How did Molly Pitcher get her real name?
How did Molly Pitcher get her name? According to legend, at the Battle of Monmouth (June 28, 1778), Mary Hays, wife of artilleryman William Hays, carried water to cool both the cannon and the soldiers in her husband's battery—hence the nickname “Molly Pitcher.” Legend also asserts that when William Hays collapsed or was wounded, she took her husband's ...
What did Molly Pitcher do that is so famous?
Molly Pitcher is an American war hero because of the brave choices she made to help our American soldiers. She was fearless when she ran back and forth carrying pitchers of water to the soldiers, risking her life every time because she could have been hit by enemy fire. She proved women could help out too.
Did Molly Pitcher ever give up?
When Molly Pitcher saw her husband go down from the heat, she took over for him at the cannon. The cannon crew was very tired and about to give up when Molly took the job as gunner.
Did Molly Pitcher really exist?
“Molly Pitcher simply did not exist,” she asserts, except as the functional equivalent of Rosie the Riveter during World War II.
What happened to Molly Pitcher?
She died in 1832 and was interred in the Carlisle Old Graveyard, where a cannon and a statue of “Molly Pitcher” stands above her burial site.
Who was the first Molly Pitcher?
In 1779, Margaret Corbin was awarded an annual pension of $50 by the state of Pennsylvania for her heroism in battle. She was the first woman in the United States to receive a military pension. Her nickname was "Captain Molly".
What are three facts about Molly Pitcher?
Interesting Facts about Molly Pitcher Mary Hays was known as "Sergeant Molly" after the Battle of Monmouth. Margaret Corbin was the first woman in the United States to earn a military pension for her actions in battle. Corbin's wounded arm never healed right and she had difficulty using it the rest of her life.
How old was Mary pitcher when she died?
77 years (1754–1832)Mary Hays / Age at death
Why did Molly Pitcher carry water?
According to legend, at the Battle of Monmouth (June 28, 1778), Mary Hays, wife of artilleryman William Hays, carried water to cool both the cannon and the soldiers in her husband's battery—hence the nickname “Molly Pitcher.” Legend also asserts that when William Hays collapsed or was wounded, she took her husband's ...
What does the term Molly Pitcher mean?
A heroine of the Revolutionary War, Molly Pitcher was the nickname of a woman said to have carried water to American soldiers during the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778, before taking over for her husband on the battlefield after he was no longer able to fight.
How many rooms does the Molly Pitcher have?
106 guest roomsThe Molly Pitcher Inn has a total of 106 guest rooms.
Did Molly Pitcher have children?
Johanes HaysMary Hays / Children
Is there a statue of Molly Pitcher?
Molly Pitcher Statue. Mary Ludwig Hayes, better known as Molly Pitcher, was renowned for her bravery during the Revolutionary War. A statue bearing her likeness is a prominent piece of the Old Graveyard at South Bedford and East South streets, Carlisle, where she is buried.
How did the US pay off the Revolutionary War debt?
When the war ended, the United States had spent $37 million at the national level and $114 million at the state level. The United States finally solved its debt problems in the 1790s when Alexander Hamilton founded the First Bank of the United States in order to pay off war debts and establish good national credit.
What did Molly Pitcher say?
A woman he called “Captain Molly” was bringing water to men on the field at Monmouth, and after her husband was shot dead, she “threw down the pail of water, and crying to her dead consort, 'lie there my darling while I avenge ye,' grasped the ramrod, … sent home the charge, and called to the matrosses to prime and ...
What did Lafayette do?
Back in France, Lafayette helped launch the French Revolution in 1789. He served in the National Assembly and drafted the Declaration of the Rights of Man. He proudly sent the key to the Bastille to Washington, who was serving as the President of the United States.
Who was Molly Pitcher's second husband?
William HaysMary Hays / Husband (m. 1769–1786)
What did Deborah Sampson do?
Deborah Sampson became a hero of the American Revolution when she disguised herself as a man and joined the Patriot forces. She earned a full military pension for participation in the Revolutionary army.
