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Secondary sourceBook1895

The Story of Molly Pitcher, from The Red True Story Book

Agnes Repplier · 1895

A retelling of the Molly Pitcher legend for young readers, published in Andrew Lang's story collection, comparing her to other legendary heroines.

This children's story retells the legend most often associated with Mary Hays under the name Molly Pitcher.

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About this source

What it is

This is a short story titled "The Story of Molly Pitcher," written for Andrew Lang's Red True Story Book, a collection of true-life adventure tales for children, published in 1895. It tells the legend of Molly Pitcher's bravery at the Battle of Monmouth.

Why it matters

The story shows how the legend of Molly Pitcher—often connected to Mary Hays—became popular children's literature more than a century after the Revolutionary War. It compares her to other legendary heroines from different countries, showing how such stories spread and were shaped for young audiences.

Look closer

  • Why does the author compare Molly Pitcher to heroines from other countries?
  • What does the author suggest about how legends like this one might not always be entirely true?
  • How might a story written for children differ from a strict historical account?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Molly Pitcher (Mary Ludwig Hays) on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Molly Pitcher (Mary Ludwig Hays) sources

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Black-and-white lithograph titled 'The Heroine of Monmouth' by Currier & Ives. A woman in a long skirt stands at a cannon, holding a long sponge staff. A soldier lies motionless on the ground in front of the cannon. A second gunner leans on the cannon, and an American flag flies behind.Painting

Secondary source

The Heroine on Monmouth. Molly Pitcher

Currier & Ives

Black-and-white engraving of a woman in a long dark skirt and fitted bodice, carrying a long rod or ramrod, standing beside a large cannon. Soldiers in tricorn hats are at the gun, one lying injured in the foreground, and a horse and rider are at left.Painting

Secondary source

Molly Pitcher at the Battle of Monmouth (Armytage engraving)

J. C. Armytage, after Alonzo Chappel · c. 1859

Bronze statue of a woman in a long skirt and bodice holding a rammer or staff across her body, mounted on a stone monument in a cemetery. A tall American flag flies to the left, a brass cannon sits at the base, and red brick buildings and a grassy lawn with gravestones surround it under a partly cloudy sky.Sculpture

Secondary source

Molly Pitcher Grave Monument, Carlisle

1876

Hand-colored lithograph titled 'The Women of '76: Molly Pitcher the Heroine of Monmouth.' A woman in a blue bodice and red skirt holds a long sponge staff beside a gold cannon on a wheeled carriage. A man in a blue shirt with a bandaged head stands behind the cannon. A fallen soldier in blue lies in the foreground beside an overturned bucket. Smoke and troops fill the background. Two lines of verse appear below.Painting

Secondary source

The Women of '76: Molly Pitcher the Heroine of Monmouth

Popular Graphic Arts

Color-tinted lithographic theatre poster titled Dalley's Magical Pain Extractor. A woman in a long dress and necklace stands at a cannon, holding a swab, while a soldier lies dead in the foreground beside an overturned barrel. A second soldier with a bandaged head peers from behind the gun. Smoke and troops fill the background. Text reads Molly Pitcher, the Heroine of Monmouth, Avenging her Husband's Death, J. Wright & Co., New York & New Orleans.Painting

Secondary source

Dalley's Magical Pain Extractor: Molly Pitcher, the Heroine of Monmouth

J. Wright & Co. · c. 1860

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