![]() Neither is marked on the official park map, but I suspect that if we'd wandered a bit more, we'd have found it eventually.īefore we left for the day, we agreed to return to the Monmouth Battlefield once the weather gets warmer. What's more, there's another well or spring somewhere on the battlefield that's also claimed by some to be Mary's water source. The sign, now missing but said to be well-maintained 50 years ago, noted "From this spring, Molly Pitcher (Mary Ludwig Hays) carried water to her husband and thirsty soldiers." ![]() in 1938, well before the state purchased the land for a park. According to the Red Bank Daily Register of July 6, 1966, the stone and an interpretive sign were placed there by William D. Turns out it's been there for more than 75 years. While the stone has seen better days and the state apparently hasn't seen fit to replace it, the presence of the flags, however weathered, led me to believe that someone's been paying at least cursory attention to it. I'm always a little wary of unofficial markers, but this one got me curious, especially given its condition. Its source was obscured by vegetation, but it seemed we might have stumbled upon the spring where Mary fetched the water that sustained several American troops during the heat of battle. Several steps away, a bramble-covered area was divided by a series of wooden planks across a small running stream. On the other side was more printing though chipped by age, it manages to still say "THIS MARKER PLACED BY ALEXANDER JAS_ AND _M D. A closer examination revealed the word "SPRING" painted closer to the bottom of the stone. The side closest to the car clearly said "MOLLY PITCHER," with some additional printing below it. Looking around for the interpretive sign, I saw something unexpected: a stone flanked with small faded and aged American flags. The gravel lot was only large enough to accommodate a couple of cars, but we were the only ones there. There aren't a lot of interpretive markers along the roads, but the park map showed one not far from a small parking area just off Wemrock Road, near a rusting railroad overpass. A few roads traverse the area to make it easier to explore, but there are still plenty of wooded sections and farm fields to help you envision what Washington and his troops came upon when they marched into the area. The weather was a bit raw on the day we visited, so we decided to check out the park's almost 3000 acres by car. Miles of hiking trails, roads and field edges offer places to get some perspective on the battle. Portions of the battlefield are still used as farms and orchards the way they were back in 1778, leaving an impressive viewshed for you to consider from the back side of the visitor center. We weren't thinking much about tracking Molly down when we set out to explore the battlefield's trails and interpretive markers. Given the hectic nature of battle, it's entirely possible that she stepped in to help when a gunner was injured or suffering from the heat. She was among the many women who accompanied the troops, cooking, repairing clothes and caring for injured and sick soldiers. Molly herself is commonly assumed to be a woman named Mary Ludwig Hays, whose husband was part of a large gun crew. Their barrels needed to be swabbed after firing to clear errant sparks and spilled gunpowder, a task especially important during what was to be the most extensive use of artillery in the entire Revolutionary War. ![]() She may also have been fetching water for the cannons themselves. Another version has her taking the place of her injured husband in a gun crew of the 4th Continental Artillery Regiment. One story has her repeatedly bringing water to her husband and his fellow soldiers on the oppressively hot, humid summer day, keeping the Pennsylvania artillerymen hydrated as many troops on both the American and British sides succumbed to heat stroke. Molly's feats vary, depending on which account of the day you hear. As we learned from a recent visit, the day's weather put a woman with a pitcher in a good position to become a legend. Fought in the area outside Freehold on June 28, 1778, the conflict was one of the largest of the entire war and certainly the biggest in New Jersey. Young history buffs first learn of her as a hero of the Battle of Monmouth during the American Revolution, bravely staying on the field of battle as cannons roared around her. If you grew up in New Jersey, or driven on the Turnpike for that matter, you've heard of Molly Pitcher.
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