Mary Ludwig, age 78, passed away January 22 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She lived a heroic life being an unsung hero of the American Revolution. She was recognized by Washington on the battlefield and he later issued her a condemnation.
On October 13, 1754 Mary was born in Trenton New Jersey to Maria and John Ludwig. She is most commonly known as Molly Pitcher. Mary’s mom worked as a dairy farmer. At the age of 13, Molly left her home to work as a domestic servant and later married a barber, William Hays. William and Mary Hays lived as patriots in the state of Pennsylvania. At the start of the Revolutionary War, William enlisted in the Continental Army and served as a gunner in the 4th Artillery during the war. While her husband fought on the battlefields, Molly became a camp follower. Camp followers were a group of women who traveled with the army and cared for wounded soldiers, cooked, and cleaned for them. Camp followers were crucial to the soldier’s lives as they were fighting. …show more content…
The colonists, under control of General George Washington, fought against the British, under General Henry Clinton. During the battle the soldiers were in desperate need of water to survive the harsh wheather condition of the summer. Women, like Mary, who belonged to the camp followers group, brought water to the parched American soldiers where Mary Ludwig was then called “Molly Pitcher”. She was serving water until she witnessed her husband collapse on the battlefield. It may have been from the painful heat or battle wounds, but Molly knew she had to do something heroic on the field. She replaced her husband on the field and started firing cannons herself. With the help of bringing water to soldiers and operating cannons during the Battle of Monmouth, Mary Ludwig was a very important woman determined to fight the