What job did Molly Pitcher have before the war?
It is hard to find any information on Molly before the Battle of Monmouth. Born in 1754, Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley was the daughter of a New Jersey dairy farmer. At the age of 13, she went to work as a domestic/servant and married a barber named William Hays.
What was Mary Ludwig Hays famous for?
A symbolic figure in the American Revolutionary War, the story of a fearless woman named “Molly Pitcher” has been told many times. This woman reportedly brought water to the troops at the Battle of Monmouth and worked the cannon after her husband was wounded.
Why did the soldiers call Mary Hays Molly Pitcher?
Mary Ludwig Hays was called Molly Pitcher by the soldiers because she brought them water in the heat of battle. She also tended to and comforted th...
What are three facts about Molly Pitcher?
Three fascinating facts about Molly Pitcher are that she wintered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania with her husband under George Washington, she broug...
What is Molly Pitcher known for?
Molly Pitcher is best known for firing a cannon during the Battle of Monmouth or Battle of Monmouth Court House. She even was struck in her dress b...
Who was Molly Pitcher?
Molly Pitcher is a nickname given to a woman said to have 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.
Who is the woman who played Molly Pitcher?
Deborah Sampson. Deborah Sampson has also been posited as an inspiration for Molly Pitcher. Sampson disguised herself as a man and enlisted under an assumed name; because of her smooth complexion and high-pitched voice she was nicknamed "Molly" by her comrades.
What is the overprint on the Molly Pitcher stamp?
Kelly, Monmouth Battle Monument, Freehold, New Jersey. In 1928, "Molly Pitcher" was honored with an overprint reading "MOLLY / PITCHER" on a United States postage stamp. Earlier that year, festivities had been planned to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Monmouth.
What is the Molly Pitcher story?
However, various Molly Pitcher tales have grown in the telling, and many historians regard "Molly Pitcher" as folklore rather than history, or suggest that Molly Pitcher may be a composite image inspired by the actions of a number of real women. The name itself may have originated as a nickname given to women who carried water to men on ...
When was Molly pictured on the stamp?
Molly was finally pictured on an imprinted stamp on a postal card issued in 1978 for the 200th anniversary of the battle.
Who is Mary Ludwig Hays?
The deeds in the story of Molly Pitcher are generally attributed to Mary Ludwig Hays. Hays 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.
Who refused to issue a commemorative stamp for Molly Pitcher?
Postmaster General Harry New steadfastly refused to issue a commemorative stamp specifically acknowledging the battle or Molly Pitcher. In a telegram to Tilson, Postmaster New explained, "Finally, however, I have agreed to put a surcharged title on ten million of the regular issue Washington 2¢ stamps bearing the name 'Molly Pitcher.'".
Who was Molly Pitcher?
Molly Pitcher, heroine of the Battle of Monmouth (June 28, 1778) during the American Revolution. According to legend, at that battle, Mary Hays, wife of artilleryman William Hays, carried water to cool both the cannon and the soldiers in her husband’s battery, hence the nickname ‘Molly Pitcher.’
When did Molly Pitcher become a cognomen?
The less martial and more nurturing “Molly Pitcher” did not appear as a cognomen until the mid-19th century. Neither image was identified with a specific person until 1876, when the citizens of Carlisle claimed a woman buried there was the literal heroine of Monmouth.
What battle did Molly Pitcher use a cannon in?
Molly Pitcher firing a cannon during the Battle of Monmouth during the American Revolution.
Who was Mary Hays?
According to legend, at the Battle of Monmouth (June 28, 1778), Mary Hays , wife of artilleryman William Hays, carried water to cool both the cannon and the soldiers in her husband’s battery—hence the nickname “Molly Pitcher.”. Legend also asserts that when William Hays collapsed or was wounded, she took her husband’s place in the gun crew for ...
