History is for Everyone

NJ, USA

Molly Pitcher Spring

Landmark

Molly Pitcher Spring is a natural spring within Monmouth Battlefield State Park traditionally associated with the water source used by Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley — the historical Molly Pitcher — to carry water to soldiers and artillery crews during the battle. An interpretive marker identifies the site.

What Happened Here

The spring is located near the area where American artillery was positioned during the engagement. According to tradition, Mary Hays carried water from this spring to the troops and cannon crews suffering in the extreme heat of June 28, 1778. While the specific identification of this spring as the one Molly Pitcher used cannot be definitively confirmed, natural springs in the battlefield area were certainly essential water sources during the battle, when heat exhaustion was a significant cause of casualties on both sides. The spring serves as a focal point for interpreting the role of women in the Continental Army and the Molly Pitcher legend. A monument near the spring commemorates the contributions of women during the battle.

Visiting Today

Address

Within Monmouth Battlefield State Park, Manalapan, NJ 07726

Hours

Dawn to dusk daily

Admission

Free

Connected Events

Feb 1778
Feb 1778
Valley Forge Training Tested at Monmouth

Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Marquis de Lafayette, Anthony Wayne

Jun 1778
British March from Philadelphia to New York

Sir Henry Clinton, Charles Cornwallis

Jun 1778
Continental Army Departs Valley Forge

Sir Henry Clinton, Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben

Jun 1778
War Council at Hopewell

George Washington, Charles Lee, Anthony Wayne, Marquis de Lafayette, Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, Sir Henry Clinton

Jun 1778
Lee Demands Advance Command

Charles Lee, Marquis de Lafayette, George Washington

Jun 1778
Battle of Monmouth

George Washington, Charles Lee, Sir Henry Clinton, Charles Cornwallis, Anthony Wayne, Marquis de Lafayette, Alexander Hamilton

Jun 1778
Molly Pitcher at the Cannon

Mary Ludwig Hays (Molly Pitcher)