The legend of “Molly Pitcher,” a woman who brought water to the troops at the Battle of Monmouth and took over her husband’s cannon when he was wounded, has become a lasting symbol of women’s contributions to the American Revolution. Though her name likely represents many women who served, historians believe the story is largely based on Mary Ludwig Hays.
Born to German immigrants in the mid-18th century, Mary followed her husband to war and enlisted with Captain Francis Proctor’s company in the Pennsylvania Artillery. She earned admiration among the troops for her tireless support, washing clothes, caring for the sick, and carrying water pitchers to soldiers on the battlefield.
At the Battle of Monmouth in 1778, Mary famously stepped in to operate her husband’s cannon after he was wounded. Soldier and diarist Joseph Plumb Martin attested to her valor, writing how “a cannon shot from the enemy passed directly between her legs without doing any other damage than carrying away all the lower part of her petticoat. Looking at it with apparent unconcern, she observed that it was lucky it did not pass a little higher […] and continued her occupation.”
After the battle, George Washington reportedly asked about the woman working with the artillery crew and promoted her to a non-commissioned officer. From then on, Mary proudly used the nickname “Sergeant Molly,” a title that cemented her place in Revolutionary War history. In her later years, Mary was awarded a $40 military pension and is now honored with a statue at her gravesite in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Sources:
Mary Ludwig Hays | National Women’s History Museum
https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1999/summer/pitcher.html
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/molly-pitcher
Back To Blog