The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-11-04
Womdn's U)orld
Conducted by Helene valeau.

ieonoclastic people of Carlisle are re-
joicing.
Losing, Bancroft, Greene. and other
historians have given her credit for
sallantry on the field of acton.
Losing, in his Field Book of the
Revolution says:
At Monmouth, on June %, 177S. Mol
~ the wife Of a cannonier, is said to
nave displayed great courage. She was
already noted for her bravery in firing
the last gun at Fort Clinton. She was
sturdy young camp follower. only %
years old, an Irish lass, devoted to her
husband. While her husband was man
aging one of the field pieces she brought
MN water from spring. A shot killed
nun at his post and the officer ordered
the piece Withdrawn. Molly dropped
ner bucket, seized the rammer and per
FORMED the duty with skill and courage.
On the following morning, covered with
art and blood, General Greene present
ed her to Washington, who. admiring
her bravery, conferred upon her a COM
mission as sergeant. BY Washington's
recommendation her name was placed
on the list OF h3lf-pay officers for life''
MRS. Hamilton, the widow of the gen
eraI said Molly was q stout, red haired.
lreckle faced young Irish woman. with
handsome, piercing eyes. Her name. it
was declared, really was Molly HAYS,
ana the man, said to be her husband,
VINO was killed by the British
smell at Monmouth when Wash
ington, against the wishes and
plans of Lee, made his deter
mined stand and beat off the British
was John Hays. She was called Molly
Pitcher and Captain Molly-and the
PITCHER came from the fact that she
carried her water to the cannoniers in
big pewter pitcher. The story was
believed by the entire revolutionary
army, Washington accepted it as true
and honored the reckless Irish girl. She
drew half pay for the remainder of her
lie, and her story was told in song, in
story, and on the stage for more than
century and quarter before the
lconoclasts made their attack. She
lived and died at Carlisle, Pa. and was
buried in the little cemetery there-and
thousands went to her grave each year
The citizens of Carlisle and vicinity
IN 1876 erected q tail marble shaft over
Molly Pitchers grave-adding another
piece of circumstantial evidence. But
the strongest evidence Of the truth of
the story was the fact that Washing
ton-While passing through Carlisle in
lfS4 to suppress the whisky insurrec-
tion-visited Molly at her home and
talked with her over the battle of Mon.
mouth.
Gossip, however, never attacked Mol
~ Pitchers name until it was present
cd TO the Pennsylvania Legislature. The
legislature voted the sum Of $1,000 to
erect lasting monment-and Gov
efnor Pennypacker vetoed it.
In his veto the Pennsylvania govern
or seemingly sanctioned the protests
against Molly's right to immortal fame.
the evidence against Molly was fur
nished by persons who knew her. Peter
Spahr declared: "She was a masculine
person. alike rough in appearance and
character. She was SMALL heavy and
strong, with bristles on the end of her
nose, and she both drank whisky and
swore"
Against Spahr's evidence can be pro-
duced the Custis painting of the battle
OF Monmouth, which pictures Molly as
a slender, graceful. rather tall young
woman-and the picture shows no
bristles
The iconoclasts who opposed the cree. |
ton of the monument produced the fol- |
lowing evidence against her.
BY Polly McClesster, Molly Pitchers |
granddaughter: Molly drank grog and !
used language not the most polite; but |
she was a kind-hearted woman and !
helpful to-the sick and needy
By William Parks, friend of Molly: |
Molly drank and swore''
BY Harriet NJ Foulke. who knew |
Molly well and employed her to work |
in her family: Molly was a vulgar.
profane. drunken old woman. 1 often
demonstrated with persons who wanted |
70 write laudatory stories about her I
and told them the truth
On this evidence Pennsylvania has /
adjudged Molly unworthy.
Undoubtedly she would not have
oF h n d
the d. r. or the Colonial Danes, but /
Molly's admirers are indignant over the
attacks on her reputation and are |
seeking proof to defend her.