Revolutionary War - Women and War

Monument at Valley Forge

 In a previous post I introduced some of my grandmothers that contributed to the efforts of the American Revolution at Valley Forge.  These grandmothers contributed because they lived in the valley where George Washington decided to winter his weary warriors. 

Priscilla Stephens, one of my sixth great grandmothers embraced her Christian duty to be hospitable to the soldiers. According to Burk's Guide to Valley Forge,  

 An officer hastily rode up to the farmhouse of Abijah Stephens and chalked on the door "Headquarters of General Weedon," and ordered the family to make ready to receive its uninvited guests. Mrs. Stephens had a large quantity of buckwheat and at once mixed a tub full of batter. While others baked cakes she prepared soup, roast beef, etc. Much to the rage of the General those who first reached the house did not stand upon ceremony, but satisfied their hunger before he arrived.

Her daughter, Mary "Elizabeth" Rossiter, also played a role in hosting guests at their home during the encampment. The guests included recognizable names such as: Benedict Arnold, Marquis de la Fayette, Nathaniel Greene, and Henry Knox.

Other more prominent women have been recognized in publications. No doubt many more women participated in the American Revolution in ways that have not been documented.  Here are three women known to have participated directly in the battles.

On June 28, 1778, during the Battle of Monmouth near Freehold, New Jersey, a woman known as Molly Pitcher (likely Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley) earned her place in legend. Initially serving water to overheated soldiers (hence the nickname), she took over her husband’s cannon after he collapsed, continuing to fire through the heat and chaos of battle. Though her exact contributions at Brandywine and Valley Forge are debated, her presence at Monmouth is well documented. Her courage became a rallying image for female patriotism, and she was later granted a pension for her service.

Born in Massachusetts in 1760, Deborah Sampson disguised herself as a man and enlisting in the Continental Army under the name Robert Shurtliff. (The alias does invite speculation about her wit as well as her grit.) She served for over a year, participating in skirmishes and enduring wounds she treated herself to avoid discovery. Her story was later chronicled in a memoir titled The Female Review, written by Herman Mann (Wikipedia), which preserved her legacy as a real-life counterpart to the fictional Mulan. Sampson was eventually honorably discharged and later received a military pension, one of the few women to do so.

On November 16, 1776, during the Battle of Fort Washington in New York, Margaret Corbin’s life changed forever. Her husband, John Corbin, was killed while manning a cannon. Rather than retreat, Margaret stepped into his place, declaring, “I know all about it, Jack has shown me.” She continued firing until she was severely wounded. Margaret became the first woman to receive a military pension from the United States, and her bravery is commemorated at West Point, where she is buried among fellow soldiers.