| Molly Pitcher | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Other Names |
Mary Ludwig Hays, Margaret Corbin, Deborah Sampson |
|
Born |
October 13, 1754 (Hays), November 12, 1751 (Corbin) |
|
Died |
January 22, 1832 (Hays), January 16, 1800 (Corbin) |
Origin[]
Molly Pitcher is a nickname given to a woman who fought in the American Revolutionary War. She is most often identified as Mary Ludwig Hays, who fought in the Battle of Monmouth in June 1778. Another possibility is Margaret Corbin, who helped defend Fort Washington in New York in November 1776.
The deeds in the story of Molly Pitcher are generally attributed to Mary Ludwig Hays, who was married to William Hays, an artilleryman in the Continental Army. She joined him at the Army's winter camp at Valley Forge in 1777, and was present at the Battle of Monmouth, where she served as a water-carrier. Her husband fell and she took his place swabbing and loading the cannon, and was later commended by George Washington. The incident was recorded by Joseph Plumb Martin in his memoir published in 1830. The story of Margaret Corbin bears similarities to the story of Mary Hays. Margaret Corbin was the wife of John Corbin of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, also an artilleryman in the Continental Army.
On November 16, 1776, John Corbin was one of 2,800 American soldiers who defended Fort Washington in northern Manhattan from 9,000 attacking Hessian troops under British command. Corbin was killed and Margaret took his place at the cannon. She continued to fire it until she was seriously wounded in the arm. In 1779, Margaret Corbin was awarded an annual pension of $50 by the state of Pennsylvania for her heroism in battle. She was the first woman in the United States to receive a military pension. Her nickname was "Captain Molly".
Deborah Sampson has also been posited as an inspiration for Molly Pitcher. She disguised herself as a man and enlisted under an assumed name. Her comrades nicknamed her "Molly" because of her smooth complexion and high-pitched voice. After her discharge, she successfully petitioned for a pension as a veteran.
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Real Heroes #1
- It Really Happened #11
Notes[]
- It has also been suggested that "the name Molly Pitcher is a collective generic term, much like 'G.I. Joe and serves as a common label for the "hundreds, perhaps thousands, of women who served not only as ammunition wives, manning and firing the guns, but also in the army and colonial militia."
- In DC Comics, a new sidekick for the golden age hero Miss America was introduced with the code-name Molly Pitcher in The New Golden Age #1 (January, 2023).