Molly Pitcher

RECEIVED PA STATE PENSION FOR SERVICES RENDERED DURING BATTLE OF MONMOUTH, NJ - DAR# A072343

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Buried in same Carlisle, PA, graveyard with General John Armstrong.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/820/molly-pitcher

Molly Pitcher was a nickname given to a woman said to have fought in the American Battle of Monmouth, who is generally believed to have been Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley. Since various Molly Pitcher tales grew in the telling, many historians regard Molly Pitcher as folklore rather than history, or suggest that 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. Army base, Fort Bragg holds an annual event called "Molly Pitcher Day" showcasing weapon systems for family members, Airborne Operations, and Field Artillery.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molly_Pitcher

Mary Ludwig was born to a German family in Pennsylvania. There is some dispute over her actual birth date. A marker in the cemetery where she is buried lists her birth date as October 13, 1744.[4] Mary had a moderate sized family including Mary and her older brother Johann Martin, and their parents, Maria Margaretha and Hans Georg Ludwick, who was a butcher. It is likely that she never attended school or learned to read, as education was not considered necessary for young girls during this time.[5]

In Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Mary met William Hays, a barber. They were married in 1769. It has often been mistakenly reported that Mary's first husband was named John. However, Continental Army records show that William Hays was an artilleryman at the Battle of Monmouth in 1778.[6] (Mary's next husband was named John McCauley). On July 12, 1774, in a meeting in the Presbyterian Church in Carlisle, Dr. William Irvine organized a town boycott of British goods as a protest of the British Tea Act. Willy Hays' name appears on a list of people who were charged with enforcing the boycott.

It is likely that Mary Hays earned her famous nickname, Molly Pitcher, during this time. During training, artillery and infantry soldiers would shout "Molly! Pitcher!" whenever they needed Mary to bring water.

NOTE: There is a service area on the New Jersey Turnpike named for Molly Pitcher:

Molly Pitcher Travel Plaza & Information Center, New Jersey Turnpike South, Mile Marker 71.9 South, Cranbury, New Jersey, 08512. Telephone: (609) 655-1610. The service area features Sunoco Gasoline, and fast food places including Dick Clark's AB Grill, Roy Rogers, Nathan's Hot Dogs, Starbuck's, Arthur Treachers, Cinnabon, and Freshens Smoothies and Frozen Treats. It is located between interchanges 8 and 8-A.

There are also two places on the battlefield of the Battle of Monmouth, June 1778, that are currently marked as the "Molly Pitcher Spring" which is where Mary Hays spent much of the early day carrying water to soldiers and artillerymen, often under heavy fire from British Troops. The weather was hot, over 100 degrees F. Sometime during the battle, William Hays collapsed, either wounded or suffering from heat exhaustion. It has often been reported that Hays was killed in the battle, but it is known that he survived.

According to Wikipedia, as her husband was carried off the battlefield, Mary Hays took his place at the cannon. For the rest of the day, in the heat of battle, Mary continued to "swab and load" the cannon using her husband's ramrod. At one point a British musket ball or cannonball flew between her legs and tore off the bottom of her skirt. Mary supposedly said something to the effect of, "Well, that could have been worse," and went back to loading the cannon.

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"Molly Pitcher." The simple account of a picturesque historic incident, especially if invested with the romantic interest a women's participation imparts, often becomes rapidly encrusted with so many traditional variations in details, which obscure the basis of historic truth, that the incredulous are inclined to regard the whole story as one of those pleasing myths that often embellish sober history.
Such is the story of Molly Pitcher, the heroine of the battle of Monmouth. But in Carlisle, from which place she went, to which she returned after the war, where she died among her descendants and where she is buried, there is no doubt about the leading facts of her life. The Molly Pitcher, of Lossing, the heroine of Ft. Washington, buried along the Hudson, is a different individual though frequently confounded with the heroine of Monmouth.

The substantial facts seem to be: that during the battle of Monmouth, June 28th, 1778, lasting through "one of the hottest days ever known" when soldiers were dying of heat and thrust, the wife of John Hays, a sergeant of artillery, was carrying water in a pitcher to the thirsty soldiers, who called her familiarly, by reason of this grateful service, Molly Pitcher. Her husband during the battle was struck down insensible, but not killed as is frequently stated, and the piece was ordered to be withdrawn. She at once stepped to the front, seized the rammer and continued to assist in serving the piece effectively till the close of the battle.

Tradition, among other things, says that the attention of General Washington was attracted by her and he complemented her and made her a sergeant on the spot and the soldiers thereafter called her sergeant or Major Molly. At all events her husband recovered and she continued with him in the army, nursing the sick and wounded and making herself generally useful.

