Molly Pitcher depicted at base of Columbus monument in front of Freehold, NJ Courthouse

"Molly Pitcher" was the nickname given to a woman who may have fought in the American Revolutionary War. Some Historians differ on who the "real" Molly Pitcher was, or even if she existed at all. Since the various Molly Pitcher tales grew in the telling, historians now often regard Molly Pitcher as folklore rather than history. However, "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 the battlefield during the war. This water was not for drinking, as is popularly believed, but for swabbing the cannons. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 687 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (935 × 816 pixels, file size: 141 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Picture of Molly Pitcher on base of Columbus statue in front of courthouse in Freehold, NJ. I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 687 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (935 × 816 pixels, file size: 141 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Picture of Molly Pitcher on base of Columbus statue in front of courthouse in Freehold, NJ. I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it... This article is about military actions only. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The Legend & The Evidence

Molly Pitcher is generally identified as Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley who married William Hays,^[1] or Mary Ludwig Hays, Molly then being a frequent nickname for women named Mary.^[2] Biographical information about her, including her actual name and year of birth (1754 is suggested as an approximate birth year) is sparse. According to one version of the story, she was born to a German family in Pennsylvania. Regardless, solid records first appear in 1778; she attended her husband William Hays, an artilleryman who had enlisted in a Pennsylvanian artillery unit in 1777, to the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey on June 28, 1778.^[2] When William fell wounded, possibly from heat stroke, Mary took her husband's post at his cannon. After the battle, General George Washington issued her a warrant as a noncommissioned officer, and she was thereafter known by the nickname "Sergeant Molly". However, some of these details may have been borrowed from the actions of a leading candidate for another Molly Pitcher, a woman named Margaret Corbin. Molly Pitcher was a generic name applied to women who bravely carried water (usually in buckets) to men on the battlefield during the American Revolutionary War. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Combatants United States of America Great Britain Commanders George Washington Sir Henry Clinton Strength 11,000 10,000 Casualties 69 killed, 37 died of heat-stroke 160 wounded 95 missing Total: 361 65 killed 59 died of heat-stroke 170 wounded 50 captured 14 missing Total: 358 The Battle of... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1778 (MDCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Cannon (disambiguation). ... George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and in 1789 was elected the first President of the United States of America. ... For Warrant Officers in the United States military, see Warrant Officer (United States). ... A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer), or NCO, is an enlisted member of an armed force who has been delegated leadership or command authority by a commissioned officer. ... Margaret Corbin (November 12, 1751 – January 16, 1800) was a woman who fought in the American Revolutionary War. ...

Mary and William had a son named John L.Hays. Her husband, William Hays, died in 1787 when their son was five years old. Mary married again to one John McCauly (some sources believe his name may have been George McCauley); he died in 1813. Afterwards, she became a nurse and housekeeper.

On February 21, 1822, the state of Pennsylvania awarded her an annual pension of $40 for her heroism. She died January 22, 1832, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, at the age of 78.^[2] is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1822 (MDCCCXXII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1832 (MDCCCXXXII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Coordinates: , Country State County Cumberland Founded 1751 Government  - Mayor Kirk R. Wilson Area  - Borough  5. ...

Honors

In 1928, "Molly Pitcher" was honored with an overprint reading "MOLLY / PITCHER" on a U.S. postage stamp. "Molly" was further honored in World War II with the naming of the Liberty ship SS Molly Pitcher, launched, and subsequently torpedoed, in 1943. An overprint is the addition of text (and sometimes graphics) to the face of a postage stamp after it has been printed. ... A selection of Hong Kong postage stamps A postage stamp is evidence of pre-paying a fee for postal services. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. They were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. ... This section of List of Liberty ships is a list of Liberty ships, cargo ships built in the United States during World War II, with names beginning with M. M   Categories: | ...

There is a hotel in Red Bank, New Jersey, not far from the site of the Battle of Monmouth called the Molly Pitcher Inn. There is also a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike named for Molly Pitcher at southbound mile 71.7. The stretch of US Route 11 between Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania-Maryland state line is known as the Molly Pitcher Highway. The American Legion Post in Englishtown is named "Molly Pitcher Post 04". The Borough of Red Bank is a Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey incorporated in 1908. ... Combatants United States of America Great Britain Commanders George Washington Sir Henry Clinton Strength 11,000 10,000 Casualties 69 killed, 37 died of heat-stroke 160 wounded 95 missing Total: 361 65 killed 59 died of heat-stroke 170 wounded 50 captured 14 missing Total: 358 The Battle of... This article is about the modern freeway. ... Categories: Stub | United States Highway system ... Settled in 1749, Shippensburg is a borough located in Pennsylvania, 41 miles (66 km) southwest of Harrisburg. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N...

See also

• Honorable Order of Molly Pitcher
• Battle of Monmouth

Induction to the Honorable Order of Molly Pitcher is an honor bestowed by the Air Defense Artillery Association (ADAA) to recognize women who have voluntarily contributed in a significant way to the improvement of the Air Defense Artillery Community. ... Combatants United States of America Great Britain Commanders George Washington Sir Henry Clinton Strength 11,000 10,000 Casualties 69 killed, 37 died of heat-stroke 160 wounded 95 missing Total: 361 65 killed 59 died of heat-stroke 170 wounded 50 captured 14 missing Total: 358 The Battle of...

References

1. ^ Will the Real Molly Pitcher Please Stand Up!
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Pitcher, Molly." Encyclopædia Britannica. 13 February 2007.

• Bohrer, Melissa Lukeman. Glory, Passion, and Principle: The Story of Eight Remarkable Women at the Core of the American Revolution. New York: Atria Books, 2003. ISBN 0-7434-5330-1.
• Raphael, Ray. Founding Myths: Stories That Hide Our Patriotic Past. New York: New Press, 2004. ISBN 1-56584-921-3. Raphael regards "Molly Pitcher" as a myth which serves to obscure the actual (though less dramatic) contributions of women to the war effort.
• Goodyear, Robert C. The Real Pennsylvania Dutch American, "Molly Pitcher."

The Encyclopædia Britannica is a general English-language encyclopaedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

External links

• Find-A-Grave profile for "Molly Pitcher", identified there as Mary (Molly) Ludwig Hays (also spelled Hayes) McCauley (also spelled McCalley)
• Molly Pitcher Overprint on 2c Postage Stamp
• Tugster Blog of Molly Pitcher Rest Area on the New Jersey Turnpike

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