Molly Pitcher - Patriot and Soldier

by Tamera Lynn Kraft

There were many well known heroes during the Revolutionary War, but there were many more lesser known or unknown heroes. One heroine has virtually disappeared from the history books, but her heroism was celebrated in early American history. She was known as Molly Pitcher.

Molly Pitcher was born as Mary Ludwig in 1754 near Trenton, New Jersey. Although some suggest Molly was a legend or a composite of many women, Mary Ludwig was a real woman and did at least some of the things suggested.

Mary moved to Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1768 where she met William Hays, the local barber. A year later, they married. During the American Revolution, Hays volunteered in the Continental Army and became a gunner. As was common during this time, Mary would follow her husband in battle to help where needed.

On June 28th, 1778, Hays fought in the Monmouth in New Jersey during a extremely hot day. Mary followed him into battle and carried buckets of cold water onto the field to give the soldier cool drinks. This is when the soldiers nicknamed her Molly Pitcher. While on the field, Molly saw her husband collapse at his cannon. She immediately took his place at the cannon and manned the weapon until the Patriots won the battle. One witness said a cannon shot passed between her legs carrying away the lower part of her petticoat, but she was not injured during the battle.

Because of her actions, Molly Pitcher became a legendary figure representing women who helped during the war. After the war, Molly moved back to Carlisle, and after her husband's death, she married another veteran. She was honored for her wartime service in 1822 when a statue was erected in her honor and she was given a pension or $40 a year for the rest of her life. She died ten years later in 1832.

Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction set in the United States because there are so many stories in American history. There are strong elements of faith, romance, suspense and adventure in her stories. She has received 2^nd place in the NOCW contest, 3^rd place TARA writer’s contest, and was a finalist in the Frasier Writing Contest. She currently has two novellas published: A Christmas Promise and Resurrection of Hope. Her first full length novel, Alice's Notions, is available at most online retail stores. You can contact her at www.tameralynnkraft.net.

Fanny Campbell - Revolutionary War Pirate or Privateer!

When I came across the story of Fanny Campbell, I thought to myself, now this is the stuff of great romantic fiction!  Trouble is, the story is not fiction, it's true,! And I guarantee you'll find it as fascinating and romantic as I did.

Fanny Campbell was a young woman who lived in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1776.  She was just an ordinary colonial woman like any of us would have been. But she had a huge problem. Her childhood sweetheart and betrothed, William Lovell, was rotting in a jail in Cuba on charges of piracy.  His merchant ship had been captured by pirates and the crew forced into piracy against their will. Fanny couldn't stand the thought of never seeing her one true love again and especially the thought of him dying alone in a Spanish prison.

So what does she do? She dresses like a man and signed on to serve as second officer on a British Merchant Brig, the Constance!  (Yea.. just what I would have done) However, she had no idea how to get the captain to go rescue William from Cuba. But it would seem God was on her side because both the Captain and the first mate had secret intentions to sail the Constance to England and impress the entire crew into the Royal Navy!  When Fanny got word of this, she encouraged the captain to do just that while alternatively, she informed the crew of his plans and incited a mutiny!   

Fanny became the new commander of the Constance and headed for Cuba. Along the way they encountered a British bark, the George, the captain of which sensed something was not quite right on the Constance and open fired. Though the Constance was undergunned, they (under the leadership of Fanny) won the battle and took the George as prize. Now, they were officially pirates!

Fanny immediately sailed for Cuba, and with the help of her crew, rescued her betrothed and several other Americans!  Finally the happy couple was united, but they kept Fanny's gender a secret from the crew. (Can you imagine the look on William's face when he first saw his fiancee, dressed like a man, leading a charge of men to rescue him from prison?)

On the way home, the Constance and George, still under the command of "Captain Channing"  took another prize, a British merchant ship that had news that war had broken out between the colonies and Britain. Declaring both her ships privateers and no longer pirates, Fanny sailed back to Massachusettes where she obtained the proper papers commissioning the two ships as privateers.

Fanny and William went home to Lynn and were soon married. While William went off to privateer during the war, Fanny remained home and eventually became the mother of several children.
And they lived happily ever after!!!!

See what I mean? Wouldn't this make a GREAT book?  I just love that it's a true story!

Leave a comment to win a FREE ebook of my novel, The Red Siren, a tale about another colonial woman pirate!

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Heroines of the Revolution: Nancy Morgan Hart - Frontierswoman

Nancy Morgan Hart
Frontierswoman

Nancy Morgan Hart, a heroine of the American Revolution, was born in the Yadkin River valley in North Carolina in the early 1700’s (date unknown). Her exploits against Tories and British military in the backwoods of Georgia are legendary.

Nancy and her family moved when she was a child to eventually settle in the Broad River valley of Georgia. Many prominent figures in American history are related to Nancy; General Daniel Morgan commanded the victorious American forces at the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina on January 17, 1781. Her husband, Benjamin Hart came from the family that produced such notable figures as Missouri senator Thomas Hart Benton, and Kentucky senator Henry Clay.

Called “Aunt Nancy” by friends and neighbors, she was described as tall (6’), raw-boned and physically very strong. Imposing might be the word for Nancy. She sported a head of fiery red hair, and had a temper to match. Her feisty personality was characterized by a fearless spirit, and determination to exact revenge on anyone who threatened her family, friends or her sense of independence and fair play.

A domineering wife, she ran the household and managed six sons and two daughters. Though illiterate, “Wahatche” or War Woman, as the local Indians called her, had the skills and knowledge necessary for frontier survival. She was an expert herbalist, hunter and an excellent shot.




Capturing the British Soldiers

In the midst of the Revolution, a group of about a half-dozen British soldiers and militia came by the Hart cabin, possibly seeking food or in pursuit of patriots.

Finding Nancy alone except for her small daughter, the soldiers demanded she make them a meal. Nancy first made sure her daughter was out of danger by sending her out to warn her husband and neighbors.

The British made their first mistake by underestimating the patriot woman and setting their loaded muskets by the door. As they ate and eventually imbibed in too much drink, Nancy grabbed one of the guns and told the men not to move. But when one ignored her threat, she killed him on the spot. She held the others captive until her husband and neighbors arrived. She sought retribution for insults while being forced to feed the enemy, and requested they be hanged. They were. This story was verified when in 1912, construction crews working on the Elberton and Eastern Railroad near the location of the old Hart cabin discovered the soldiers’ skeletons laid out in a neat row, in remnants of British military garb. The bones were dated to well over a century old.

Because of her height, Nancy occasionally dressed as a man and wandered into British camps in the guise of a Loyalist in order to glean information valuable to the patriot cause. She also acted as an unofficial patriot militia sniper, killing British as they came across the river.

After the war however, Nancy sought salvation and solace from the harsh realities of war by becoming an active member of the newly-formed Methodist Society in her community. It was said she’d come to find relief from her hard frontier life, but fought to witness for the Lord as strongly as she had for the American cause.

Nancy died in 1830 and is buried in the Hart family plot in Henderson, Kentucky.
~ Pat Iacuzzi