MollyPitcher4

Molly Pitcher - 4
          Honors

Molly Pitcher overprinted U.S. postage stampIn 1928, "Molly Pitcher" was
honored with an overprint reading "MOLLY / PITCHER" on a U.S. postage stamp.
In 1928, festivities were being planned to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the
Battle of Monmouth. Stamp collectors petitioned the U.S. Post Office
Department for a commemorative stamp to mark the anniversary. After
receiving several rejections New Jersey congressman Ernest Ackerman, a
stamp collector himself, enlisted the assistance of the majority leader of the
House, John Q. Tilson.[3] Postmaster General Harry New stedfastly refused to
issue a commemorative stamp specifically acknowledging the battle or Molly
Pitcher. In a telegram to Tilson, Postmaster New explained "Finally, however, I
have agreed to put a surcharged title on ten million of the regular issue
Washington 2¢ stamps bearing the name 'Molly Pitcher.'"[3]

"Molly" was further honored in World War II with the naming of the Liberty ship
SS Molly Pitcher, launched, and subsequently torpedoed, in 1943.

There is a hotel in Red Bank, New Jersey, not far from the site of the Battle of
Monmouth called the Molly Pitcher Inn. There is also a rest stop on the New
Jersey Turnpike named for Molly Pitcher at southbound mile 71.7. The stretch of
US Route 11 between Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania-
Maryland state line is known as the Molly Pitcher Highway. The American Legion
Post in Englishtown is named "Molly Pitcher Post 04". In the 1940s, a 78 rpm
record album for children dramatized the Molly Pitcher story with musical
accompaniment.

There is a statue of her in Old Cemetery, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. There is also a
restaurant called the Molly Pitcher Waffle House in Chambersburg, PA.

See also
Honorable Order of Molly Pitcher
Battle of Monmouth

References:
^ Will the Real Molly Pitcher Please Stand Up!
^ a b "Pitcher, Molly." Encyclopædia Britannica. 13 February 2007.
^ a b Hotchner, John M. (2008-08-25). "The scandal surrounding the Molly
Pitcher overprint stamp of 1928", Linn's Stamp News, Amos Press Inc., pp. 6.
Bohrer, Melissa Lukeman. Glory, Passion, and Principle: The Story of Eight
Remarkable Women at the Core of the American Revolution. New York: Atria
Books, 2003. ISBN 0-7434-5330-1.
Raphael, Ray. Founding Myths: Stories That Hide Our Patriotic Past. New York:
New Press, 2004. ISBN 1-56584-921-3. Raphael regards "Molly Pitcher" as a myth
which serves to obscure the actual (though less dramatic) contributions of
women to the war effort.
Goodyear, Robert C. The Real Pennsylvania Dutch American, "Molly Pitcher."

External links:
Find-A-Grave profile for "Molly Pitcher", identified there as Mary (Molly) Ludwig
Hays (also spelled Hayes) McCauley (also spelled McCalley)
Molly Pitcher Overprint on 2c Postage Stamp
Tugster Blog of Molly Pitcher Rest Area on the New Jersey Turnpike
[hide]v • d • eNew Jersey in the American Revolutionary War

1776 Fort Lee - Washington's crossing of the Delaware - First Trenton

1777 Second Trenton - Princeton - Millstone - Short Hills - Forage War - Bound
Brook - Middlebrook encampment

1778 Monmouth - Molly Pitcher - Baylor Massacre - Little Egg Harbor massacre -
Chestnut Neck

1779 Paulus Hook

1780 Connecticut Farms - Springfield

1783 U.S. Capital at Princeton

Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley
Born October 13, 1754 — Died January 22, 1832

During the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778 the fighting was fierce and
intense. The heat of battle was searing, and the soldiers' throats were parched.
Many were exhausted and wounded.

All through the day — amidst the smoke and fire of the fighting — a private's
young wife, Mrs. John Hays, carried water in a pitcher back and forth from a well
to her husband and his fellow artillery gunners. Thus, the nickname Molly
Pitcher.

As the battle ensued Molly's husband was wounded and could not continue, but
she knew his job well enough to grab a rammer and keep the gun firing. She
served at the cannon for the remainder of the battle.

For her heroic service she was ultimately granted relief by an Act of the
Pennsylvania Legislature.

