foundation. It is pure poetic myth from start to finish.

Perhaps the following letter from Barbara Frietchie's own nephew, which appeared in the Baltimore Sun in August, 1874, may interest your readers and give the doughty champions of the myth pause for reflection. It will be seen that twenty-five years ago the bottom was knocked out of the " patriotic episode " by one who could "speak with authority."

SIR, I have just read a communication in the Sun purporting to set forth certain facts in relation to the life and character of the late Barbara Frietchie, the heroine of Whittier's celebrated war poem. It may not be proper to state that I am the nephew of "Dame Barbara," and had the settling up of her husband's estate in the capacity of administrator. This necessarily threw me into frequent communication with the ancient and venerable dame.

Barbara Frietchie, my venerable aunt, was not a lady of twenty- two summers, as your correspondent alleges, but an ancient dame of ninety-six 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 September, 1863, but died on Decem- ber 18, 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 those convalescing invalid soldiers were at my old aunt's funeral. So much for this branch of your New York correspondent's statement.

Now, a word as to the waving of the Federal flag in the face of the rebels by Dame Barbara on the occasion of Stonewall Jackson's march through Frederick. Truth requires me to say that Stonewall