Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-07-26

G2uUp' ~ the woman known to fame as
captain Molly"
In the cemetery at West Point stands q monu-
menf bearing a bronze tablet which shows In
oasrelef a stalwart woman standing behind a
cannon, ramrod and portfre I'm hand. and below
IL is this inscription: "In Memory of Margaret
Corbin, a Heroine Of the Revolution known as
captain Mollie,' 1751-1S00. Who at the Battle
OF Fort Washington, New York, when her hus-
Dand, John Corbin, was killed, kept his field
piece IN action until severely wounded and there
Aiter oy act OF congress received half the pay
and allowance of "A Soldier I'm the Service She
lived, died and was buried on the Hudson river.
Dank near the village now called Highland Falls.
In appreciation of her deeds FOR the cause of
liberty and that her heroism may not be forgot
Ten, ner dust was moved TO this spot and the
memorial erected by the National Society of the
Daughters of the American Revolution in New
York State, 1926"
such Is the brief story which the tablet tells
but there are other details worth recording. Tn
I'll her death In 1900 she lived In a private home
near West Point, supplies for her being sent dl.
rect from the secretary of war.
An interesting sidelight on that part Of her
career was revealed recently when Capt. Walter
ID. Wells, intelligence and publicity officer at
west Point, In digging through some of the old
A~o ~ ~ daaACmJg CduE hCTDSS InR manuscript
letters written by Maj. George Fleming, com
mander OF the arsenal and ordnance and MILL
tary storekeeper at West Point, to "The Hon.
orable Maj. Gen. Knox, Secretary of War"
On October Z, 1856, Fleming wrote to Knox.
Il have sent another account of Mrs. Swim's for
taking care of Captain Molly up to the 9th
OF September and have removed her to another
place, as | thought she was not so well treated
as she ought to be-"
On July :, 1877, there was another letter which
does not paint a very dattering portrait of the
Revolutionary heroine. IT said: II have drawn
three orders on you, for the maintenance OF
Captain Molly, In favor OF Mr.. Denniston: one
lis from January 10 to April IL, the other from
April 10 to July s, 1856, inclusive, which ac-
counts were lodged In the war office last fall.
and are Mrs. Swim's. The other Is from Septem-
Der % to July 5, 1856, inclusive, and will be de-
hvered by MFR. Denniston for Mrs. Randall. AS
Molly is such a disagreeable object to take care
of, and | promised to pay them every quarter,
] have been obliged to borrow the money to pay
the people; IL 1t can possibly be replaced, I
should be very glad"
On April 81, 1887, there was another letter
with a curious touch Of an eternal feminine prob
lem-something to weari On that date Fleming
writes: Il am Informed by the woman that takes
care OF Captain Molly, that she is much In want
of Shifts. If you think proper to order three or
four, / should be glad" Two months later. on
June IL, he wrote again to Knox IF the Shifts
which you informed me should be made for
Captain Molly are done, | should be glad to have
them sent, as she complains much for want of
them" Whether or not Captain Molly ever got
her SHIFTS" Is unknown, for there Ia no further
reference to the matter nor does her name again
appear In the records after 1889.
In contrast to the militant spirit of "Captaln
Molly" both In war and In peace, was the spirit
of another woman whose name Is written high
In the annals Of West Point. She was Miss
Susan Warner, the daughter of a New York
city attorney. who upon retiring from practice
In the metropolis made his home on Constitution
island In the Hudson river opposite West Point.
He was accompanied there by his two daugh.
ters, Anna and Susan, and every Sunday after
noon for years Miss Susan conducted q Bible
for the cadets at the military academy.
Had she lived she would have found among the
aames of the general officers In the World war
many who had attended her classes. A frail,
mall woman who still chung to the poke bonnet
Ind the silk dress of the Civil war period, she
vas rowed across from her island home and
arried In 4 military conveyance to the hall set /
part for hNr In one of the academic buildings. r
She came to be regarded an almost q part of q
he teaching corps Of the institution and on her