Born about [location unknown]
Daughter of Johan George Ludwig
and Maria Margaretha (Unknown) Ludwig
Sister of
Johann Martin Ludwig
Wife of
William Hays
— married
about 1777 [location unknown]
Wife of
George John McCauley
— married
1793 [location unknown]
Descendants 
Mother of
John Ludwig Hays
Died
at about age 82
in Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA
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| Created 15 Nov 2014
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Biography
| Mary (Ludwig) McCauley is a part of Pennsylvania history. Join: Pennsylvania Project Discuss: Pennsylvania |
Mary (Ludwig) McCauley performed Patriotic Service in Pennsylvania in the American Revolution.
Mary (Ludwig) McCauley is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A072343.
Mary (Ludwig) McCauley is Notable.
Mary was born on 13 October 1744 or 13 October 1754 (biographies differ regarding the year), possibly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, or possibly in Trenton, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. [1] She was the daughter of Maria Margaretha and John George Ludwig, a butcher who emigrated from Germany with the Palatines. [2] She had an older brother, Johann Martin Ludwig.
In 1769 she was employed as a servant in the home of Gen. William Irvine in Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. [2]
Mary "Molly" Ludwig first married on 24 July 1769 at Michael's and Zion Church, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to John Casper Hayes. [3] They settled in the town of Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.
Following the early death of John, Mary married secondly in early 1777 to William Hays or Hayes, a barber, who was presumably a brother to her first husband.
During the American Revolutionary War, William was a gunner in Proctor's 1st Pennsylvania artillery In December 1775. [2] During the winter of 1777, Mary joined her husband at the Continental Army's winter camp at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. She was one of a group of women, led by Martha Washington, known as "camp followers", who would wash clothes and blankets and care for sick and dying soldiers. Continental Army records show that in 1778 William was an artilleryman at the Battle of Monmouth. At that time, Mary carried water to the men in action and was on the field when her husband was shot down in a charge made by the British cavalry. There being no one to take charge of his piece, "Molly Pitcher", as Mary was familiarly called by the gunners, dropped her pitcher, stepped forward and grasped the ramrod, declaring that she would take her husband's place and avenge his injury, as he was carried off the battlefield. [2] For the rest of the day, in the heat of battle, Mary continued to "swab and load" the cannon in her husband's place. Following the battle, General George Washington asked about the woman whom he had seen loading a cannon on the battlefield. For her excellent service and in commemoration of her courage, the following day he issued Mary a warrant as a non-commissioned officer. Afterward, she was known as "Sergeant Molly," a nickname that she used for the rest of her life. She served nearly eight years in the army, and later was placed on the list of half-pay officers. [2]
Following the end of the war, Mary and her husband returned to Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. She lived at the Carlisle barracks for many years, where she washed and cooked for the soldiers and was employed as a children's nurse. [2] During this time, Mary gave birth to a son named Johannes (or John) Hays. In late 1786, her husband William died and some pension benefits were granted to her and her son John.
She married thirdly about 1793 to George John McCauley. He was another Revolutionary War veteran and possibly a friend of William Hays. McCauley was a stone cutter for the local Carlisle prison. The marriage was reportedly not a happy one. He lived on her earnings and treated her poorly. [2]
On 21 February 1822, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania awarded Mary an annual pension of $40 for her military service. She was granted a pension of $80 annually for life by a special act of the Pennsylvania legislature in February 1822. [2]
She died on 22 January 1832 and was buried with military honors [2] under the name "Molly McCauley" at the Old Graveyard in Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA. [4] A monument representing her in the act of loading a cannon was erected on the field of Monmouth, and in 1876 a second was erected on her grave at Carlisle. She is also represented in George W. P. Custis' painting, "The Field of Monmouth". [2]
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Research Notes
Mary's first marriage is in dispute. Her mother is mentioned in Wikipedia as marrying John Caspar Hayes after John George Ludwig died. Mary is listed there as marrying William Hayes, while the National Archives magazine (Teipe) indicates that Mary married a John Hayes, with no mention of a William Hayes.