Molly Pitcher's Real Name
As far as Molly Pitcher's real name, she was born Mary Ludwig Hays to parents who were German immigrants sometime around October of 1754. Molly PItcher was also known by the moniker Mary Ludwig Hayes McCauley, and George Washington called her ''Sergeant Molly,'' but she was never known as Molly Ludwig.
Personal Life of Molly Pitcher
Molly Pitcher was married twice during her lifetime, first to William Hays and then to John McCauley. With the former, she had a son named John Hays in the year 1780. Her first husband died in 1789 and her second husband left the family in about 1807.
Who was Molly Pitcher?
At the end of their itinerary, they might have gotten a sense of how Molly Pitcher, the beloved freedom fighter who joined the Battle of Monmouth upon seeing her slain husband, contributed to the American Revolution, but in reality, they were just chasing a figment of the American imagination.
Who created the Molly Pitcher painting?
In 1854, artist Dennis Malone Carter created a large canvas with Molly at its center, holding a ramroad beside a cannon that has just been fired, her dead husband lying at her feet. The popular lithographers Currier & Ives likewise sold a print showing a fiercely determined but richly dressed Molly jamming the ramroad into a cannon, similarly accompanied by the fallen husband as well as a pail of water she had dropped.
Where is Molly Pitcher's grave in 2021?
March 17, 2021. In under a day’s time, a traveler in the mid-Atlantic could get breakfast at the Molly Pitcher Waffle Shop in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania , then drive north to see the Molly Pitcher grave and statue in nearby Carlisle and grab a drink at the town’s Molly Pitcher Brewing Company.
Where is Molly Pitcher buried?
As part of national celebrations of the centennial of the Revolution in 1876, the Patriot Order of the Sons of America placed a memorial to “Molly Pitcher” at McCauley’s grave in Carlisle.
Who was the woman who was nicknamed the "pitcher"?
Any number of books and popular websites will tell you today that while “Molly Pitcher” never existed, the real woman behind the nickname was likely Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley. The National Women’s History Museum, the American Battlefield Trust, the National Archives , the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, and New York’s Fraunces Tavern Museum all have stories about McCauley, the real-life heroine of the Battle of Monmouth. On June 28, 1778, the popular history goes, McCauley was delivering water to men on the field (hence the “pitcher” nickname) and took over manning her husband’s cannon after he was killed. McCauley was then recognized by George Washington himself as a non-commissioned officer.
Who was the real heroine of the Battle of Monmouth?
The National Women’s History Museum, the American Battlefield Trust, the National Archives , the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, and New York’s Fraunces Tavern Museum all have stories about McCauley, the real-life heroine of the Battle of Monmouth. On June 28, 1778, the popular history goes, McCauley was delivering water to men on ...
Was Molly Pitcher on the battlefront?
The problem is, McCauley’s story itself is also likely the stuff of legend. No account from her lifetime says she was on the battlefront; it was not until after her death that the story of her heroism emerged and that she became associated with the “Molly Pitcher” nickname. But stories about a brave woman at the Battle of Monmouth have been found in the historical record, stories which have been tied to her. Could they be true?
Who is the true Molly Pitcher?
A third woman, Deborah Sampson, also contends for the title of the true Molly Pitcher. Sampson disguised herself as a man to fight during the American Revolution. The men in her regiment nicknamed her “Molly” because of her high-pitched voice.
When did Molly Pitcher start?
The legend of Molly Pitcher first started to spread in the decades after the Revolutionary War. In 1830, a veteran named Joseph Plumb Martin published a book titled A Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers, and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier.
What was the name of the woman who threw down her bucket?
She carried a pitcher of water, so they called her Molly Pitcher. But as the battle raged, she threw down her bucket. She grabbed a cannon. And she cast herself into an American legend.
What was Mary's nickname in the movie "Molly Pitcher"?
They may have called her “Molly”, which was a common nickname for “Mary.”. And since Hays likely brought water to the troops during battles, she could have easily become “Molly Pitcher.”. As the story goes, Hays leaped into action during the Battle of Monmouth. When her husband collapsed, she grabbed his cannon and started to fire.