================================================================

Molly Pitcher - The Truth
By Siegfried Bette

To history, she was the best - known woman of the American Revolutionary
War. She was the heroine of the Battle of Monmouth, which occurred on a hot
June day of 1778. Born under the name of Mary Ludwig, later known as Molly
Pitcher she is also known as Mary Hayes McCauley. A great deal of research
has been done into her background, which has kept artists and writers busy for
the past century.

Many years ago as a new immigrant and eager to learn and adapt the American
way of life, I attended Americanization classes during evenings. Learning about
American history and the great contributions immigrants had made, I soon also
focused on German immigrants. They too had made significant contributions to
improve living in the United States. Among the many, I had learned about Mary
Ludwig, the daughter of a German immigrant from the Pfalz. Molly Pitcher's
actions during the battle of Monmouth, New Jersey, have been described in a
very interesting article by Charlotte Arndt (see: Steuben New May / June issue
of 2002): "Molly Pitcher: A German Maedchen or Irish Lass".

As stated in this article, a plaque was placed next to the Molly Pitcher
monument in the Carlisle cemetery where Molly Pitcher is buried. It states:
"THE NAME 'LUDWIG' IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH MOLLY PITCHER". I had also
read in local newspapers similar statements which aroused my curiosity to find
out more about the controversy. I just kept thinking and talking about it when I
could find someone who was interested.

Living in Freehold Township, not far from Monmouth Battlefield State Park, I had
attended a number of the annual reenactments of the Battle of Monmouth and
was always wondering why there was no monument to commemorate Molly
Pitcher at Monmouth Battlefield State Park while there is a very impressive
monument in Carlisle, PA, where she is buried. Later, I did find a small
monument with a plaque inserted.   It ia hidden somewhere in the bushes not
far from the battlefield's visitor's center. However, it is hardly noticed by
anyone. Most people who are familiar with the park have told me they have
never seen it.

When I read the 2005 Battle of Monmouth Annual Celebration Program, I noticed
that special honors were given to German and German - American participation
in the battle and campaign. Names like von Steuben , Peter Muehlenberg,
Johann de Kalb, Mary Hays McCauley, better known as Molly Pitcher, the
Hessians, and many other names were mentioned who had participated in the
historic battle.

One short paragraph in the program really took me back to focus on Mary
Ludwig again.   Wasn't she the Molly Pitcher of German origin? It stated: Mary
Hays McCauley, better known as "Molly Pitcher, is often thought to be of
German ancestry. Current research demonstrates that she was probably not
born under the name of "Mary Ludwig" as many sources have believed.

I had to read this paragraph over again. Current research? Why is there a
current research on Molly Pitcher? And who is doing it? My mind could not let
go of this statement. My curiosity made me decide to find out more. First, I
contacted Jim Raleigh, President of the Friends of Monmouth Battlefield, an
organization of volunteers dedicated to the enhancement of Monmouth
Battlefield State Park. Shortly afterwards we met at a nearby restaurant where
Jim not only answered my question, he also was so gracious to take me on a
four hour tour of the battlefield area. A retired engineer from Bell Labs, Jim
Raleigh has compiled 30 years of research on the Battle of Monmouth. He
stated he has the material for a book, "Life and Legend of Molly Pitcher in Art
and History." According to Jim, the name Molly or Moll is listed in an old Oxford
dictionary as: Woman in service of a gun. That is also what the Molly Pitcher of
Monmouth did. She manned a gun (cannon) after her husband was struck.

Touring the battlefield by car and on foot, our first stop was at an area said to
have been Molly Pitcher's well or a source of where she drew water for the
men of her husband's artillery unit's thirsty men - and possibly for cooling the
cannon. Known as the Wemrock Spring, it is a creek, which appears to flow
through an orchard and underneath a road and railroad tracks. A farmer named
Perrine, according to Jim Raleigh, placed a marker near the creek in order to
avert visitors who were trampling over his property looking for Molly Pitcher's
well. It is not known when the marker was placed but it is still there today.
According to historic accounts, Molly Pitcher had not been in the area during
the battle, meaning that the Wemrock spring could not have been Molly
Pitcher's water source anyhow. Nevertheless, an inscribed stone construction
remains.

