Badass Women of History # 2: Molly Pitcher

Molly Pitcher: Two For One Special On American Patriotism

Well happy belated Independence day to you all. Just so you know I am working on a post for later this week were I will being exploring various countries Independence days, their origins and traditions. But first I want to give a big old salute to one of the folk-heroes of our own, which has almost all but been forgotten by the public, and shamefully hardly taught about anymore in our elementary schools, Molly Pitcher. Yes, the cannon loading inspiring figure of American female patriotism. So if she is so important why do I refer to her as a "folk-hero" instead of an actual living hero? Well that's because there was no one actually named "Molly Pitcher", the figure often depicted in paintings or whose name graces several rest stops, roads, buildings, and festivals throughout the states of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, is a composite of two different dutiful and patriotic women who showed their resolve in battle.

The first of our artillery wielding heroines is Margaret Corbin. Margret was the daughter of Scot-Irish colonists living in what is now Franklin County, Pennsylvania, in 1751. At 5 her farm was raided by Indians, her father was murdered and her mother taken of into the wilderness. Whether the attack was a random Indian incursion or orchestrated under the events of the recently commenced French-Indian war, no one knows. Margaret and her brother were thankfully not at home at the time, sparing them from the brutal natives attack. Now orphaned they went to live with an uncle in Virginia, were decades later she would marry a farmer by the name of John Corbin. When George Washington first forms the Continental Army, John signs up and is made a part of a cannon crew known as the 1st Company of Pennsylvania artillery. Margret would follow becoming a "camp follower", mostly wives, sisters, or mothers of soldiers who would do their wash, cook meals, and cared for the sick.

On August 27, 1776, Washington suffers a tremendous, almost crushing, defeat at the Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn Heights. The Continental army was under frontal assault by British forces under the command of Lord William Howe. Meanwhile, in a surprise move, a second army of British and German Hessian troops lead by Lord Charles Cornwallis came up from behind, pincering Washington's forces between them. Washington commanded a desperate retreat across New York harbor to Manhattan, while under fire from the cannons of the British Navy under the command of Lord Admiral Richard Howe (older brother of Lord William). Having just lost the vital harbor and most likely New York City as soon as Howe and Cornwallis cross, his aim was to evacuate as many soldiers he could, regroup and fortify White Plains. To that end Washington had two forts to cover his movements, Fort Lee and the more lightly garrisoned Fort Washington, which is were our young couple, the Corbin's, are to be stationed. But after another defeat at the Battle of White Plains, Washington had to cross the majority of his forces across the Hudson river and ordered the evacuation of Fort Washington. Colonel Robert Magaw, commander of the Fort, disagreed and has General Nathanial Greene intercede on his behalf with Washington, that he could hold the fort while Washington regroups in New Jersey. A successful attack by the forts artillery against two British warships heading up the Hudson River is enough to assuage Washington, but barely. It would turn out Washington should NOT have second guessed himself.

 An overwhelming force of British (lead by Lord Percy) and German Hessian (lead by Wilhelm Von Knyphausen) forces siege the fort on three sides on November 16. John Corbin was in command of a cannon crew on a ridge on the North-side of the fort, meanwhile Margaret would bring water and other supplies to them. During the battle the a Hessians' assault killed John, Margaret immediately took his place, making sure that the gun did not go silent, determined to make sure the Germans paid for every inch they gained. Before the fort finally surrendered, she would sustain shots to her arm, jaw, and chest. After recovery from her wounds, which never fully healed and would render her disabled, she was released by the British to her own recognizance where she would move to Philadelphia. There she would receive from the Pennsylvania legislature a $30 (almost $800 today) reward for her bravery  and a petition on her behalf to the Continental Congress for recognition of her service. In 1779 she is granted half the monthly pay of a Continental Army Regular, making her the first women in US history to receive a military pension. And in 1781 she would also be made a member of the Corp of Invalids, a group of wounded veterans who would be garrisoned and cared for at varies military bases and outposts; Margaret would be assigned to West Point, were she would receive a military funeral in 1800 and her grave/memorial can be viewed to this day.

