Proudly floats the starry banner; Monmouth’s glorious field is won;
And in triumph Irish Molly stands beside her smoking gun.
Moll Pitcher, twenty-two years old, was dubbed Captain at the Battle of Monmouth, and very proud she was of the title. Her real name was Molly Hays. She carried drinking-water on the battle-field, to refresh the soldiers; so they nicknamed her Moll Pitcher.
At Monmouth, her husband, a Patriot, belonged to Proctor’s artillery. Moll was with him on the field. Six men, one after another, were killed or wounded at her husband’s gun.
“It’s an unlucky gun,” grumbled the soldiers, “draw it aside and abandon it.”
Just at that moment, while Moll was serving water to the soldiers, her husband received a shot in the head, and fell lifeless under the wheels of that very gun.
Moll threw down her pail of water; and crying, “Lie there, my darling, while I revenge ye!” she grasped the ramrod that the lifeless hand of the poor fellow had let fall, and rammed home the charge.
Then she called to the artillerymen to prime and fire.
It was done. Pushing the sponge into the smoking muzzle of the gun, she performed the duties of an expert artilleryman, while loud shouts from the soldiers passed along the line.
The gun was no longer thought unlucky. The fire of the battery became more vivid than ever.
Moll kept to her post till night closed the action, and the British were driven back by the Patriots, Washington himself leading them to the attack.