born с 1753
died Jan. 22, 1832, Carlisle, Pa., U.S.
U.S. patriot.
Little is known of her early life, though she is thought to have been Irish. In the American Revolution she accompanied her husband, William Hays, a gunner, at the Battle of Monmouth (1778), where she carried pitchers of water to wounded American soldiers, earning the nickname "Molly Pitcher." According to legend, after her husband collapsed from the heat, she took his place at the cannon and served heroically through the battle. In 1822 she was recognized for her heroism with a state pension. Some historians attribute the act of replacing her husband at the cannon to Margaret Corbin (1751–1800) in the attack on Fort Washington in 1776.