Next, we stopped at what is known as the Railroad Well. Jim pointed out that
the remaining roundstone construction was sponsored by the DAR (Daughters
of the American Revolution) when the Queen of England announced her visit
during the late 1930's. However, when the Queen came to visit, she remained
in the railroad car, just passing by. Located in front of railroad tracks, it is also
believed that the Pennsylvania Railroad Company just used the well for their
workmen. Jim explained that a local farmer named Thompson said in 1910 that
this was the original Molly Pitcher well. However, Jim thinks the location of the
well is highly unlikely since the area was directly located between cannon fire
of British and American batteries.

Not far from this point proceeding down county road #522 going towards
Englishtown we encountered a sign on the side of the road. Erected by a local
politician and sign maker, it describes the story of Molly Pitcher, America's First
Heroine, and points out another source, at the Suffin House where Molly
Pitcher supposedly drew her water from. Having read the sign, we proceeded
to Old Tennent church and cemetery, where some of the fallen soldiers after
the battle were laid to rest.

Walking northeast past the church and going somewhat up hill we came to an
area called Perrine Hill. Jim noted that on this hilly area a battery of American
manned cannons was engaged against the British forces. It is now believed
that here, Molly Pitcher, as she was later named performed her historic tasks.
Historians have concluded, with the aid of archeological finds of military debris,
that here on Perrine Hill, was the most probable location where Molly Pitcher's
cannon stood. An organization named BRAVO (Battlefield Restoration and
Archeological Volunteer Organization) is planning on placing a cannon with a
commemorative display on the approximate spot.

Turning around from Perrine Hill and after a short walk to a wooded area, Jim
took me on to a wooden platform. Overlooking down a ravine, this platform
was erected not long ago by the Molly Pitcher's Women's Club for visitors to
overlook the historic are. The area is now designated by Dr. Gary Wheeler
Stone, the park's historian, where Molly Pitcher drew her pitchers of water. Jim
Raleigh discovered the area some time ago when he walked past Old Tennent
Church. Approaching from Philadelphia, it was here where the American troops
came marching by. Going upstream of an old creek, and after the area was
cleared of trees Jim discovered green ground where a farmer had installed
drainage tiles at a
spring. Official credit
has been given to Jim
Raleigh for discovering
the area what is now
believed to be Molly
Pitcher's original
source of water. This
now was the fourth
possible location
where Molly Pitcher
drew her water from up
to this point. And there
was more as I learned
later.

After hours of viewing
the many significant
points on the battlefield
and not to miss the proud Steuben monument, I had not learned much about the
sources or the results of the Current Research so I pressed on to find out what
I had set out to do. Jim referred me to a book, A Molly Pitcher Sourcebook,
written by Dr. David Martin who is also a member and officer of The Friends of
Monmouth Battlefield. Jim mentioned that he supplied information from his
own research to Dr. Martin. Also, Jim referred to a booklet, published in 1972
and written by Samuel Stelle Smith, a genealogy researcher from Monmouth
Beach, NJ.

I read Smith's booklet but I did not find any concrete evidence to support his
claim that Molly Pitcher was not Mary Ludwig and that she was Irish. I met Dr.
David Martin and purchased his book: A Molly Pitcher Chronology. According to
the author, it is the only book ever written on Molly Pitcher. Published in 2003 I
found his book with a wealth of information, very impressive, and very
interesting in my search for Molly Pitcher information. It describes many
significant points of historic information on Molly Pitcher up to this point in
time. Reading all of this interesting information made me only more curious to
find out more solid information on the Current Research.

Meanwhile, I had asked Bob McKnight, a friend who's ancestor had fought at
the Battle of Monmouth, what he thought about the revisionist's views on Molly
Pitcher's identity. Bob, a member and historian of the SAR, Sons of the
American Revolution, Monmouth Chapter, passed word about the subject to
Chapter President Clark McCullough and I was soon
invited to attend a SAr meeting with a presentation of a
very interesting slide show featuring none other than
Molly Pitcher. At the meeting and after the presentation, I
did not hear anything in controversy from the attendee's
to the historic account that Molly Pitcher's original birth
name was Mary Ludwig. Bob McKnight and Clark
McCullough firmly believed that Mary Ludwig was indeed
the original Molly Pitcher of Monmouth. Both stated to me
that the "History Corrected Plaque" near the Molly Pitcher
Monument in Carlisle should not be there and it should
be removed. They have given me many good suggestions and have helped me
gathering information on Molly Pitcher.

