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MOLLY PITCHER AT THE BATTLE OF MONMOUTH.
lonian Mho Qaj honored wW;JkW
fZ&Sktytfraj a Heroine <&, ■-£sEmp'
[SHSfEEiHSHSSIOMEN have filled no
=]®o®o®o®o[}j unimportant place In
tri# ri m military affairs from
YY °n] tlle ays of J° an of
pJ • • If, Arc to those of the
most modern of
U|HSHSHSHH'ri] daughters of the regl-
Cj # ®0® o ® e ®[fj ment. But few, how
1$ • • 9y ever, have had any
viSETESHEi'' lasting memorials of
the part they played. Some have
figured in man’s attire in both the
army and the navy, and for all whose
identity became disclosed there were
doubtless many others who preserved
the secret of their sex, despite the
proverbial tendency of feminine mem
bers of society to make known the
facts which should be most sedulous
ly concealed.
Of the America ' women who have
taken part in warlike scenes, none is
more widely known than “Mollie
Pitcher,” the heroine of Monmouth.
Tills battle was one of the important
conflicts of the Revolution, and was
fought in the summer of 1778, when
the British troops, retreating from
Philadelphia, were overtaken and at
tacked in New Jersey by the Conti
nental forces under Washington. Al
though no decisive result occurred
from the battle, the fact that the
American forces were not repulsed
by the foreign foe gave heart to the
colonies to continue the efforts be
gun two years before, and which were
to last five years longer before suc
cess was attained. In the troops
from Pennsylvania was John Hays,
a gunner in the First Artillery, Con
tinental line. He had been accom
panied by his wife when the troops
to which he belonged had been sent
to the field, and she busied herself in
doing laundry work for the officers.
On that July day, when the fight
raged on the New Jersey plain, the
thermometer standing at ninety-six
degrees in the shade, Mrs. Mary Hays
busied herself in carrying water in a
pitcher from a spring tp the hot and
wearied troops. “Here’s Molly with
the pitcher” was frequently heard
from the thirsty Continentals, and
finally it was abbreviate'’ to "Here,
Molly Pitcher,” and the s et was
permanently substituted . 1 r real
name when she displayed gallantry
and heroism which surpassed her lim
itations of sex.
The company in which Hays was
fighting and in which he was a ram
mer was stationed on rising ground
between the brigades commanded by
Livingston and Varnum. In a dash
by British cavalry and infantry Hays
was shot, down, but not killed, and a
call was made for someone to fill
his place. No man appeared, but his
wife, dropping the pitcher, picked up
the rammer which her husband had
held, and said she would avenge him.
She served with the smoking cannon
throughout the rest of the battle, and
her courage was commended by the
seasoned troops. The next day the
brave woman, with her garments
still soiled with the smoke of battle,
was summoned by General Greene,
who took her to Washington, by
whom her gallantry was praised and
who gave her a commission as a ser
geant, under which she wore a cocked
hat and the insignia of her rank.
After her husband’s death she con
tinued to serve in the army, and she
pn-11.11.il ~|. |l, .!■■■—l ■I ■ I ■■■
was finally placed in the list of half
pay officers.
“Molly Pitcher” was born at Car
lisle, Pa., in October, 1744. Her
maiden name was Mary Ludwig, and
her father came to this country from
Germany. She was employed as a
—From Youth's Companion.
servant in the family of General Will
iam Irvine, in Carlisle, and there in
1769 she married John Hays, who
was a barber. He became an artil
leryman in December, 17 75. The
story is told that his wife was with
his troop at Fort Clinton, on the Hud
son, in November, 1777, when that
fortification was assaulted and taken
by the British. The Anicrican garri
son fled in such haste that Hays
dropped a lighted match, with which
he was about to touch off a cannon,
and his wife picked up the match and
put it to the touchhole of the gun,
and so fired the last shot before the
surrender.
After the Revolution “Molly Pitch
er" lived at the barracks at Carlisle,
doing cooking and washing for the
soldiers. She was also employed as
a nurse by a number of families, as
she was fond of children and gentle
to them, although somewhat rough
in her manner and stern in matters
of discipline, demanding military
obedience. For a considerable
period in her later years she kept a
small store, and is described as hav
ing been garrulous and querulous.
