. Popular history of the civil war . een Barbara Freitchie for years,she snatched the flag, and — She leaned far out on the window-sill,And shook it forth with a royal will. Shoot, if you must, this old gray head,But spare your countrys flag! she said. A shade of sadness, a blush of shame,Over the face of the leader came. The noble nature within him stirredTo life at that womans deed and word. * Who touches a hair of that gray headDies like a dog! March on ! he said. All day long, through Frederick streetSounded the tread of marching feet. All day long, that free flag tostOver the heads of the
. Popular history of the civil war . een Barbara Freitchie for years,she snatched the flag, and — She leaned far out on the window-sill,And shook it forth with a royal will. Shoot, if you must, this old gray head,But spare your countrys flag! she said. A shade of sadness, a blush of shame,Over the face of the leader came. The noble nature within him stirredTo life at that womans deed and word. * Who touches a hair of that gray headDies like a dog! March on ! he said. All day long, through Frederick streetSounded the tread of marching feet. All day long, that free flag tostOver the heads of the rebel host. The truth of this story is questioned nowadays, but theremust have been a reasonable foundation for the poet Whittierto build his ballad upon. Some of the loyal citizens ofFrederick do not deny it, and others affirm it. At any rate,it is no more improbable than many a feat of valor withwhich heroes are credited. Stonewall Jacksons advance-guard reached Frederick onthe 6th of September. The next day, being Sunday, Gen-. BAKBAR* ^■REITCHIE. A New Commander, 289 eral Jackson attended church, where the fearless pastor, theRev. Dr. Zacharias, prayed in a firm voice for the Presidentof the United States. Notwithstanding the appearance of Jackson with his armyof liberation, brave, ragged, and dirty, he received not asingle recruit. A few women did, indeed, gather secretly tomake clothing for the army; but that was all, unless weexcept a presentation to General Jackson of a magnificenthorse, which threw him the first time he mounted him. Leaving General Banks in charge of the defence of theCapital, General McClellan took the field in person onthe 7th of September, and moved in pursuit of the he knew that it was quite probable that Leewas in Frederick on the loth, he only arrived there on theevening of the 12th, two days after the rebels had General Hills headquarters at Frederick, McClellan hadthe rare good luck to find a copy of Lees ord
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