Was Molly Pitcher a non-commissioned officer?
In some versions of Curtis’s story, Molly Pitcher was even recognized by George Washington. Washington may have merely thanked her or given her a gold coin. But some sources state that he promoted her to be a non-commissioned officer.
Was Molly Pitcher a soldier?
The historian Emily Teipe suggests that, “The name Molly Pitcher is a collective generic term inasmuch as ‘G.I. Joe’ was a moniker for a soldier or soldiers in World War II.”. That is, Molly Pitcher wasn’t one single woman, but rather a representation of the women who fought in the American Revolution.
Did Molly Pitcher exist?
Others believe that she never existed at all. Regardless, tales of Molly Pitcher have endured for centuries. And they certainly have some basis in fact. Accounts from soldiers during the Revolutionary War frequently record a woman in their midst.
Who was the Pitcher?
While there’s no definitive proof about who Pitcher was—and there’s debate about whether she even existed at all—most commonly she’s been identified as Mary Hays McCauley. Born in Pennsylvania in 1754 (or possibly 1744), Mary may have worked as a servant before marrying William Hays, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. During the war, Hays served as a gunner in the 4th Artillery of the Continental Army while Mary became part of the group of women, later referred to as camp followers, who traveled with the army and took on such duties as cooking, washing and caring for sick and wounded soldiers.
Who is Mary Hays McCauley?
Mary Hays McCauley became formally linked with the Revolutionary War heroine in 1876, when residents of Carlisle decided to mark her grave as that of Molly Pitcher. READ MORE: Fierce Revolutionary Women Through History.
In A Nutshell
It’s a story that’s in countless textbooks, that’s taught in schools and colleges, and that’s generally accepted as historical fact. But there’s actually no real evidence that a woman named Molly Pitcher went from carrying water to thirsty soldiers to firing a cannon in the stead of her fallen husband.
The Whole Bushel
We admit it: It’s a great story that speaks to the determination of the American soldiers during the Revolutionary War and the strength of the women that stood beside them. According to the popular story, Mary Ludwig Hays McCarthy was a New Jersey woman who followed her husband into the Battle of Monmouth during the American Revolution.
Show Me The Proof
Founding Myths: Stories That Hide Our Patriotic Past, by Ray Raphael History News Network: Are U.S. History Textbooks Still Full of Lies and Half-Truths? Biography.com: Molly Pitcher
Overview
Molly Pitcher is a nickname given to a woman said to have 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.
Mary Ludwig Hays
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. When her husband fell she took his place swabbing and loading the cannon, and after the action was commended by George Washington.
Margaret Corbin
The story of Margaret Corbin bears similarities to the story of Mary Hays. Margaret Corbin was the wife of John Corbin of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, also an artilleryman in the Continental army.
On November 16, 1776, John Corbin was one of 2,800 American soldiers who defended Fort Washington in northern Manhattan from 9,000 attacking Hessian t…
Deborah Sampson
Deborah Sampson has also been posited as an inspiration for Molly Pitcher.
Sampson disguised herself as a man and enlisted under an assumed name; because of her smooth complexion and high-pitched voice she was nicknamed "Molly" by her comrades. After her discharge she successfully petitioned for a pension as a veteran, one of only two women (the other was Corbin) to receive such.
Identification
Historian Emily Teipe, in considering the identity of Molly Pitcher, has suggested these three possibilities, but has also pointed out 'The historical record presents other candidates too numerous to mention' and contends that 'the name Molly Pitcher is a collective generic term, much like "G.I. Joe"'; it serves as a common label for the 'hundreds, perhaps thousands, of women (who) served not only as ammunition wives, manning and firing the guns, but also in the army an…
Commemorations
In 1928, "Molly Pitcher" was honored with an overprint reading "MOLLY / PITCHER" on a United States postage stamp. Earlier that year, festivities had been planned to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Monmouth. Stamp collectors petitioned the U.S. Post Office Department for a commemorative stamp to mark the anniversary. After receiving several rejecti…