At the close of the war she returned with him to Carlisle, where he shortly afterwards died. She was then married to John McCauly, a friend and fellow soldier of her husband. He did not live very long and their marriage was not a very happy one.

She survived her husband many years, known of course as Molly McCauly, and the statements so frequently made that Molly Pitcher was a young Irish woman, originated from this name derived from her second marriage. The fact is she was of good Pennsylvania-German stock. Her maiden name, Mary Ludwig, would almost justify this statement; but, in addition, her granddaughter, Polly McCleester, who knew her well, when it was suggested, that she was Irish, replied indignantly: "No, she was Dutch as sauerkroat; her maiden name was Mary Ludwig!"

Her first husband, John Hays, was a barber in Carlisle at the outbreak of the war, and enlisted in the artillery. She soon joined him in the field at his request, and with the permission of Colonel Proctor, commanding the regiment. They had been married several years before.

As a girl of about 20, she had been "hired" in the family of Gen. William Irwin, of Carlisle, and her granddaughter recollected an account given her of the short and amusing courtship, commenced whilst she was sweeping in front of the Irwin home, in her short gown and petticoat. She was still with the Irwin family at the outbreak of the war. After the war she lived in the family of Dr. George D. Foulke, and served other families in Carlisle.

The notice of her death in the "Volunteer" states: "For upwards of forty years she resided in this borough, and was during that time recognized as an honest, obliging and industrious woman." In person, it is said, by those who remembered her, she was not very attractive. She was rather short and masculine in appearance and manner, but kindhearted and helpful to the sick and needy.

Her descendants, all by her first husband, have been highly respectable citizens. Her son, John L. Hays, the middle initial being that of his mother's maiden name, was sergeant in the old infantry company of Carlisle, and was in the war of 1812. He died in Carlisle about 1853 and was buried with the honors of war, the band of music and a large escort of U. S. troops having been furnished by Capt. May, then in command at the U. S. barracks. His sons, John and Frederick, lived in Carlisle, the former being street commissioner in 1883. His daughter, Polly McCleester, lived at Papertown, Mt. Holly Springs. She remembered her grandmother very well, and in her 81st year unveiled the monument to her erected in the old cemetery at Carlisle. It bears the following inscription: "MOLLY McCAULY, Renowned in history as MOLLY PITCHER, The Heroine of Monmouth, died Jan 1833, aged 79 years. Erected by the Citizens of Cumberland County, July 4, 1876."

She died in Carlisle, Jan 22, 1832, nearly ninety years old. The date of her death on the monument is unaccountably incorrect. Various statements are made in regard to the recognition accorded her by the Government. The following extract from the American Volunteer, Feb. 21, 1822, under head of "Legislature of Pennsylvania" not only shows what was done by the State, but, also incidentally, shows that by common consent, at a time when many were living who could have disputed the facts, the general statements in regard to her history were accepted. It is credited to the Harrisburg Chronicle as follows: "A bill has passed both Houses of the Assembly granting an annuity to Molly McCauly (of Carlisle) for services she rendered during the Revolutionary war. It appeared satisfactorily that this heroine had braved the hardships of the camp and dangers of the field with her husband, who was a soldier of the revolution, and the bill in her favor passed without a dissenting voice.-Chronicle." According to the records at Harrisburg, no application was made for this pension after Jan. 1st, 1832, a fact, if any were needed, corroborative of 1832 as the year of her death.

The foregoing statements are believed to be reliable. They are based mainly upon exhaustive investigations of that painstaking and authoritative local historian, Rev. J. A. Murray, D. D., and include the results of personal interviews with many who were acquainted with the heroine.

Some accounts say that Molly may have come from a farm near Trenton, New Jersey. Visit the Monmouth County, NJ USGenWeb Page for the New Jersey viewpoint!

Additional Information:
On Feb 21, 1822, an act was signed by Governor Joseph Hiester, that had been passed by the House of Representative and the Senate of Pennsylvania, and signed by Joseph Lawrence, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and William Marks Jr., Speaker of the Senate.

That the State Treasurer be, and he is hereby directed to pay to Molly M'Kolly, of Cumberland county, or her order, forty dollars immediately, and an annuity of forty dollars to commence on the first of January, one thousand eight hundred and twenty two, payable half yearly during life for her services during the revolutionary war.

