The Jacksonian. (Jackson, Ga.) 1907-1907, July 12, 1907, Image 6

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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.