Beyond the Campfire
How Molly Pitcher helped win American freedom
Margaret Cochran Corbin wasn't your typical camp follower. Sure, she followed her husband John, a Pennsylvania artilleryman, during the Revolutionary War. She cooked, mended clothes, and tended to the wounded alongside other women. But Margaret had a fire in her eyes, a deep well of determination that went beyond wifely duty.
The brutal reality of war hit home on November 16, 1776, at Fort Washington. Eight-thousand Hessian troops, under British command, attacked the 2,800 American soldiers left defending the fort. John, along with his crew, manned one of only two cannons returning fire, a desperate attempt to hold back the enemy advance. As a nurse, Margaret was allowed on the battlefield to act as a medic.
Then, tragedy struck. A British cannonball ripped through John's position. He crumpled to the ground, lifeless. Grief threatened to consume Margaret, but something else flickered within her – a steely resolve. The American line was weakening, and their cannon, now silent, could tip the scales.
Without hesitation, Margaret took her husband's place. She grabbed the ramrod, sweat beaded on her forehead as she wrestled the heavy cannonball down the barrel, her movements fueled by a raw mix of grief and determination.
The cannon roared, a defiant blast against the British onslaught. She repeated the action, ignoring the tremors in her arms and the growing ache in her body.
The Hessians returned fire, musket balls whistling through the air. One found its mark, tearing through Margaret's arm. Blood seeped through her clothing, but she pressed on, a single-minded focus on her duty. Another shot, another searing pain, this time in her chest, and then another, in the jaw.
Margaret collapsed, her body wracked with pain, her vision blurring. Left for dead on the battlefield, she became one of the fallen, a testament to the brutal cost of war. The British-controlled forces took the fort, but Margaret, in her severely-wounded state, was released by the British on parole.
News of her bravery spread like wildfire. Though her injuries left her permanently disabled, Margaret Corbin became a symbol. The first woman to receive a military pension in the United States, she stood as a testament to the unwavering spirit that fueled the fight for freedom.
“Molly Pitcher” was the generic name given to the many women who fought in the American Revolution. Not content with sitting in camp, these women carried ammunition and pitchers of water to cool overheating cannons on the battlefield. Often, they went one step further, operating the cannons after the men stationed there were wounded or killed.
Other notable women from the revolution include Mary Ludwig Hays, who fought in the Battle of Monmouth, and Deborah Sampson, who disguised herself as a man in order to enlist in the army.
Countless women throughout American history have defied expectations, stepping onto battlefields and into war efforts in remarkable ways as “Molly Pitcher.” Their bravery and dedication, though often untold, played a vital role in securing victories. Margaret Cochran's story serves as a powerful reminder that veteran women are not a recent development, but a cornerstone of American military history.