Happy Evacuation Day. Go climb a greased flagpole.

At war’s end, when George Washington triumphantly led his Continental Army down Broadway to Bowling Green to witness the last British ship sail away, his soldiers rushed for the flagpole atop the fort, only to find the Brits had nailed their flag in place and greased the flagpole with lard.  An Army veteran named John Van Arsdale finally made the climb, and the swap, before the last British ship was out of sight, and for decades after New York celebrated Evacuation Day, always with a flag raising, often performed by John Van Arsdale, his son, or grandson, plus a greased flagpole climbing contest for young men to try their luck. From the TellBetter tour of the Battery.