| The Molly Pitcher Story A Look Into The Current Research By Siegfried Bette Chairman, Molly Pitcher Unit The Steuben Society of America Molly Pitcher - C |
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| 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 |
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