The other great lady associated with the Molly Pitcher tale is Mary Ludwig Hayes. Mary's story is the one that is more well known of the Molly Pitcher stories, as the name, Molly Pitcher, comes from her tale and her time of recognition is at the famed American victory at Monmouth, New Jersey. There is dispute whether she was born in Philadelphia, PA, in 1744 or Trenton, NJ, in 1754, but what is known is she was the daughter of a butcher and that she would marry William "John" Hayes (another John? See why these tales can get mixed up), in Carlisle, PA, in 1777. We also don't know if John was a member of the Continental Army before or after he married Mary. But either way John is assigned to the 4th Pennsylvania Artillery (again, another Pennsylvania artillery unit just like our other tale) and ends up in Valley Forge with Washington. Mary followed as yet another "camp follower".

At Valley Forge John would train under the tutelage of Baron Von Steuben, the eccentric Prussian military advisor to Washington, helping him train common colonists to be proper soldiers. Mary would bring water to John's gun crew, not just for drinking but also to cool the cannon down. The story goes Von Steuben would accidentally (or purposefully in jest, who knows, he was a weird dude I plan on writing about eventually) call Mary Molly, yelling "Molly! Pitcher!". The name stuck with the gun crew. Her good nature and hard work endeared her to the entire 4th Pennsylvania Artillery unit and she would become their some what of an unofficial mascot.

After suffering several defeats in New York, enduring the harsh winter in Valley Forge, and being chased up and down New Jersey by Lord Cornwallis, Washington finally caught a break. After having captured Philadelphia, the British General Henry Clinton was ordered to immediately make haste for New York City. Word of an incoming French Fleet stoked fears of a direct attack on the British high command based in New York harbor. In his rushed march Clinton did very little to cover his movements or routes he would be taking. Washington tracked down the British army's rear and set to attack in what will be known as the Battle of Monmouth. After a failed initial, and sloppily arranged, surprise cavalry attack by Washington's 2nd Charles Lee, thwarted by the well disciplined troops of Lord Cornwallis, the cat was out of the bag and General Clinton turned his troops to engage in a proper battle. Lee's retreating troops ran straight to Washington who chastised him and relieved him of command. Washington sent a couple of his artillery up the nearby hill to his right, including the 4th in preparation when the British would arrive to his position. During the battle John would collapse from either wounds or heat stroke (it was around 100 degrees that day), again no one knows for sure. Mary immediately took over his post. Mary's and the other gunners' job to keep pressure on the British flank, not allowing them to maneuver around to Washington's rear. At one point a musket ball or small caliber cannon shot flew between her legs tearing off the bottom half over skirt, she commented on her luck saying, "Well, that could have been worse" and continued on. This part of the story has been corroborated by several other soldiers in their diaries or reports. After the victory Washington himself would inquire about the woman he saw loading cannons. When he met up with her he promoted her to sergeant and let her stay on as part of the artillery crews.

After the war she moved back to Carlisle where her husband would pass away shortly after. She would eventually remarry a friend of her husbands and fellow revolution veteran, John McCauly. Unfortunately, it's strongly suspected that this was not a happy marriage and the new John would lead her to financial ruin (including losing a 200 acre tract of land left to her by family due to his debts). But her reputation would not he dragged down by her new husband, as Mary was lovingly referred to around town as Sergeant Molly and treated like a celebrity throughout PA. The well to do would flock to hire Sergeant Molly as a private nurse for their sick loved ones or nanny for unruly children were she would play up her image as a no nonsense, regimental, soldier-mouthed governess, much to the delight of her patrons. In 1822 the Pennsylvania legislature would award her with an annual pension of $40 ($770 today) for her service. In 1832 she was given a state funeral in Carlisle, where her grave states Mary McCauly, but the monument behind it says Molly Pitcher.