"Molly Pitcher" was a hero of the American Revolution, generally thought to have been Mary (Ludwig) Hayes. [5] [6]
Sources
- ↑ Mary Ludwig Hays (1754-1832) by Kerri Lee Alexander at National Women's History Museum in 2019
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 "Biographies of Notable Americans" published in Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans: volume IIV in 1904
- ↑ The Women of '76 by Sally Smith Booth, Hastings House publishers, New York, 1973. E276 B66. Page 173-4.
- ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #820 for Molly Pitcher, b: 13 Oct 1744; d: 22 Jan 1832; buried: Old Graveyard, Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA.
- ↑ Will the Real Molly Pitcher Please Stand Up? by Emily J. Teipe in Prologue Magazine v31 #2 in summer 1999
- ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed Sep 21 2020), "Record of Mary Ludwig Hays 'Molly Pitcher' (A089353)", Ancestor # A072343.
- "Molly Pitcher" on Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia by various contributors
- DAR.org for Captain Molly & Molly Pitcher & Molly Pitcher, Monmouth & Captain Molly, Fort Washington
- SAR Patriot page for Mrs. Mary (Ludwig) Hays, aka Molly Pitcher
- Molly Pitcher by Hai Lin at Pennsylvania State University Libraries website
- Molly Pitcher & Captain Molly on All Things Liberty
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Images: 6
- Is anyone closer than 19 degrees to "Molly Pitcher"? Jun 30, 2020.
- A legendary woman still remains unconnected! Nov 16, 2018.
Rejected matches › Mary May (Unknown) Sansing (abt.1748-1831)
Featured National Park champion connections: Mary is 17 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt, 23 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, 19 degrees from George Catlin, 17 degrees from Marjory Douglas, 22 degrees from Sueko Embrey, 18 degrees from George Grinnell, 29 degrees from Anton Kröller, 20 degrees from Stephen Mather, 26 degrees from Kara McKean, 18 degrees from John Muir, 18 degrees from Victoria Hanover and 25 degrees from Charles Young on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
L > Ludwig | M > McCauley > Mary (Ludwig) McCauley
Categories: Example Profiles of the Week | Pennsylvania, American Revolution | Battle of Monmouth | Women's History | Old Graveyard, Carlisle, Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Project-Managed | Patriotic Service, Pennsylvania, American Revolution | NSDAR Patriot Ancestors | NSSAR Patriot Ancestors | Pennsylvania, Notables | Notables
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DR79-RSL?i=614&cc=2466360
William Hays' nickname/possible middle name is Casper, hence why he is listed as Casper Hays. Thank you so much!
Link for the 'Women of 76' that mentions her husband was John Casper Hays - https://archive.org/details/womenof760000boot/page/172/mode/2up
A woman whose husband belonged to the artillery and who was then attached to a piece in the engagement, attended with her husband at the piece the whole time. While in the act of reaching a cartridge and having her feet as far before the other as she could step, a cannon shot from the enemy [passed directly between her legs without doing any other damage than carrying away al the lower part of her petticoat. Looking at it with apparent unconcern, she observed that it was lucky it did not pass a little higher, for in that case it might have carried away something else, and continued her occupation.' ( _Private Yankee Doodle_, Joseph Plumb Martin, Eastern Acorn Press, 1962.
edited by Christopher Wright
From the beginning with her and others serving in the Revelation War (some taking the place of their husbands), to Dr. Mary Walker who served in the Civil War, the only women to ever get the Medal of Honor; to Mary O'Rourke, who served in the Signal Corps as a Telephone Operator during World War l ... to those ladies joining during World War II starting with the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, (WAAC 1942) to the Women's Army Corps, (WAC 1943-1978) to now part of the regular US Army.
There was a lot of research and work done on this particular profile by several WikiTree members since its creation in 2014. Love the photos as well. Thank you for sharing this as this week's profile of the Week! Job well done!!
If no one has done so, please feel free to update that template! I am on my phone and don't trust bio changes from it-bad things have happened, ha!
Thanks, Abby
We have a very old engraving (can't decifer artist) of "Moll" hanging in our home with other Revolutionary War depictions. My ancestors were early settlers in Monmouth. Jim Lawrence