Molly Pitcher is a nickname given to a woman said to have fought in the American Revolutionary War. She is most often identified as Mary Ludwig Hays, who fought in the Battle of Monmouth in June 1778. Another possibility is Margaret Corbin, who helped defend Fort Washington in New York in November 1776. Deborah Sampson has also been posited as an inspiration for Molly Pitcher. Sampson disguised herself as a man and enlisted under an assumed name; because of her smooth complexion and high-pitched voice she was nicknamed "Molly" by her comrades.
After Deborah's discharge she successfully petitioned for a pension as a veteran, one of only two women (the other was Corbin) to receive such.
However, various Molly Pitcher tales have grown in the telling, and many historians regard "Molly Pitcher" as folklore rather than history, or suggest that Molly Pitcher may be a composite image inspired by the actions of a number of real women. The name itself may have originated as a nickname given to women who carried water to men on the battlefield during War.
Historian Emily Teipe, in considering the identity of Molly Pitcher, has suggested these three possibilities, but has also pointed out 'The historical record presents other candidates too numerous to mention' and contends that 'the name Molly Pitcher is a collective generic term, much like "G.I. Joe"'; it serves as a common label for the 'hundreds, perhaps thousands, of women (who) served not only as ammunition wives, manning and firing the guns, but also in the army and colonial militia'.