• https://sites.rootsweb.com/~pacumber/molly.htm

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Mary was born on 13 October 1744 or 13 October 1754 (biographies differ regarding the year), possibly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, or possibly in Trenton, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. [1] She was the daughter of Maria Margaretha and John George Ludwig, a butcher who emigrated from Germany with the Palatines. [2] She had an older brother, Johann Martin Ludwig.

In 1769 she was employed as a servant in the home of Gen. William Irvine in Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. [2]

Mary "Molly" Ludwig first married on 24 July 1769 at Michael's and Zion Church, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to John Casper Hayes. [3] They settled in the town of Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.

Following the early death of John, Mary married secondly in early 1777 to William Hays or Hayes, a barber, who was presumably a brother to her first husband.

During the American Revolutionary War, William was a gunner in Proctor's 1st Pennsylvania artillery In December 1775. [2] During the winter of 1777, Mary joined her husband at the Continental Army's winter camp at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. She was one of a group of women, led by Martha Washington, known as "camp followers", who would wash clothes and blankets and care for sick and dying soldiers. Continental Army records show that in 1778 William was an artilleryman at the Battle of Monmouth. At that time, Mary carried water to the men in action and was on the field when her husband was shot down in a charge made by the British cavalry. There being no one to take charge of his piece, "Molly Pitcher", as Mary was familiarly called by the gunners, dropped her pitcher, stepped forward and grasped the ramrod, declaring that she would take her husband's place and avenge his injury, as he was carried off the battlefield. [2] For the rest of the day, in the heat of battle, Mary continued to "swab and load" the cannon in her husband's place. Following the battle, General George Washington asked about the woman whom he had seen loading a cannon on the battlefield. For her excellent service and in commemoration of her courage, the following day he issued Mary a warrant as a non-commissioned officer. Afterward, she was known as "Sergeant Molly," a nickname that she used for the rest of her life. She served nearly eight years in the army, and later was placed on the list of half-pay officers. [2]

Following the end of the war, Mary and her husband returned to Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. She lived at the Carlisle barracks for many years, where she washed and cooked for the soldiers and was employed as a children's nurse. [2] During this time, Mary gave birth to a son named Johannes (or John) Hays. In late 1786, her husband William died and some pension benefits were granted to her and her son John.

She married thirdly about 1793 to George John McCauley. He was another Revolutionary War veteran and possibly a friend of William Hays. McCauley was a stone cutter for the local Carlisle prison. The marriage was reportedly not a happy one. He lived on her earnings and treated her poorly. [2]

On 21 February 1822, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania awarded Mary an annual pension of $40 for her military service. She was granted a pension of $80 annually for life by a special act of the Pennsylvania legislature in February 1822. [2]

She died on 22 January 1832 and was buried with military honors [2] under the name "Molly McCauley" at the Old Graveyard in Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA. [4] A monument representing her in the act of loading a cannon was erected on the field of Monmouth, and in 1876 a second was erected on her grave at Carlisle. She is also represented in George W. P. Custis' painting, "The Field of Monmouth". [2]

Research Notes
Mary's first marriage is in dispute. Her mother is mentioned in Wikipedia as marrying John Caspar Hayes after John George Ludwig died. Mary is listed there as marrying William Hayes, while the National Archives magazine (Teipe) indicates that Mary married a John Hayes, with no mention of a William Hayes.

"Molly Pitcher" was a hero of the American Revolution, generally thought to have been Mary (Ludwig) Hayes. [5] [6]

Sources

• ↑ Mary Ludwig Hays (1754-1832) by Kerri Lee Alexander at National Women's History Museum in 2019
• ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 "Biographies of Notable Americans" published in Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans: volume IIV in 1904
• ↑ The Women of '76 by Sally Smith Booth, Hastings House publishers, New York, 1973. E276 B66. Page 173-4.
• ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #820 for Molly Pitcher, b: 13 Oct 1744; d: 22 Jan 1832; buried: Old Graveyard, Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA.
• ↑ Will the Real Molly Pitcher Please Stand Up? by Emily J. Teipe in Prologue Magazine v31 #2 in summer 1999
• ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed Sep 21 2020), "Record of Mary Ludwig Hays 'Molly Pitcher' (A089353)", Ancestor # A072343.
• "Molly Pitcher" on Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia by various contributors
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Hays_(American_Revolutionary_War)
• DAR.org for Captain Molly & Molly Pitcher & Molly Pitcher, Monmouth & Captain Molly, Fort Washington
• SAR Patriot page for Mrs. Mary (Ludwig) Hays, aka Molly Pitcher
• Molly Pitcher by Hai Lin at Pennsylvania State University Libraries website
• Molly Pitcher & Captain Molly on All Things Liberty
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ludwig-979

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