New-York tribune., 1906-12-05
"MOLLY PITCHER"
Woman Who Vas HOnored as a
Revolutionary Heroine.

Women have filed 10 untmportant place in MILL
t.ry affairs from the Gays of Joan Of Arc tofthose
Of the most modern OF daughters OF the regiment
But few however. have had any lasting memorials
of the part they played. Some have inquired III
mans attire IN both the army and the navy ana ioi
all whose identity became disclosed 'tere "eio
doubtless many others who preserved the secret o
their sex despite the proverbial tendency OF fem-
inine members of society 10 make known the lacts
which should be most sedulousy concealed
OF the American women who have taken par. III
warlike scenes. none Is more wloely hiio"" -,
MOLLY Pitcher" the heroine of Monmouth iii's
battle was one of the important corllo'S t 20 &c
revolution and was fought in the summer OF i''o
~, tho british troops retreeting from PhllaoeI-
,t,a ware overtaken and attacked in New jersey pS
the Continental forces under Washington. Al,I'us
No decisive result occurred from the hdttIe inc i
that the American were not repulsed oy 'ile
,o-eiq, foe gave heart the colonies 10 continue
III. a1or.s heg,,r two years before ana winch "eo
~ ,os, Hvo wears longer before success was a.taie
In the troops from Pennsylvania was 'oii lia' TT
Gunner in the ist Artillery, Continental ii"e. M
had been accompanied by his Wlie winch 'i7 ~,
70 which he belonged had been sent 10 'ie -
and she busieo herseii III uoiAs
the officers. 81. ua nm the
on that July day when the hsht fascu " oc
Now Jersey plain, the thermometer staiiuiie -
degrees IN the shade, Mrs. Mary Hays pusieo he.
self In carrying water in ptcher liolii :. ,t,
the hot and wearied troops. mere 4nois .,,rat
the pitcher" was frequently heard from 'he .".'
continentas and finally It was vas aobriouet was
mGS substituted her real bsb Wnen sT
She displayed gallantry ana heioi7
passed ner in Which Hays was shting and IN
which he was rammer was oeerranandad by Liv-
tnn ard Varnum In a dash by British cayAtay ny
and infantry Hays was shot ooM oMa 70 ill his place
So man appeared but his wife, droppLnls anS .nG
pitcher scd Pi9dd sed gP sad shs she Would She
served with the smoking caI1aon Oh 1Ias co7mmended
bV the seasoned troops The next day the orane ave
woman with her GARNER Is SUI soa,eu enera Greene
Who took her to Washington. by whom ner ga ga
lanry praised and who gaze we nSc Wore Cooked
hat and the insignia of her rank After her nus mus
and she was finally placed In the hs1 OF NAN pay
Molly Pitcher was born at Carlisle Penn, a1l IN
Octo6er 1744 Her maiden name was Mary Ludwlg'
and her father came to this country IRON sel Ger
many She was employed servant In the ram
ly of General William Irvine in Carlisle, and there
in 1853 she married John HAYS who was 6arneT I.f
The story told that his wife was with his troop
at bf Fort b8t Ha ae Mas asauted and taken
by the British. The American garrison fed in such
Which he was about to touch off cannon. and
his wife picked up the match ana put II TO me
touchhole of the g7In and so fired the last shot
After the Revolution Molly Pitcher" lived at
the barracks at Carlisle doing cooking and wash
ing for the soldiers. She was also employed as
Of rsS eSidgen 6g as and gentle to them although some
what rough in her manner and stern In matters
of discipline, demanding military obedience. For
considerable period in her later years she kept
a small store, and is described having been
garrulous and querulous Several years after the
death of the gunner, Hays, she remarked her sec
ond husband being Sergeant George McCauley. He
is said to have abused her and to have lived her
earnings. In 1922. year before her death, the
Pennsylvania Legislature recognized her services
in the War Of the Revolution by voting her the
sum of $40 at and the sum an annuity
for life be paid half yearly. Her death occurred
at her home in Carlisle in January. 1873, and she
buried with military hOncrs. Her grave re-
nained unmarked until the centennial year OF
American independence. A Of money was
then collected for the purpose and shaft erected,
which appears this inscription: