any enthusiasm among the people of Maryland, and the stirring notes of "Maryland, my Maryland "* fell upon deaf ears. Lee's recruiting offices were empty, and he lost more men by desertion than he gained for his ranks.

The advance guard, led by Stonewall Jackson, entered Frederick City on the morning of Saturday, September 6, and left there on the following Wednesday. Their reception, says an account written at the time by a United States army surgeon, who was there in charge of a hospital, "was decidedly cool; all the stores shut, no flags flying, and everything partook of a churchyard appearance." But a story has since been told that many Union flags were flying over the town when Jackson marched in, and that he ordered them all to be hauled down. Among those so treated was one on the house of an old woman named Barbara Frietchie, who patriotically displayed her flag again, hanging it by its staff from her attic window. But the story is best told by Whittier, in his stirring poem called 66 Barbara Frietchie."

"Up rose old Barbara Frietchie then,

Bowed with her fourscore years and ten;

Bravest of all in Frederick town,

She took up the flag the men hauled down;

In her attic window the staff she set
To show that one heart was loyal yet.

Up the street came the rebel tread,
Stonewall Jackson riding ahead.
Under his slouched hat left and right
He glanced: the old flag met his sight.
'Halt!' the dust-brown ranks stood fast.
'Fire!' out blazed the rifle-blast.

It shivered the window, pane and sash;
It rent the banner with seam and gash.
Quick, as it fell from the broken staff,
Dame Barbara snatched the silken scarf;
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 country's flag,' she said.

*See Appendix, page 567.

1862.]

BARBARA FRIETCHIE.

A shade of sadness, a blush of shame,
Over the face of the leader came;

The nobler nature within him stirred
To life at that woman's deed and word:
'Who touches a hair of yon gray head
Dies like a dog! March on!' he said.
All day long through Frederick street
Sounded the tread of marching feet.

All day long that free flag tost

Over the heads of the rebel host."

279

It is almost too bad to spoil so pretty a story, but a regard for the truth of history makes it necessary to say that it is probably only a fable. There was such a person as Barbara Frietchie living in Frederick at the time, but she was bedridden and helpless, and could "only move," writes her nephew in 1879,* "as she was moved, by the help of her attendants." She died about three months afterward (Dec. 18, 1862), aged ninetysix years. Her nephew says also that Stonewall Jackson's troops did not pass her house at all in the march into Frederick, but entered by a back street; and this is corroborated by General Ewell of the Confederate army, who was present. But it makes little difference whether the story is true or not; the patriotic Barbara Frietchie of Whittier's genius will live in the hearts of all true Americans as long as the nation shall survive.

* Southern Historical Society's Papers, Vol. VII., No. 9.

CHAPTER XXIV.

SOUTH MOUNTAIN.-ANTIETAM.

MCCLELLAN MARCHES AGAINST LEE.-WELCOME IN FREDERICK.-A FORTUNATE DISCOVERY.STONEWALL JACKSON GOES TO HARPER'S FERRY.-BATTLES OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN AND CRAMPTON'S GAP.-FALL OF HARPER'S FERRY.-LEE HARD PRESSED.-HIS POSITION NEAR SHARPSBURG.-THE BATTLE OF ANTIETAM.-DEATH OF GENERAL MANSFIELD.-HOOKER WOUNDED.-SUMNER HOLDS HIS GROUND.-BURNSIDE ATTACKS ON THE LEFT.-LEE RECROSSES THE POTOMAC.-A DRAWN BATTLE.-GOOD-BY, SAMMY.-I'M A BOLD SOJER BOY.JEB STUART IN PENNSYLVANIA.-MCCLELLAN FOLLOWS LEE.-SUPERSEDED BY BURNSIDE. -MCCLELLAN'S FAREWELL.-A QUESTION FOR GENERAL HALLECK.

AS

S soon as it was known that Lee had crossed the Potomac, General McClellan moved against him with about eightyseven thousand men, leaving General Banks in command of the defences of Washington. As it was not known whether Lee intended to march toward Baltimore or into Pennsylvania, McClellan had to advance cautiously in such a way as to guard both Washington and Baltimore. But his movements, careful as they were, did not suit the authorities in Washington, who were still troubled with their old fears for the safety of the capital, and Halleck kept telegraphing his belief that the movement into Maryland was only a feint to draw the army away toward Pennsylvania, and that it was Lee's plan to turn McClellan's left flank and get between him and Washington. On the 12th of September McClellan reached Frederick, two days after Lee had left.