Several years after the death of the
gunner, Hays, she remarried, her
second husband being Sergeant Geo.
McCauley. He is said to have abused
her and to have lived on her earnings.
In 1522, a year before her death, the
Pennsylvania Legislature recognized
<her services in the War of the Revo
lution by voting her the sum of $4 0
at once and the same sum as an an
nuity for life, to be paid half yearly.
Her death occurred at her home in
Carlisle in January, 1523, and she
was buried with military honors.
Her grave remained unmarked until
the centennial year of American in
dependence. A s\mi of money was
then collected for the purpose and a
shaft erected, oi which appears this
inscription:
, Mollie McCauley,
Renow’ned in history as
"Molly Pitcher,
The Heroine of Monmouth.
Died January 22, 1823,
Aged seventy-nine years.
Erected by the citizens of Cumber
land County, July the Fourth, 1876.
There is a bass-relief representing
the battle heroine in the act of ram
ming a cannon on a monument on
the battlefield of Monmouth. In the
painting of “The Fieldof Monmouth,”
by George Washington Parke Curtis,
“Molly Pitcher” also figures.
THE GLORIOUS FOURTH.
There w T as a patriotic youth
Who dearly loved a maiden,
But, being very bashful, lie
Proponing kept evading—
Until they went one glorious Fourth
To see the men parading.
The big guns boomed, the bugles blew,
The horses’ footsteps clattered;
While rattling drums, exploding bombs,
Along the line were scattered;
And noisy boys tired crackers big
Till every nerve was shattered.
“Oh! everything is popping, George!”
She said with eyes that flirted.
Before he knew, he took the hint,
And something to her blurted—
Then heard through din of noisy Fourth
A “Yes” from lips averted.
—May Kelly, in July Lippincott’s Maga
zine.
The Fourth of July.
Much has been written of late
years upon the dangers incident to
the noisy celebration of Independ
ence Day, and attempts have been
made by legislative and other enact
ments to abolish the gunpowder
method of commemorating the na
tional birthday.
Undoubtedly much suffering would
be prevented and many lives would
be saved were the day to be kept as
11 ■ ■■*‘*^***—*<— — — a^M— — l— — ———*——*^——■ 1 111 HIM ■!—■■— I
MOLLY PITCHER’S HOME. AT CARLISLE, PA.. BEFORE THE WORE
OF TEARING DO WN WAS BEGUN. “
fast day once was in New England,
but old established customs are
changed with difficulty, and it is
much easier to abolish the most dan
gerous features of the celebration
without depriving the youngsters of
a chance to make noise in a safe
way. But the grown-up members of
the community should be taught
sense, and the reckless firing of guns
and pistols by hoodlums and less vi
cious persons should be sternly sup
pressed.
Valley Forge a Park.
Valley Forge, the camping ground
of Washington’s little army during
the dismal winter of 1777-78, may
soon be converted into a national
park or a military reservation. Pow r
erful interests are striving to secure
the passage of a bill by Congress for
that purpose. The State of Pennsyl
vania has already secured 217 acres
of the land, but the rest is owned by
private persons. The plan is to have
Congress buy up the old camping
ground and restore it as nearly as
possible to its form at the time the
gallant Continentals froze and hun
gered and suffered while the enemy
was feasting and dancing in gay Phil
adelphia.
WOMAN’S WAY.
Petey (on the Fourth) —“Girls is
curious critters!”
now—setting off a ten-cent cannon
cracker and den sticking her fingers
in her ears so she won’t hear it.” —
From Puck.
Automobiles in United States.
It is stated that there are 150,000
automobiles registered in twenty-five
States in the United States, and there
are 50,000 in the twenty-one States
which have no laws pertaining to au
tomobilism. —Engineer.
The ordinary firecracker and the
paper torpedo are comparatively
harmless. Little injury beyond su
perficial burns will ordinarily result
from even a reckless use of these
noise producers. The truly danger
ous things are the toy pistol, the
cannon cracker and the clay torpedo.
