The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1914-04-02
.IF|:OILED||| ] 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 It the Patriot
Spitfire, Mistress Day, Earned the
Right to Her Title and to Fame. .

Spitfire, Mistress Day, Earned the !
Right to Her Title and to Fame.
The last battle of the Revolution was
not at Yorktown, nor was it any of the |
many small skirmishes that occurred !
after the surrender Of CORVALLIS and |
before the formal declaration of peace
in 1888. The last battle was of the ma
ture of duel, and it happened on the
day the British evacuated New York.
The great day that was to see the
last Of King George Ills 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. His 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
we'll and the appropriation and sale of
f1aiY tinrc fn,, hie rrof+
The friends and relatives Of his vic.
Tins were focl1ing back to tne atty til
| umphant. and it behooved Major Gun
bingham not to linger. So he left
| the prison, turned into the common.
| and crossed it to gain Broadway. He
| STROBE along muttering curses under
his breath. At the corner of Broad
! caught his eye. He stopped. hesitated
then turned aside and fastened down
| Murray street.
! "What audacity! What monstrouS
audacity" he thought. But it was like
that rebel spitfre, Mistress Day. He
would teach her one final lesson.
He reached the Day house, which
| was Il Ctl Cl IL lCd1 lCC1" I'LL StACCI,
opened the gate and shook his fist at
the Stars and Stripes that duttered
from q tall dagpole, as if waving a
| triumphant welcome to the Continental
| troops.
Wra thfully he seized the halyards
and began to pull the flag down the
| pole. There was something about the
action that soothed his rufHed 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 tiptoed 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 tc
the house, the major was hauling away
vigorously. A few more jerks and thu
flag would be within his grasp. Bang
His hat suddenly flew off and went
| SCuLlI4nSo UON LAC JdLu LII LILO 90
constituent he continued to pull me
chanically 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 yo>
are doing?" he roared. The broom
stick was in the air again, and the
major lodged. Whack! It struck hin
squarely across the bridge of his nose
and the field at once became ensan
guined.
The bleeding officer now began t
take hasty counsel with himself. HI
i was late for the embarkation. thu
American troops would soon be upol
the ground, his hat had received an IL
reparable dent, his wig was in tn
widest disorder, his regimentals wer'
stained with marks of the bloody at
fray, his head was yet spinning from
contact with Mistress Days weapon
and there were unmistakable sign
that Mistress Days arm was by n
means weary! Some warning bugl
notes from the Battery decided tn
matter. He turned about and .strod
off. picking up his damaged headgea
on the way. Mistress Day, smilin
contentedly, returned to her kitchen t
continue the baking and brewing 70
the evening festival.
1t took the major some time to r.
move the evidences of conflict befor
he appeared at the Battery. He mus
have been hard put to it to explain hi
, lateness and his disheveled state to hi
superior officer. His career after hi
return to England continued to be di'
: reputable. He was executed for TO
! gerry eight years after he left Ne,
: York. AS for Mistress Day. the w
] man who flew the first American fla
+. in the evacuated city and who fougl
4 and won the last conflict of the Rev
4 luton. she deserves a wider fame tina
/ she has enjoyed.-Youth's Companion