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MOLLY PITCHER AT THE BATTLE OF MONMOUTH.
( \ooman Who honored Ci .[f
a Revolutionary Heroine 3 J^Mdr
have filled no
unimportant place in
U i e’«/'« fd military affairs from
[n 0 * VV # ®nj the days of Joan of
n. © v «Lr, Arc to those of the
nios t modern of
u|HJScLSHSHSfII daughters of the regi
nlo t ’e®e®o'*m ment - But few, how
-15 & 9 o ay ever, have had any
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-
]y concealed.
Of the America* 1 women who have
taken part in warlike scenes, none is
more widely known than “Mollie
Pitcher,” the heroine of Monmouth’.
This 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 attaiped. 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 w'hen 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 to the hot and
wearied troops. “Here’s Molly with
the pitcher" was frequently heard
from the thirsty Continentals, and
finally it was abbreviated to "Here,
Molly Pitcher,” and the sobriquet was
permanently substituted for her 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 Varrnun. In a dash
by British cavalry and infantry Hays
was shot down, but not killed, and a
call was made for some one 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 k r gallantry was praised and
who gave her a commission as a ser
geant, under which she wore a cocked
hnt and the ins:»nia of her rank.
After her husband's death she con
tinued to serve in the array, and she
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was finally placed in the list of half
pay officers.
“Molly Pitcher” was born at Car
lisle, Pa., in October, 17 44. Her
maiden name was Mary Ludwig, and
her father came to this country from
Germany. She was employed as a
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 w*as with
his troop at Fort Clinton, on the Hud
son, in November, 1777, when that
fortification was assaulted and taken
by the British. The American 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 l 822, a year before her death, the
Pennsylvania Legislature recognized
her services in the War of the Revo
lution by voting her the sum of S4O
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, 1823, and she
was buried with military honors.
Her grave remained unmarked until
the centennial year of American in
dependence. A sum of money was
! then collected for the purpose and a
shaft erected, on which appears this
inscription:
Mollie McCauley,
Renowned 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 Fleldof Monmouth,”
by George Washington Parke Curtis,
“Molly Pitcher” also figures.
THE GLORIOUS FOURTH.
There was a patriotic youth
Who dearly loved a maiden,
But, being very bashful, he
Proposing 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 fired 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-
—From Youth’s Companion.
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
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MOLLY PITCHER'S HOME, AT CARLISLE. PA., BEFORE THE WORK
OF TEARING DOWN 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 F'orge 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
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 a'nd 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!”
Mugsy—“Dere de limit. Dere’s one
lljit ! 14-ii^ft
iiiii iijp
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.
R. O. JACKSON,
Attorney-at-Law,
McDonough, ga.
Office over Star Store.
E. M. SHITH,
Attorney at Law,
McDonough, Ga.
Office over Star Store, south side square.
All work carefully and promptly attended
to. JST - Am premared to negotiate loans
on real estate. Terms easy.
TELEPHONES
AGENT WANTED
FOR HENRY COUNTY
Write for Particulars
CADIZ ELECTRIC CO., 91, C.C.C. Bldg
CADIZ, OHIO
HELP IS OFFERED
TO WORTHY YOUNG PEOPLE.
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obtain a thorough business training and gsod posi
tion, to write by first mail for our great half-rate
offer. Success, independenceand probable fortuno
are guaranteed. Don’t delay. Write today.
Tho Ga. « Ala. Business Collega, Macon, Ga.
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/TGNSUIVIPTION Price
LliH S OUGHSand 50c & SI.OO
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kMk
TOBACCO
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made from the best
North Carolina leaf;
a leaf that has a spec
ial texture, a special
flavor and which
makes RED EYE a
specially fine and satis- j
fyingehewingtobacco.
Most people prefer it
to tobacco costing one
dollar per pound.
Ask your dealer for it and
insist on him keeping it.
MERCHANTS
Write for Special Prices.
WINSTON N C
JAMESTOWN
Ter-Centennial Exposition April t
November, ISO 7.
Exceedingly low rates have been
authorized by the Southern Railway
to Norfolk, Va., and return, account
Jamestown Ter-Centennial Exposi
tion.
Stopovers will be allowed on sea
con, sixty day and fifteen day tickets,
same as granted on summer tourist,
tickets. Tickets will be sold daiiy
'commencing April 19th, to and incut,
ding November 30th. 1907.
The Southern Railway is taking a
verv areat interest in this exposition
and doing everything within their
power to promote its welfare fdr the
reason that it is located on historic
and southern grounds, and has cv
dence of being one of the most import
ant and attractive affairs of this kind
that has ever been held.
Through train service and sleeping
car service to Norfolk during the ex
position has not yet been announce!,
but it is expected that most exc -
lent schedules will ho put in effect;
so as to make the trip comfcrtaW
au<; satisfactory in rvery way.
Full and complete information w il
be cheerfully furnished upon applica
tion to any ticket agent of the South
ern Railway company. rt
