, to be
received by the Commander-in-chief of the American forces in such a
garb as that! How could she make herself presentable for the
interview? With her usual quick wit, Molly borrowed an artilleryman's
coat, which in some measure hid her grimy and torn garments. In this
coat over her own petticoats, and a cocked hat with a feather,
doubtless plucked from a straying hen, she made no further ado, but
presented herself to Washington as requested, and from the fact that
she wore such a costume on that June day has come the oft-repeated
and untrue story that she wore a man's clothing on the battle-field.

General Washington's eyes lighted with pleasure at the sight of such a
brave woman, and he received her with such honor as he would have
awarded one of his gallant men. Molly was almost overcome with his
words of praise, and still more so when he conferred on her the brevet
of Captain, from which came the title, "Captain Molly," which she was
called by the soldiers from that day. General Washington also
recommended that she be given a soldier's half-pay for life, as a
reward for her faithful performance of a man's duty at the battle of
Monmouth.

That was enough to make John Hays, now completely recovered from his
prostration, the proudest man in the army; but added to that he had
the satisfaction of seeing Molly given a tremendous ovation by the
soldiers, who cheered her to the echo when they first saw her after
that fateful night. To cap the climax, the great French General
Lafayette showed his appreciation of her courage by asking Washington
if his men "might have the pleasure of giving Madame a trifle."

Then those French officers who were among the American regiments
formed in two long lines, between which Captain Molly passed in her
artilleryman's coat, cocked hat in hand, and while lusty cheers rang
out, the hat was filled to overflowing with gold crowns.

And so it was that Molly Pitcher, a country girl of New Jersey, played
a prominent part in the battle of Monmouth and won for herself an
enviable place in American history.

It is of little importance to us that when the war was over, Molly
with her husband and child lived quietly in Carlisle, John Hays going
back to his trade, Molly doing washing and enjoying her annuity of
forty dollars a year from the government.

After John Hays's death Molly married again, an Irishman named
McCauley, and it would have been far better for her to have remained a
wid