Many women earned this moniker during the American Revolution because they would take over the duties of bringing water to the battlefield.
Although it was many times to quench the thirst of the soldiers the most important reason to have a continuous supply of water was to keep the artillery (cannon) cooled off.
During the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778, Mary Hayes was observed by private Joseph Martin supplying this valuable service. Sadly, her husband, one of the artillery officers was killed in battle. Unflinchingly Mary quickly stepped in to take over her husbands duties. Martin related this story about Mary's service in his diary,
"While in the act of reaching a cartridge and having one of her feet spread as far before the other as she could step, a canon shot from the enemy passed directly between her legs without doing any other damage than carrying away all the lower portion of her petticoat. Looking on it with apparent unconcern, she observed that,
'It was lucky it did not pass a little higher, for in that case it might have carried away something else' "
Private Martin then goes on to say that she just ...
"continued her occupation."
Isn't that par for the course for many of Mary's brave male and female descendants in this proud country. In the face of overwhelming sorrow with the death of a loved one, she not only had the courage to keep fighting for a cause that was greater than herself, she also found the grace and temerity to make light of that most dangerous situation.
