The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1916-06-30
SAVED THE BANNER
How Mistress Day Won
the Last Battle of the
Revolutionary War
~ HE last battle of the Revolution
& was not at Yorktown, nor was
it any of the small skirmishes

s. was not at Yorktown, nor was
b it any of the small skirmishes
that occurred after the surren-
der of CORVALLIS and before the for
NAL declaration of peace in 1888. The
last battle was of the nature of a duel,
and it happened on the day the Brit
ish evacuated New York, says Youths
Companion.
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.
Maj. William Cunningham, the Brit.
ish provost 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 be-
hind him with much unnecessary vio-
lence. His Infamous reign was over.
There were few forms of cruelty that
he had hesitated to practice on the
luckless Continental prisoners in his
charge Among the mildest was the
contamination of their drinking water
by throwing rubbish into the well, and
the appropriation and sale of their ra-
tions for his own profit.
The friends and relatives of his VIC
TINS were flocking back to the city
triumphant, and it behooved Major
Cunningham 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 Broadway
and Murray street something caught
his eyes. He stopped, hesitated, then
turned aside and hastened down Muir
ray 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 fluttered
from a tall fagpole, as if waving q
triumphant welcome to the Continen-
tai troops.
Wrathfully he seized the halyards.
and began to pull the flag down the
pole. There was something about the
action that soothed 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
woman heard the creaking of the pull
ley 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 outrage 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
chanically on the halyards. Bang!
Whack! The major saw many times
more than IS stars, and the powder
flew from his wig in all directions. He
dropped the rope and turned about.
"Womanl Do you realize what you're
doing?" he roared. The broomstick
was in the air again, and the major
lodged Whack! 1t struck him
suuarely 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
irreparable 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.
He decided that discretion, was the
better part of valor and fastened to
the waiting ships.