Norwich bulletin., 1912-08-21
Molly Pitcher.

In all our school histories-that Is, histories of the United States-honor- able mention is made of Molly Pitcher, who did good service as soldier in the revolutionary war. None of these textbooks give us any clew to Molly's origin, but nearly all of them tell us that the brave woman lies in an un- marked grave, having passed away without the recognition of her un- grateful country. Sometimes she is buried on the banks of the Hudson, but as a general thing the historians leave us to infer that the location of her grave is entirely unknown. This Is all wrong and 1 hope that the com piler of the next school history of our country will read what is here told of the heroine, and after verifying the facts give in his book such attention to the true story of her life as her services entitle her to.
 Mary Ludwig was the daughter of Pennsylvania Dutch parents, industri- ous people with a large family to sup
 port. In 1768, when about twenty years old Mary hired out as maid of all work in the family of William IT, vine of Carlisle, and on July 24 of the following year became the wife of John Casper Hayes, the town barber. Seven years later, when the war broke out. Hayes enlisted as a private in the First Pennsylvania artillery, but was afterward transferred to the Seventh Pennsylvania infantry, commanded by Col. William Irvine. his wife's former employer When the artillery regiment was ordered to go to the front Molly marched with 1t, having obtained the authority of the colonel (Thomas Proctor) to serve in her husbands battery as cook and laundress. At the battle of Monmouth (F'reehold), New Jersey, Hayes was wounded while serving his gun. but his place was soon filled by his wife, who rushed to the front when she heard of his fall picked up the rammer he had dropped and till the battle ended did as good service in loading the piece as could have been done by the best drilled man in the battery When the flint was over, Molly busted herself in carrying water for the wounded and 1t was from this service she came by the pet name Molly Pitcher
 Molly's husband did not die on the | field, but when he recovered from his wound he entered the infantry regi- ment mentioned above and remained with it until peace was declared. A lew months after reaching Carlisle 1 Molly was left a widow, but a year later she married John McCauley, who seems to have led an unhappy life. l On Washingtons birthday. 1922, when 1 Molly was nearly seventy five years old, the legislature of Pennsylvania voted her 8 gift of forty dollars and pension of forty dollars a year for her noteworthy services during the revo- lutionary war.
 Molly lived to be nearly ninety. She died on the 22d of January, 1888, and
 was buried as a soldier, with the l honors of war" in the old Carlisle cemetery. More than forty years aft
 erward-that Is, on the Fourth of July
 1S76-the citizens of Carlisle erected 1 handsome monument over the hero- l ines grave. It bears this inscription 1 MOLLY McCAULEY,
 i Renowned in History AS Molly Pitcher The Heroine of Monmouth.
 Died January, 1883.
 l Erected by the Citizens of Cumberland l County, July 4, 1876.
 1 -Harper's March r, 1s96