Did Molly Pitcher really exist?

Question

In fable Molly Pitcher helped fire a cannon in the Battle of Monmouth (Revolutionary War). Was this propaganda or did it really happen?

Answer 1

Mary Ludwig Hayes was one of the most famous "Molly Pitchers" in the Revolution. Many women earned this moniker because they would take over the duties of bringing water to the battlefield and although it was somewhat to quench the thirst of the soldiers the most important reason to have a continuous supply of water was to keep the artillery (cannon) cooled off.

During the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778, Mary Hayes was observed by private Joseph Martin supplying this valuable service. He related this story in his diary,

"While in the act of reaching a cartridge and having one of her feet spread as far before the other as she could step, a canon shot from the enemy passed directly between her legs without doing any other damage than carrying away all the lower portion of her petticoat. Looking on it with apparent unconcern, she observed that,

'It was lucky it did not pass a little higher, for in that case it might have carried away something else' "

Private Martin then goes on to say that she just

"continued her occupation."

Answer 2

Continuing with Roscoede's idea that Molly may have been a composite of women who accompanied their husbands onto the battlefield during the American Revolutionary War, Molly was either

------Mary Ludwig Hays Macaulay, who attended her husband, William Hays, at the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey on June 28, 1788

------or Margaret Corbin, who was also married to a William Hays and then to a McCauly

Whichever Molly she was, she supposedly took up her husband's post when he fell wounded. My money is on Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley since Molly was usually a nickname for Mary not Molly. It's also not that unusual that history hasn't recorded her life dates or any more of her personal information. Most women at this point in history were nearly invisible, taking almost all their identity from their husbands.

Answer 3

"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.

Answer 4

women human beings have been in many situations stated as "Molly" as a prevalent nickname, the way any black slave then could be stated as "Cuff", or later a black guy could be stated as "George" regardless of what his call develop into. on the conflict of Monmouth, a woman develop into bringing water to between the cannon crews the place her husband develop into working a gun, whilst he develop into wounded. She took his place on the gun. J.P Martin, in his recount of the warfare "A Yankee Doodle" , and develop into scuffling with close to by employing, informed that a shot went between her legs and tore off slightly her gown, and he or she stored working, asserting it develop into fortunate it did no longer circulate larger. somebody in the decrease ranks has in simple terms a very, very small man or woman section in the warfare. If she had no longer taken a place on the gun, somebody else could have, or they might have labored it without her. Her substantial functionality develop into as an thought to others.

Answer 5

it is just an image