When I read Dr. Rolzmann's article: Molly Pitcher (Maria Ludwig Hayes) : A
Pennsylvania Revolutionary War Heroine, in the July / August 2005 Steuben New
issue, it only reinforced me to gather more information on the true identity of
Molly Pitcher.

Listed below is most of the information I was able to compile. Much of this
information is gathered from Molly Pitcher websites, DAR (Daughters of the
American Revolution) documents, from a number of booklets, correspondence
with Mary Duggan, Clark McCullough, Constance McDonald, /bob McKnight,
Merry Lou Schaumann, Alan Smith, and Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann. Also, from
Dr. David Martin's: A Molly Pitcher Sourcebook. This book contains over 100
sources by more than 80 authors.

The story of Molly Pitcher has been well described by a number of writers for
the past century. There is no need for me to go in to details here.

There were 3 women who received military pensions for their services in the
Revolutionary War.

1. Mary Hays McCauley, Known as Molly Pitcher, heroine of the Battle of
Monmouth. She was the best known woman of the Revolutionary War Era. She
was also known as Captain or Sergeant Molly. (Her maiden name was 'Mary
Ludwig').

2. Margaret Corbin, known as Captain Molly. She was an Irish woman. Born in
Pennsylvania, she was married and the wife of John Corbin. John Corbin was
engaged on November 16, 1776 at the Battle of Fort Washington, NY. When he
was mortally wounded Margaret took his place as an assistant artillerist. She
died in 1800 and is now burried at West Point. She is often confused with the
Molly Pitcher of Monmouth. The Confusion is not surprising since both women
served in the artillery and were known as Captain Molly.

3. Deborah Sampson. She was dressed in the disguise of a man. When her
true identity became known she was honorably discharged.

Molly Pitcher - Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley

Molly Pitcher's tombstone in the Old Graveyard in Carlisle, PA shows these
inscriptions:

             Molly McCauly
    Renowned in History as
              Molly Pitcher
The Heroine of Monmouth
       Died January 1832
           Aged 78 years

The monument in the Old Graveyard states the following:

             Molly Pitcher
    Mary McColly McCauley

               Mary Hays
                    Nee
            Mary Ludwig
    Born 13 October 1744
       Died January 1832

John Landis, a historian of the Patriotic Order of the Sons of America, was the
first to claim, in 1905, he knew the maiden name of Molly Pitcher. He states that
Mary Ludwig was born in Mercer County, NJ to John Ludwig, a dairyman, on
October 13, 1754. She married a barber, John Casper Hays. License issued July
24, 1769. After the death of her first husband she married George McKolly
(various spellings). Mary died January 22, 1832. Landis said he had done some
additional research and found that Hays was John Casper Hays and that Molly
Pitcher was Mary Ludwig, a young German of origin living among the Scot Irish.

Dr. William Egle (1830 - 1909) a noted Pennsylvania genealogist and historian of
the Patrick order of the Sons of America stated that Mary Ludwig was born
October 13, 1744 in Lancaster County. (note the ten year's in birth day
difference from J. Landis's information). Egle further stated that Mary Ludwig
married John Hays in 1769 and that John Casper Hays was the same person.
Hayes served in Proctors first PA. Artillery and was at tne Battle of Monmouth in
Col. W. Irvines 7th Regiment. (note also that at different times, depending from
whence the information comes, both Hays and McCauley may be spelled
differently).

Historian Rev. C. Wing stated in a letter to the Pennsylvania Magazine of History
and Biography, written in 1878: "The original name before the marriage was
Mary Ludwig, so recorded in the family bible. Her husband was John Hays, a
barber, and a sergeant in a company of artillery. "Wing states that Mary Hays
McCauley of Carlisle, born in Trenton, NJ was the Molly Pitcher of Monmouth
fame." Wing also states that Mary was probably born in Germany. She had a
son who was born in Trenton. One of his daughters unveiled the Molly Pitcher
monument in Carlisle.

