Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1914-06-13
Fooled The MAJOR
He Had to Flee al the Last Battle
of the Revolution.
A FIGHT WON WITH A BROOM
The Engagement Was Short, Sharp
and Decisive, and In II the Patriot
spitfire, Mistress Day, Earned the
Right to Her Title and to Fame.


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 a duel, and it happened on the
day the British evacuated New York
The great Gay 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 aud command
or Of the prison on the common. gavs
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 hcstated 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 docking 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
strobe along muttering curses under
his breath, At the corner Of Broad
way and Murray street something
caught ais eye He stopped, hesitated.
then turned aside and FASTENED down
Murray street
what audacity, What monstrous
audacity'' he thought But 1t was like
that rebel spittre, Mistress Day, He
would teach her one final lesson
lie reached the Day house, which
was tavern near Greenwich street
opened tie gate and shook his fist at
the Stars and Stripes that huttered
from a tall tlagpole, as if waving
triumphant welcome to the Continental
troops
Wrathfully he seized the halyards
and began 70 pull the flag down the
pole There was something about the
action that soUthed his ruffled 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 t. prevent this final out
rage. She few back to the kitchen and
seized her broom
In the meantime, with his back 70
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 of and went
scuttling down the yard. In his as
constituent he continued to pull me
chanleally 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 doing2" 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 teld at once became enSan-
guiued.
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 IT.
reparable dent his wig was in the
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 We're 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 |
of 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.
II 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 II to explain his |
lateness and his disheveled state to his |
superior officer His career after his |
return to England continued to be dis |
reputable lie was executed for for |
gerry eight years after he left New |
York. As for Mistress Day. the wo- |
man who flew the FIRST American Gag
in the evacuated city and who fought |
and won the last conflict Of the Revo- |