According to legend, at the Battle of Monmouth (June 28, 1778), Mary Hays, wife of artilleryman William Hays, carried water to cool both the cannon and the soldiers in her husband’s battery—hence the nickname “Molly Pitcher.” Legend also asserts that when William Hays collapsed or was wounded, she took her husband’s place in the gun crew for the rest of the battle. To write a biography of Molly Pitcher’s life is a difficult task, partially because the woman is ultimately more legend than fact. In fact, the Molly we know may not have been a single …
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