"Molly! Bring the pitcher here!" was a common outcry from the soldiers at the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey. It was one of the hottest days of the summer. From that day on, Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley has been known as Molly Pitcher.

Molly Pitcher was born on October 13, 1754 on a dairy farm near Trenton, New Jersey. Her father was a German immigrant. Molly grew up as a short and stocky farm girl and was not very pretty. When she became 15 years old she traveled to Carlisle, Pennsylvania as a servant at the home of Colonel William Irvine. In 1769, she married a young barber named William Hays.

During the Revolutionary War, William enlisted as a gunner in the First Pennsylvania Artillery in 1775. During the winter of 1777 and 1778, William and Mary stayed at Valley Forge. Mary went with William because she would receive half-rations in return for cooking, sewing, washing, and other work in the Continental Army.

On Sunday, June 28, 1778, the Battle of Monmouth was fought. It was a very hot day. The sun was draining the soldiers’ energy. The soldiers were also very thirsty. Mary’s job that day was to carry water from a nearby spring in a pitcher to the soldiers at her husband’s artillery station. They thank her very much. The water was also used to swab out the cannon after each shot. Mary was very brave as she dodged the shots while carrying the water pitcher.

On that day, Mary’s husband, William, had a heatstroke. He fell beside his cannon. Mary decided to take his place in action. She was determined not to let the soldiers lose. Although the British escaped, the Patriots fought well, especially Mary.

The legend says that while Mary was carrying water back and forth from the spring, the soldiers cried out, "Molly! Bring the pitcher here!" Soon they were just yelling, "Molly! Pitcher!" That is how the name Molly Pitcher came to be.

After the war, Molly returned to Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Her husband, William, died in 1787. She remarried a man named George McCauley. He had been a friend of William and a soldier of the Revolutionary War. It was not a fairy tale marriage. They were poor and unhappy. Molly earned a living by scrubbing floors, washing, and taking care of children.

In 1822, people started remembering how Molly Pitcher had fought like a soldier during the Revolutionary War. The Pennsylvania State legislature passed "an act for the relief of Molly." It awarded Molly a yearly pension of $40.00 just like a real soldier. She had finally been noticed.

Now you can find monuments for Molly at Monmouth and at her grave (she died in 1832). Songs have also been written about her. She was a heroine at the Battle of Monmouth. Now the name Molly Pitcher is attached to other women water-bearers and also to women who fought valiantly in the war.

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