A gentleman who witnessed the entrance of the Union troops from the top of a house says the sight was magnificent -nothing but moving masses of men and gleaming bayonets being visible as far as one could see. The people gave them a reception very different from that given to the Confederates: flags were displayed everywhere, stores and houses were opened, and the tired soldiers were fed with the best of food. When McClellan rode in, cheers were given on every side, handkerchiefs were waved and bouquets thrown, and men, women, and children crowded around his horse with wishes for his welfare and success. Such a welcome was very inspiring to both officers and men, for it showed that most of the people were still loyal to the Union.

1862.1

SOUTH MOUNTAIN.

281

Fortunately, one of General Lee's orders, showing the whole plan of his campaign, was found in the quarters occupied by General D. H. Hill when in Frederick, and this gave General McClellan all the information he wanted of the enemy's movements. General Lee's intentions in invading Maryland were to keep open communications with Richmond through the Shenandoah Valley, and by moving through Maryland toward Pennsylvania to draw the Union army away from Washington. He supposed that when he crossed the Potomac and advanced to Frederick Harper's Ferry would be evacuated by the Union troops there; but they still held the place, and as that cut off his supplies, which he expected to reach him through the Valley, he had to divide his army and send part of it under Stonewall Jackson to capture it. McClellan, who saw how useless it was to try to hold Harper's Ferry after Lee had crossed into Maryland, had advised that its garrison should be ordered either to retreat into Pennsylvania or to cross over to Maryland Heights, on the opposite side of the river, and hold them until he came; but General Halleck thought otherwise and ordered the place. to be held. General McClellan found out from Lee's lost order that Lee had thus divided his army, and immediately marched in pursuit of him.

While Jackson was engaged at Harper's Ferry, Lee moved with the rest of his army toward Boonesboro.

A continuation of the Blue Ridge of Virginia runs in a northeasterly direction from the Potomac through Maryland, where it is called the South Mountain range. There are two passes through this range, one called Turner's Gap, on the route. from Frederick to Boonesboro, and the other Crampton's Gap, about six miles south of it. Lee hoped, after passing these gaps and getting on the west side of the mountains, that he would be rejoined by Jackson before McClellan could reach the passes, which he did not intend to defend. But McClellan pushed forward so fast that his advance was seen approaching South Mountain on the afternoon of September 13. Lee then saw that he would have to defend the passes in order to gain time for Jackson to come up. So he recalled his troops and prepared to resist the passage of the Union forces. On the next day a severe fight took place, the right wing of the Union army, under General Burnside, attacking Turner's Gap, and the left,

under General Franklin, Crampton's Gap. The fight at Turner's Gap is commonly called the battle of South Mountain, the other the battle of Crampton's Gap. The ground near Turner's Gap was so difficult that little artillery could be used; but the Confederates had the advantage, for their riflemen fought from behind trees, rocks, and stone walls, as the Union soldiers pushed their way up the steep hillsides. By four o'clock in the afternoon there was heavy fighting all along the mountain, the Confederates falling slowly back, bravely contesting every foot of the ground. By sunset the Union troops had won the crest

WILLIAM B. FRANKLIN.

of the mountain, but with a loss of fifteen hundred men, among whom was General Reno, commander of the Ninth Corps. The Confederate loss was about twice as many, one half of whom were prisoners. Among their killed was General Garland. During the night the Confederates, seeing that they could no longer hold the pass, withdrew, and the next morning the right and centre of the

Union army marched through to the west side of the mountains. At Crampton's Gap General Franklin forced his way in a similar manner to the top of the mountain, with a loss of about five hundred, the Confederates losing as many, and by night his advance had reached Pleasant Valley, west of the mountains.

Crampton's Gap is only four or five miles from Maryland Heights, opposite Harper's Ferry, and General Franklin was now able to go to the aid of Colonel Miles, who commanded at Harper's Ferry. By General McClellan's orders he moved in that direction at daylight the next morning, but the time gained by Lee in defending the passes had been sufficient to enable Jackson to effect his purpose. Although Colonel Miles had sent word to McClellan on the morning of the 14th that he