These are all death dealing instru
ments, which children should never
be permitted to handle. It is from
them that most of the Fourth of
July accidents result.
STOP AT THE
ZETTLEB HOUSE.
The best SI.OO a day house in the
city.
253 FOURTH ST., MACON, G„
Mrs. A. L. Zeltler, Proprietress*
TWO JONES BOYS ARRAIGNED.
Will Be Tried at Next Term of Court for
Murder of Adams.
The commitment trial of the Jones
boys, Porter and Cree, charged with
the murder of Robert Adams, in his
field a few days ago, was called at
Eatpnton, Ga., Friday. The court room
was packed to its utmost capacity.
Mrs. Robert F. Adams, the wife of
the victim of the tragedy, with her
baby girl, w r as present.
From her was learned the story of
the killing. She was alone at her
home with her baby and negro cook
Monday afternoon, having just a few
minutes before seen her husband go
back to work.
Hearing the five pistol shots that,
sent death to her husband, her fears
were at once aroused. Intuition told
her something was wrong, and she
ran to ring the farm bell alarm, fear
ing all the time for her own life
and that of the baby which she locked
up in the house. Soon she and the
cook heard her husband’s cries, though
it was some time before they could
locate him. Running to him, she ask
ed who did it, and in dying gasps
he told her. She asked did he speak
to them and his last was “no.”
The commitment trial was conclud
ed at 5 o’clock. Porter Jones claims,
he killed Adams in self-defense, waiv
ed trial and demanded indictment.
Cree Jones attempted to prove an
alibi, claiming he was at work in a
held three-quarters of a mile away
when the killing occurred. He intro
duced a negro woman, a girl and a
small white boy as witnesses in the
field with him. Their testimony prov
ed so conflicting that it became ridic
ulous.
Attorney Cooper rested the defense
on evidence submitted. Judge Tur
ner and W. B. Wingfield, in short but
telling speeches, riddled testimony of
defense, and secured Cree’s committal
for trial at September superior court.
BUNDRICK PAYS DEATH PENALTY.
Hanged in CcrJele Jail for the Murder of
John Slxrouder.
G-ecrge W. Bundrick, the murderer
of John Shrouder, paid the penalty,
of the law at Ccrdele, Ga., Friday.
Sheriff Sheppard sprung the trap at
12:10 and the condemned man fell a
distance of six and a half feet, swing
ing limply, without a struggle, for
the period of fourieen minutes.
Only the officials, newspaper men,,
guards aud ministers were admitted
to the execution.
Just before the black cap was plac
ed upon Bundriclr’s head, he was ask
ed if he had any statement to make.
He replied that ha had none. How
ever, in his conversation with Rev.
Charles Jackson, paster of the F.rst
Methodist church, Bundrick earlier in
the day stated that he had no doubt
whatever about his future welfare aud
happiness. He said:
"I have suffered death many times..
It is only the sting of death that
I dread; it is but a short time we
should live if we should live to be
one hundred years old.”
Bundrick met his fate humbly and
bravely.
George find Andrew Bundrick met
Slirouder upon the public highway and
fired upon him and his helpless wife,
killing Slirouder instantly and wound
ing his wife. The crime was commit
ted in 1904. George Bundrick escap
ed after its commission, but Andrew
was captured and has been sent to
the penitentiary for life.
George was captured and brought
back to Crisp county and tried, con
victed ana sentenced to be hanged. He
escaped from ihe Americas jail, where
he had been piaced for safe keeping
and again escaped and went to the
far west. A few weeks ago he sur
rendered in California of his own ac
c :a and came back to suffer death
for ilie crime that ha had committed.
TEXAS COMES WITH 11-? ST BALE.
Kidalgo County Farmer Breaks the Record
by Just Cne Fay.
Cleveland & Sons. a: Houston, Tex
as., received the first bale of the new
crop of cotton Thuv. day n.ght u ex
press from E. M. Ruihven, ot Run,
Hidalgo county. I-ast year ihe first
bale arrived July ti, and the earliest
bale heretofore was June 22, 1901.