Portrait of Molly Pitcher loading a cannon Poster

Molly Pitcher was a nickname given to a woman said to have fought in the American Revolutionary War. Since various Molly Pitcher tales grew in the telling, many historians regard Molly Pitcher as folklore, rather than history, or suggest that 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. The deeds in the story of Molly Pitcher are generally attributed to Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley. Molly was a common nickname for women named Mary in the Revolutionary time period. Biographical information about her has been gathered by descendent-historians, including her cultural heritage, given name, probable year of birth, marriages, progeny, census and tax records, etc., suggesting a reasonably reliable account of her life. Nonetheless, independent review of these documents and the conclusions suggested by the family still needs to be done by professional historians; some details of her life and evidence of the story of her heroic deeds remain sparse. Mary Ludwig (also spelled "Ludwick" or "Ludewig") was born to a German family in New Jersey. There is some dispute over her actual birth date. A marker in the cemetery where she is buried lists her birth date as October 13, 1744. Mary was the only child of Gretchen and John George Ludwig, owners of a dairy farm. Growing up, Mary was an active worker in the daily chores on her parents' farm. It is likely that she never attended school or learned to read, as education was not considered necessary for young girls during this time. (In later years, Mary McCauley could not sign her name, and used an "X" as her official mark.) When Mary was about 15 years old, Anna Irvine, wife of Dr. William Irvine of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, visited the Ludwig farm. Impressed with Mary's work habits, Anna Irvine asked Mary to come back to Carlisle to serve as a servant in the Irvine house. Although Carlisle was 150 miles away (a considerable distance in those days), Mary accepted the offer, because it meant she would be able to send money home to her parents. In Carlisle, Mary met William Hays, a barber. They were married in the Irvine home on July 24, 1769. Mary continued to work in the Irvine home for several years after their marriage. It has often been mistakenly reported that Mary's first husband was named John. However, historical records -- including a marriage document owned by the family of Dr. Irvine -- show his name was William. Also, Continental Army records show that William Hays was an artilleryman at the Battle of Monmouth in 1778. (Mary's second husband was named John, which may be the source of the confusion.) On July 12, 1774, in a meeting in the Presbyterian Church in Carlisle, Dr. William Irvine organized a town boycott of British goods as a protest of the British Tea Act. William Hays' name appears on a list of people who were charged with enforcing the boycott. Click on the banner to Save 10% on this and any zazzle order in addition to a $5.00 sign up bonus All Rights Reserved; without: prejudice, recourse or notice (U.C.C. 1-308) http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/235_pop.html "Molly Pitcher" "Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley" "mary mccauley" "Molly Pitcher poster" "Molly Pitcher print" "Molly Pitcher pic" "Molly Pitcher picture" "Molly Pitcher illustration" "loading a cannon" "revolutionary war" "ladies of the revolution" "u.s. revolution"