A woman whose husband belonged to the artillery...atttended with her husband
at the piece the whole time. While in the act of reaching a cartridge and having
one of her feet as far before the other as she could step, a cannon shot from
the enemy passed directly between her legswithout doing any more damage than
carrying away all of the lower part of her petticoat. Looking at it with
apparent unconcern, she...continued with her work.
The above account
comes from the memoirs of Joseph Plumb Martin, a veteran of the Continental Army
who witnessed this occurence at the Battle of Monmouth on June 28th of 1778.
Though her real name was Mary Hays, the lady in question received the nickname
of 'Molly Pitcher' as well as the respect of the entire Continental Army. When
she died in 1832, a local militia marched to her burial place in her
honor.
Mrs. Hays was one of three women who received a pension from the
Government for service in the Revolution. Though I am not aware of it happening
in any of America's earlier wars, the Civil War contains a number of accounts of
women disguising themselves - often times as drummer boys - and fighting
alongside their menfolk. Some probably went undiscovered, while others were
forced to reveal their actual identity after being incoveniently wounded in
their chests or abdomens.
Rarely mentioned are the ladies who were
accepted into the ranks of Civil War regiments as they were - most of them
joined 'Zouave' units as 'vivandieres', in imitation of contemporary French
custom. Nominally their task was to take care of chores in the camp and bring
relief to wounded soldiers, and to serve as a sort of mascot for the regiment,
but some actually fought in the battleline.
A typical example was 'Fench
Mary' Tepe of the 114th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry (Collis' Zouaves) who
was wounded in the ankle at Fredericksburg. She continued to march with this
regiment for the duration of the War, but in 1900 she committed suicide,
apparently due to the agony of her ankle wound (which had never been properly
treated).
at the piece the whole time. While in the act of reaching a cartridge and having
one of her feet as far before the other as she could step, a cannon shot from
the enemy passed directly between her legswithout doing any more damage than
carrying away all of the lower part of her petticoat. Looking at it with
apparent unconcern, she...continued with her work.
The above account
comes from the memoirs of Joseph Plumb Martin, a veteran of the Continental Army
who witnessed this occurence at the Battle of Monmouth on June 28th of 1778.
Though her real name was Mary Hays, the lady in question received the nickname
of 'Molly Pitcher' as well as the respect of the entire Continental Army. When
she died in 1832, a local militia marched to her burial place in her
honor.
Mrs. Hays was one of three women who received a pension from the
Government for service in the Revolution. Though I am not aware of it happening
in any of America's earlier wars, the Civil War contains a number of accounts of
women disguising themselves - often times as drummer boys - and fighting
alongside their menfolk. Some probably went undiscovered, while others were
forced to reveal their actual identity after being incoveniently wounded in
their chests or abdomens.
Rarely mentioned are the ladies who were
accepted into the ranks of Civil War regiments as they were - most of them
joined 'Zouave' units as 'vivandieres', in imitation of contemporary French
custom. Nominally their task was to take care of chores in the camp and bring
relief to wounded soldiers, and to serve as a sort of mascot for the regiment,
but some actually fought in the battleline.
A typical example was 'Fench
Mary' Tepe of the 114th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry (Collis' Zouaves) who
was wounded in the ankle at Fredericksburg. She continued to march with this
regiment for the duration of the War, but in 1900 she committed suicide,
apparently due to the agony of her ankle wound (which had never been properly
treated).