William Stryker (1838 - 1900) a history writer and soldier during the Civil War,
later Brigadier General, wrote in his book: "The Battle of Monmouth" that Mary
Ludwig was the daughter of John George Ludwig. On July 24, 1769 she married
John Casper Hays, a barber of Carlisle. Hay served in Captain John Alexander's
Company of Colonel William Irvine's Seventh Pennsylvania Regiment at
Monmouth. Molly Hays followed her husband to the war. When John Hays was
wounded at the gun, she took his place and performed some act of unusual
heroism. After the death of Hays and after the war Molly Hayes married John
McCauley. Stryker confirms that Mary Hays McCauley was the Molly Pitcher who
fought at Monmouth.

History writer Rev. J. A. Murray stated in an article in the 1883 Carlisle
Volunteer: John Hays was the husband of Mary Ludwig. Mary Hays McCauley's
son John L. Hays middle initial "L" stood for Ludwig after his maternal
Grandfather. Granddaughter Polly McCleester (various spellings) has said she
was particularly angry at those who stated her Grandmother was Irish. She
insisted that "she was as Dutch as Sauer Kraut, and her name was Mary
Ludwig." Rev. Murray made an exhaustive investigation with personal
interviews with many who were acquainted with the heroine.

Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann, Professor of German American studies at the
University of Cincinnati, wrlte an article in the 2005 July/August issue of the
Steuben News: Molly Pitcher (Maria Ludwig Hayes) - A Pennsylvania German
Revolutionary War Heroine, stated that he edited a book in 1992 by Henry
Melchior Richards dealing with the role played by German-Americans in the
American Revolution. Richard's book first appeared in 1908. It deals with the
pre 1800 period. Excerpts cite a description of Maria Ludwig married to John
Casper Hays, and her actions at the Battle of Monmouth. According to Richards:
"Molly Pitcher, the female gunner at the Battle of Monmouth, about whom so
much has been said and written, was a pure-blooded Pennsylvania German."

Also, the Monument that was erected to honor Molly Pitcheer caused a great
deal of interest that led to an article about her by H. A. Rattermann, a well known
German-American historian. He corresponded in 1876 with Molly Pitcher's
granddaughter and published an article that published her heritage.
Rattermann noted that her husband was German and that Hays was the
anglicized version of either "Heis" or "Hess".

Dr. Tolzmann noted to me: "Since he (Rattermann) worked with her (Molly
Pitcher's granddaughter) for the completion of his article, I would say that it is a
direct primary reference that can not be ignored."

Alan Smith of Pittsburg, PA. has personally told me that he is a fifth generation
grandson of Molly Pitcher and her name was Mary Ludwig.

Ella Kramer Bender 1924 - 2002 of Carlisle, PA, a member of the DAR, was a
direct descendent of Mary Hays Ludwig McCalla (McColly, McKolly) "Molly
Pitcher" in her membership application to the DAR she lists in her genealogy
that she was a lineal descendent of William Hays, (not John) born in Ireland and
died at Carlisle in 1787 - and his wife Mary Ludwig, born ca 1754 and died at
Carlisle 22 January 1832. (Document copies were submitted to me by Mary
Duggan, historian of Cumberland Chapter, DAR.

Originators of the Irish Molly
and where most of the "Current Research" is based on:

Wesley Miles, a Prominent school teacher from Williamsport, PA, wrote his
boyhood recollections with Molly Pitcher in 1876, 98 years after the Battle of
Monmouth. He stated he knew Mary Hays McCauley well because she was in
her later years his nursemaid and served, starting in 1822 when Wesley Miles
was seven years old, as housekeeper in the home of his father in Carlisle, PA.
Miles stated several time in his recollection that Molly Pitcher was Irish.   (note:
It was also a fact that Molly Pitcher was at that time living among the Scotsch-
Irish, and that it is not unusual for a person residing with these people to
acquire a brogue. But, the reader must also be reminded that her only child
had been given the middle name of Ludwig in respect for her father, who was a
German immigrant. Her granddaughter when questioned about her
grandmother's lineage had responded that "she was as Dutch as Sauer kraut".
The word Dutch was often confused with the word "Deutsch" at this time. It is
also a fact that a fifth generation grand daughter reiterated that Mary Ludwig
HaysMcCauley was the true heroine 'of German extraction' at the battle of
Monmouth; and that the great, great, great, grandson of Mary Ludwig Hays
McCauley, who is still living, attests to the fact that his great, great, great,
grandmother was indeed Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley, a person of German
extraction (both her parents were born in Germany), and that she was the
heroine of the Battle of Monmouth.)

