Molly Pitcher at the Battle of Monmouth (1854)

Molly Pitcher at the Battle of Monmouth
Dennis Malone Carter (1827-1881)
1854
Oil on Canvas

"Molly Pitcher'' was the common nickname for women who carried water to the troops during American Revolutionary War. During the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey on June 28, 1778, Mary Ludwig Hayes, the wife of a Pennsylvania artilleryman, was carrying water and saw her husband collapse. She heard the order to retire the cannon he had been operating as there were no longer enough gunners to man it. She stepped forward saying she could serve the gun. She kept it firing and was later presented to Washington who, in recognition of her service, made her a non-commissioned officer.

Another artillery wife, Margaret Corbin, performed the same service in November 1776 at the Battle of Fort Washington and was wounded. Corbin received a half-pension from the Army and is buried at West Point. These two women were recognized for their actions, and were therefore recorded in history; many more unknown, unrecognized, and un-pensioned women served the cause during the American Revolution.

1913.09.001
Gift of Herbert P. Whitlock, 1913

Tour

Dennis Malone Carter was born in Ireland in 1827 and immigrated to the United States in 1839. He lived most of his life in New York City. Carter exhibited works at the National Academy of Design, which was founded in NYC in 1825 and created to promote art in America through exhibitions, while also providing classes for aspiring artists.

Like Rossiter, Carter’s painting showcased the growing sense of national pride in the mid 19th century. In the years leading up to the Civil War, depictions of the creation of the United States became very popular. This growing emphasis on a national mythology gave rise to stories about figures like Molly Pitcher. Molly Pitcher was not a single person, but was likely a composite of several women who were active in the American Revolution. 

Compare this to another painting in the Museum’s collection: Molly Pitcher- The Battle of Monmouth, 1778 by John Ward Dunsmore.  Both artists use similar approaches to colors, a more muted palette, with splashes of brighter colors throughout, mainly the reds and blues of the clothes. Dunsmore- painting in 1907-  provides an up close, gritty depiction of the battle. The viewer is close to the action, only able to see Molly Pitcher and a few surrounding soldiers. This is very different from Malone’s depiction, which places the viewer farther away. Carter presents a more romanticized picture of a battle- his figures are clean and posed, almost as if the viewer is watching a performance. Much of the surrounding battle is in shadow, as light falls on the central figure of Molly Pitcher with a cannon and American flag behind her. In contrast, Dunsmore’s figures are dirty- bloody from injury, covered in soot and surrounded by smoke. 

Carter’s painting showcases the battlefield, but there were other ways of resisting the British.  To help defeat the British, George Washington and the Continental Army enlisted spies. One of the most well-known is Nathan Hale.