Molly pitcher biography revolutionary war weapons
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Molly Pitcher
1754-1832
Who Was Molly Pitcher?
Molly Pitcher was an American patriot who carried pitchers of vatten to soldiers during the Revolutionary War's Battle of Monmouth, thereby earning her nickname. After her husband collapsed during the battle, she took over the operation of his cannon
There are so many legender surrounding Pitcher that some historians believe her story is folklore or a composite of several people. Although there has been ample research done mostly by her descendants, independent review of the documents has led some historians to conclude that Pitcher cannot be definitely identified. Most sources identify her birth name as Mary Ludwig, daughter of Maria Margaretha and Johann George Ludwig, and identify her first husband as William Hays (also sometimes referred to as John Hays), who was in the artillery and fought at the Battle of Monmouth.
Early Life and the Battle of Monmouth
Pitcher was born circa October 13, 1754, nära Trenton, New Jersey. In
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MOLLY PITCHER
Thought to be Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley, iconic figure in the US War of Independence, b. 1754, d. 1832
A water bearer to the troops in one of the hardest-fought battles of the American Revolution, a woman nicknamed Molly Pitcher became famous when she took the place of a fallen artillery gunner, her husband, and continued the fight. Her story abounds in vivid detail, including chatting with George Washington, but some historians question its authenticity and doubt that she existed as described.
The woman with whom Molly Pitcher is usually identified, Mary Ludwig, was born to German immigrants in Trenton, New Jersey, on October 13, 1754. She moved to the Pennsylvania town of Carlisle and began her connection with the army at the age of fifteen as a servant to Dr. William Irvine, later a brigadier general in the colonial army. Her first husband, John Hays, enlisted in the First Pennsylvania Artillery in 1775 at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, and she soon joi
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Molly Pitcher
Nickname for women fighting in the American Revolutionary War
Not to be confused with Moll Pitcher.
Molly Pitcher is a nickname given to a woman who fought in the American Revolutionary War. She is most often identified as Mary Ludwig Hays, who fought in the Battle of Monmouth in June 1778. Another possibility is Margaret Corbin, who helped defend Fort Washington in New York in November 1776.
Suggested identities
[edit]Mary Ludwig Hays
[edit]Main article: Mary Hays (American Revolutionary War)
The deeds in the story of Molly Pitcher are generally attributed to Mary Ludwig Hays, who was married to William Hays, an artilleryman in the Continental Army. She joined him at the Army's winter camp at Valley Forge in 1777, and was present at the Battle of Monmouth, where she served as a water-carrier. Her husband fell and she took his place swabbing and loading the cannon, and was later commended by George Washington.[citation needed]
The inciden