Jeremiah Zeamer, a longtime editor of the Carlisle American Newspaper wrote
in 1905 that Molly McCauley is tnot the historical or moral character to hold up
to young Americans for emulations in response to the Pennsylvania State
Treasury's announcement to appropriate the sum of $5000 for a monument to
the memory of Molly McCauley renowned as Molly Pitcher. He questioned:
"Why expand such a sum upon her memory and nothing upon Cumberland
County's real Revolutionary war heroes?" "He stated that Molly McCauley did
not deserve a great mark of honor. Zeamer described a number of negative
aspects on Molly and stated the other distinguished soldiers of Carlisle should
be more deserving. Zeamer points out further in 1907, "Molly Pitcher, Story
Analyzed," a number of inaccuracies in dates and unaailable records. (Note:
How can Zeamer question the moral character of Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley,
when he did not even know this woman. When Mary took over the cannon
when her husband was wounded gives credence to the fact that she was
indeed a heroine,)

After making a study he wrote that it is doubtful that Molly Pitcher's maiden
name was Ludwig. When examining records he discovered that 1783 tax lists of
Carlisle list a WILLIAM Hays, a barber by occupation. In 1786, a William His is
listed again. And in 1787 there appears a Mary Hays, a WIDOW. Different
entries show from 1783 to October 1787, there was in Carlisle a William Hays,
occupation barber and his wife's name was Mary. However, there was no John
Casar nor John or any other Hayses in Carlise. Zeamer concludes that Mary
Hays McCauley was married to William Hays at the time of the Battle of
Monmouth.   For this reason Mary Hays McCauley could not be the same person
as the Mary Ludwig who was married to John Caspar Hays. He finally states:
"The story of Molly Pitcher's exploit at the battle of Monmouth is pure fiction,
for there is not anywhere the slightest corroboration of it."   (Again, on the part
of Zeamer, this is also, on his part, his own fictionalized account of Mary Hays in
the battle of Monmouth. He was not alive at the time and there are accounts
through the offspring of her son, her granddaughter, and her great, great,
great, grand children that Molly Pitcher was indeed Mary Ludwig Hays
McCauley, the heroine of the battle of Monmouth.   (Note: Mary Ludwig was
only married twice, once to William Hays and the second time to John
McCauley. There was never two Hayses on the records prior to her marriage to
William. There was also no question regarding the moral character of Mary
Ludwig, and the remark made regarding her moral character is demeaning to
her, and there is no record anywhere regarding her character. In regard to her
husband - "Hays could indeed be an anglezised name from German as
mentioned by Dr. Don Heinrich Tolzmann, which could also mean that Mary
Ludwig was also married to a person of German lineage. Also, there is only one
barber mentioned with the name of Hays; and that prior to the birth of her son,
there were no other Hayses on the record books in either Carlisle or the
County.)

Samuel Stelle Smith, a genealogy researcher from Monmouth Beach, N.J.,
authored a 1972 booklet named' "Molly Pitcher Chronology." The booklet's
intention was to present evidence that the person beneath the Molly Pitcher
monument at Carlisle, PA, is incorrectly identified as Mary Ludwig and
incorrectly identified as the wife of John Casper Hays. Smith refers to Wesley
Miles childhood memories stating that Molly Pitcher was an Irish woman and
follows revisionist Jeremiah Zeamer's writings that Mary Ludwig had been
married to Casper HaYS IN 1769 but no Casper Hays could be have participated
in the battle of Monmouth. However, the search found a John Hays, After
examining Carlisle tsax records from 1783, Smith found a William Hays,
occupation barber, having served served in the battle of Monmouth. He
established by examining Carlisle tax andcourt records that william Hays was
married to Mary Hays McCalla and that they had one child, John L. Hays.   (Note:
The L stood for Ludwig, which was in fact Mary's maiden name, and the name of
her father.) Smith concludes his Chronology by suggesting to set out to the
task of finding the parents of William and Mary Hays to be achieved before 1976.

The Carlisle Historical society published in 1989 an article "Good Bye Molly
Pitcher." written by D. W. Thompson a pas president of the Cumberland
Historical Society. Genealogical research for this article was performed by
Merry Lou Schaumann, a genealogist and tourism consultant of Carlisle, PA.
The article is an attempt to evaluate previous information and prove that Mary
Hayes McCauley was not the historical Molly Pitcher. The article claims that
Molly Pitcher was just a legend based on Margaret Corbin, the heroine of the
battle of Fort Washington who was also called Molly and Captain Molly.

