Mary Ludwig Hays, a Hero

At the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey on June 28, 1778, Mary Ludwig Hays carried water to American soldiers fighting in the intense summer heat, a service that, according to tradition, earned her the nickname 'Molly Pitcher.' Such women, who followed the Continental Army to cook, launder, and tend the wounded, were a common presence in Revolutionary War camps.

When her husband, an artilleryman, was overcome or wounded during the battle, Hays reportedly took his place at the cannon and continued to help work the gun. Her actions became celebrated in American memory as an example of female courage during the Revolution, and in 1822 the Pennsylvania legislature granted her an annual pension in recognition of her wartime service. 'Molly Pitcher' endured as a patriotic symbol of women's contributions to the founding of the nation.