5 interesting facts about molly pitcher
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A symbolic figure in the American Revolutionary War, the story of a fearless woman named “Molly Pitcher” has been told many times. This woman reportedly brought water to the troops at the Battle of Monmouth and worked the cannon after her husband was wounded. Historians say that “Molly Pitcher” is a fictional woman who represented the many women working on the battlefields. Yet, there is historical evidence that Mary Ludwig Hays was the real “Molly Pitcher.”
Mary Ludwig Hays was born on October 13, 1754. Historians argue over where she was born, but she was either born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or New Jersey. She grew up in a small, modest household and her parents were German immigrants. It was unlikely that she would have learned to read or write during this time. When she was in her early twenties, she married a barber named William Hays. Hays decided to enlist in the 4th Pennsylvania Artillery and served in the Continental Army when the American Revolutionary War began.
It was very common for soldier’s wives to follow their husbands when they enlisted in the army. Mary
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Molly Pitcher
Molly Pitcher was the nickname given to a patriotic woman who assisted her husband during the American Revolutionary War. The real-life woman to whom the tale is generally attributed was Mary Ludwig Hayes, born to a German family on a New Jersey dairy farm around 1753. She was a diligent worker, and when she was fifteen years old, she accepted an invitation to serve as a maid in the home of Dr. William Irvine of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In Carlisle, Mary met and married William Hays.
In 1777, William enlisted in the Continental Army, and during that same winter Mary joined him at Valley Forge along with several other soldiers wives. The next spring, the army began training under Baron Von Steuben, and Mary helped by bringing pitchers of water to the men, both to quench their thirst and to cool down the hot cannon barrels. At the Battle of Monmouth in June of that year, Mary was fulfilling her regular duties when her husband suddenly collapsed on the battlefield and had to be carried away. Without a moments hesitation, Mary took his place at t
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Molly Pitcher's real name was Mary Ludwig, the daughter of German settler, John Georg Ludwig, a butcher in Philadelphia. She was born on October 13, 1744, and was raised to be a hard worker. In 1768, Mary Ludwig was hired by a Mrs. Irvine from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, who wanted a young girl to help with the housework. Mary Ludwig lived with Doctor and Mrs. Irvine for some years, and it was there that she met her husband, William Hays. They married on July 24, 1769.
In 1775, the Revolutionary War began, and Hays enlisted in May, 1777, in the Colonial Army in Briston, Bucks County. Mary Ludwig Hays followed her husband to war, a custom in the British Army and, to some extent, among the American troops. Following her husband's regiment, she nursed the sick and assisted in cooking and washing. On June 28, 1778, in Freehold, New Jersey, during the Battle of Monmouth, Mary Ludwig Hays earned the nickname "Molly Pitcher," becoming one of the most popular female images of the Revolutionary War. On that day, during the Battle of Monmouth, Molly Pitcher performed an act of unusual heroism,
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