In correspondence, Ms. Schaumann stated to me that she worked with Samuel
Stelle Smith on Molly Pitcher's research in the 1970's. She believes that Mary
Hays who is buried in Carlisle was the Molly Pitcher of Monmouth, but her
maiden aname was not Ludwig. Also, the U.S. Army wives of the artillerists at
the U.S. Army war College have concurred with her research that May Hays was
the wife of William Hays who served at Monmouth and not John Hays who was
married to Mary Ludwig.

Constance McDonald, the wife of a U.S. Army field artillerman, wrote an article i
n 1990 for a college history degree. In response to /thompson's and
Schaumann's "Good Bye Molly Pitcher" article, McDonald wrote: the people of
Carlisle resented the implications that what was literally engrave in stone was
wrong. In her paper she too quotes Wesley Miles recollections that Molly
Pitcher was Irish and follows Samuel Smith's belief that Molly Pitcher was Mary
Hays. She reasoned: If the man whom Molly Pitcher followed to war was not
John Hays, then she was not Mary Ludwig Hays. Therefore, the name Ldwig
shouldn't be part of Molly Pitcher's fame. She concluded that Mary Hays
McCauley was not just a figure of folklore; she lived.

In correspondence, Ms. McDonald stated to me, "Keep in mind, historians must
make educated leaps based on probabilities and creditalb resources."   (Note:
Also, so-called probabilities and creditable resources are not proof-positive
that Molly Pitcher was not Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley. They are educated
guesses, that are in the twentieth century, fictionalized accounts of what
actually happened in 1778. But their assumptions are in no-way the Gospel
Truth of what they assume. They are merely so-called educational guesses, and
that is all they are.)

During the year 2000, a boulder displaying a history corrected plaque, was
dedicated next to the Molly Pitcher monument at the Carlisle cemetery. It reads:

   MARY HAYS McCAULEY
RENOWNED IN HISTORY AS
     "MOLLY PITCHER,
THE HEROINE OF MONMOUTH"
AND WIFE OF WILLIAM HAYS, THE GUNNER

NOTE THE NAME "LUDWIG" IS NOT ASSOCIATED, yet she gave her only
son's middle name "LUDWIG" in honor of her father.

HISTORY CORRECTED IN THE YEAR 2000 DURING
THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBATION OF
  CUMBERLAND COUNTY

SPONSORED BY THE UNITED STATES FIELD ARTILLERY ASSOCIATION

"Therefore the history corrected 'revisionist' explanation on Molly Pitcher is a
pure fabrication, and deserves no merit, whatsoever!"

To my question if the information on the plaque was taken from her study, Ms.
McDonald replied: "The wording and the initiative were not mine but yes, the
research is."

Other writers have copied the Irish Molly Pitcher assumption and added:
"Because of her last name McCauley, history has called her an IRISH LASS."
(Note: But the name of McCauley was not her maiden name; it was the name of
her second husband. To take her last name as that of an IRISH LASS" is pure
fiction. And that is a fact...

Complicating matters and why history writers keep writing about the true
identity of Molly Pitcher is the confusion with the story of the Irish Margaret
Corbin, also called Molly Pitcher by some. She performed similar acts like the
Molly Pitcher of Monmoth at Fort Washington. Also, Mary Ludwig and her
husbands were illiterates who signed their names with an X.

There is not much of a paper trail to show of her birth, marriages, and other
pertinent information and most of Molly Pitchers belongings were destroyed by
fire at the occupation of Carlisle by the Confederates during the Civil War when
they burned the house where her grandson lived.

Among the missing proof:
There is no birth certificate for Mary Ludwig.
There is no definite place of birth.
There is no date and place of birth for William Hays.
There are no marriage records for Mary Hays and John McCauley.
There is no birth certificate or maiden name of the Irish Molly.

CONCLUSION:

After examining all available information I was able to study, I found that the
vast majority of sources state Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley was Molly Pitcher,
the heroine of Monmouth. Website answers.com states "Mary Ludwig was
married to William Hays or John Hays (modern researchers now say William)."
Could this mean John and William was the same person?

