The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1914-03-13
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 1t 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 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 q 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. His infamous reign was
over. There We're few forms of cruel.
ty that he had hesitated to practice on
the luckless Continental prisoners in
his charge. Among the midest 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 We're f1ocking back to the city tri
umphant. and it behooved Major Gun
ningham not TO linger. So he left
the prison, turned into the common.
and crossed it 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
audacity" he thought But it was like
that rebel spitfire. Mistress Day. He
would teach her one final lesson.
He reached the Day house, which
was a tavern near Greenwich street,
opened the gate and shook his fist at
the Stars and Stripes that huttered
from tall fagpole. as if waving a
triumphant welcome to the Continental
troops
Wrathfuly he seized the halyards
and began to pull the flag down the
pole There was something about the
action that soothed his ruffied 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 we'll, 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 few off and went
scuttling down the yard, In his as
tonishment he continued to pull me
chanically on the halyards. Bang,
whacki 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 doing?" he 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-
widest disorder his regimentals 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
lHeduS weary. ioOu6 WdIulIlS DuBle
notes from the Battery decided the
| matter. He turned about and strode
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 Youths Companion.
Cutting Remark.
| II we judged ourselves by the same