The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-04-09
FOILED THE MAJOR
He Had to Flee at the Last Battle
OF the Revolution.
A FIGHT WON WITH A BROOM.

The Engagement Was Short, Sharp
and Decisive, and In Il the Patriot
sPitfire, Mistress Day, Earned the
Right to Her Title and to Fame.
The last battle Of the Revolution was
not at Yorktown, nor was 1t any of the
many small skirmishes that occurred
after the surrender Of Cornwallls and
before the formal declaration of peace
In 1888. The last battle was OF the ma
ture Of a duel, and 1t happened on the
day the British evacuated New York.
The great day that was to see the
last Of King George HIS regiments
leave these shores finally arrived. The
British army was TO board the ships
that lay in the harbor. Washington
and his troops were waiting at Kings
bridge and McGowan's pass to take
possession Of the city immediately on
their departure.
Major William Cunningham. the
British provost marshal and command.
er Of the prison on the common. gave
one last look about his Office, tossed
the key on the table and went out
into the sunlight, slamming the door
behind him with much unnecessary
violence. H-J infamous reign was
over. There were few forms OF cruel.
ty that he had hesitated to practice on
the luckless Continental prisoners in
his charge. Among the mildest were
the contamination of their drinking
water by throwing rubbish into the
well and the appropriation and sale of
their rations for his own profit
The friends and relatives Of his vic
Tins were 6ocking back to the city tr
umphant, and 1t behooved Major Gun
ningham not to linger. So he left
the prison, turned into the common,
and crossed 1t to gain Broadway. He
strode along muttering curses under
his breath. At the corner of Broad
way and Murray street something
caught his eye. He stopped, hesitated,
then turned aside and FASTENED down
Murray street.
What audaCity! What monstrous
audaclty" he thought But it was like
that rebel spittire, Mistress Day. He
would teach her one final lesson.
He reached the Day house, which
was tavern near Greenwich street,
opened the gate and shook his fist at
the Stars and Stripes that fiuttered
from n tall 6agpole, as If waving a
triumphant welcome to the Continental
troops.
Wrathfully he seized the halyards
and began to pull the flag down the
pole. There was something about the
action that soothed his rutlied feelings.
He would at least take back to Eng
land with him one captured rebel ban
ner But he had reckoned without
Mistress Day!
From her kitchen that patriotic wo
man heard the creaking of the pulley
on her Flagstaff. She tlptoed to her
front windows and peeped out. She
knew the major only too well, and she
determined to prevent this final out
rage. She flew back to the kitchen and
seized her broom.
In the meantime with his back to
the house, the major was hauling away
vigorously. A few more jerks and the
flag would be within his grasp. Bang!
His hat suddenly flew off and went
scuttling down the yard. In his as
constituent he continued to pull me.
chanlcally on the halyards Bang,
whack! The major saw many times
more than thirteen stars, and the pow
der flew from his wig In all directions
He dropped the rope and turned about,
purple with indignation.
Woman, do you realize what you
are doingT h rOared. The broom
stick was in the air again, and the
major lodged Whack! 1t struck him
squarely across the bridge of his nose,
and the field at once became ensan.
guined.
The bleeding officer now began to
take hasty counsel with himself, He
was late for the embarkation, the
American troops would soon be upon
the ground, his hat had received an ir-
reparabIe dent, his wig was in the
widest disorder, his regimentas were
stained with marks of the bloody af-
fray, his head was yet spinning from
contact with Mistress Days weapon,
and there were unmistakable signs
that Mistress Days arm was by no
means weary! Some warning bugle
notes from the Battery decided the
matter. He turned about and strobe
off, picking up his damaged headgear
on the way. Mistress Day, smiling
contentedly, returned to her kitchen to
continue the baking and brewing for
the evening festival.
1t took the major some time to re-
move the evidences of conflict before
he appeared at the Battery. He must
have been hard put to 1t to explain his
lateness and his disheveled state to his
superior officer. His career after his
return to England continued to be dis
reputable. He was executed for for
gerry eight years after he left New
York. AS for Mistress Day. the wo-
man who few the first American flag
in the evacuated city and who fought
and won the last conflict of the RevO.
luton. she deserves wider fame than
she has enjoyed. Companion.