Rev. C. Wing was the first to identify that Mary Ludwig was married to John
Hays. Other history writers thereafter published their own research citing their
sources of information and interpreted that Mary Ludwig Hays was the heroine
of Monmouth.

The Irish theory originated with the childhood recollections of Wesley Miles.
Written about a century after the battle of Monmouth, his account is very
questionable. Since Mary Ludwig was married to an Irishman and lived among
the Irish, she, most likely, could have adapted some of the Irish brogue which
made her appear Irish at times but that doesn't mean she was Irish.

In 1907, revisionist J. Zeamer, highly motivated by opposing a Molly Pitcher
monument, discovered that Mary Hays McCauley was married to William Hays,
not John. He reasoned if Mary Ludwig was married to John Hays, she could not
have been married to William Hays. He concluded that the story of Molly
Pitcher was pure fiction.

Later, in 1972, history writer Samuel S. Smith made an attempt to establish that
the person buried beneath the monument in Carlisle was indeed the heroine of
Monmouth but had been incorrectly identified as Mary Ludwig. Smith, like
Constance McDonald in 1990, expanded on Zeamer's information. Both
concluded that Mary Ludwig was married to John Hays, she could not have
been married to William Hays. Therefore, they determined that William Hays was
married to another Mary (maiden name unknown) Hays, McCauley, an Irish
woman. Smith's search for the records of Wlliam and Mary Hays parents did not
result in anything.

In his Molly Pitcher Sourcebook, auther Dr. David Martin offers the following
commentary under Mary Ludwig Theory: "There is no reason why Mary Ludwig
could not have married a man named John Hays for her second husband (or
third husband, since Philadelphia marriage records says she was a widow when
she married John Hays)." "The second possibility is that Egle, Gilman and their
followers were mistaken about Mary Hays McCauley ever being married to John
Hays. There is a strong possibility that Mary Hays McCauley's neighbors may
have gotten the first nam e of her first husband (William Hays) mixed up with the
first name of her second husban d (John McCauley) and so came up with the
name of John Hays)."

Was there a John Hays and a William Hays, both from Carlisle and both barbers
by occupation and both married to Mary? Not likely.

Was Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley married to John or John Casper Hays? Tax
and court records indicates that Mary Hays McCauley was married to william
Hays. Is it possible that John and William was the same person? And that Mary
Ludwig was the same woman William was married to - as claimed by Ms. Ella
Kramer Bender, a direct descndant of Mary Ludwig and William Hays, in her
genealogy document?

History writers need something to write about in the case of Molly Pitcher,
instead of saving history, some are trying to revise, change, and put their own
spin on it. They are taking "educated leaps." But in what direction? So the
current research goes on. Only recently, in 2005, Carol Bekin, Professor of
History at Baruch College wrote in "Revolutionary Mothers" (Knopf 2005) that
Molly Pitcher never existed.

As for the "History Corrected" statement, displayed on the boulder next to the
Carlisale Molly Pitcher monument, it is based on the research of Constance
McDonald. It has been called a hoax. Inquiries to a number of sources,
including to the Carlisle borough manager, to find out who had the authority to
approve the placing of the plaque have been met with evasive answerw and
silence - so far. Did it turn out to be an embarrassment?

Nevertheless , it is still standing. Also standing, not far from the site is a
historical Molly Pitcher marker which reads: "Mary 'Ludwg' Hays McCauley,
known as 'Molly Pitcher,' heroine of the Battle of Monmouth, is buried in the Old
Graveyard just east of here. So, Carlisle now has a Mary Ludwig Molly Pitcher -
and a Mary Ludwig who was not associated with Molly Pitcher.

To the contrary of early or present revisionist's cases claiming Mary Ludwig was
not the Molly Pitcher of Monmouth, there is no clear evidence that she was
not. They have not made a convincing case that Molly Pitcher was not born
under the name of Mary Ludwig. The early accounts still prevail. The woman
born under the name Mary Ludwig was the Molly Pitcher of Monmouth. Perhaps
Jim Raleigh's hopeful prediction will clarify things once and for all when he
stated: "Someday, somewhere, documents of Molly Pitcher will be found."

Siegfried Bette
Chairman Molly Pitcher Unit
The Steuben Society of America

February 2005