The women who served during the Revolutionary War were true heroes, brave when they weren’t required to serve in the military or to perform acts of bravery. One such young woman was Mary Ludwig Hays. Mary Ludwig Hays became an integral part of the Battle of Monmouth, but she isn’t remembered under her true name. Her husband, William Hays, enlisted in the 4th Pennsylvania Artillery in 1777 and Mary followed him to Valley Forge to offer support as a camp follower. She brought water to soldiers on the front lines; any time a man shouted, “Molly! Pitcher!” she responded, carrying fresh water for their cannons and earning a new nickname, Molly Pitcher. Molly was a common nickname for young girls named Mary during the 18th century, so it was no surprise that Mary Ludwig Hays responded easily to such a nickname.

While “Molly” traversed the battlefield at Monmouth in weather that reached temperatures over 100 degrees, her husband William collapsed behind his cannon from heat exhaustion. Other soldiers carried him off the battlefield, and there was no one to take command of his station. Molly Pitcher decided to step in. For the remainder of the battle, Molly swabbed and loaded the cannon, fighting alongside the men of the Continental Army. She nearly lost her legs when a British musket ball flew between her legs and ripped her skirt, but Molly Pitcher—or more accurately, Mary Ludwig Hays—continued loading the cannon and fighting. The revolutionaries saw victory by the day’s end.

Commander in Chief George Washington himself knew of Mary’s heroics. At the end of the battle, Washington asked his men if he had, in fact, seen a woman loading a cannon in the midst of the fighting. To commemorate her service and courage, “Molly” was issued a warrant as a non-commissioned officer from Washington under her legal name, Mary Hays.

An exclusive piece in our Heritage Costumes colonial collection of quality costume clothing, this children’s Mary Ludwig Hays colonial costume is authentic to the 1700s and the attire worn by the brave Revolutionary War hero herself. You’ll look just like “Sergeant Molly” delivering pitchers of water on the battlefield when you don this historically accurate costume set. To capture Hays’ attire accurately, this costume includes a blue floral print colonial dress with an olive inset, lace trim, and a zipper closure. Also included is a colonial mob cap.

Of course, every Mary Ludwig Hays colonial costume needs a few accessories, too. No wartime woman during the 18th century went without her colonial hoop skirt, colonial shoes, lace fan, and colonial wig. If you’d like to enhance your Mary Ludwig Hays attire with our Heritage Costume accessories (which are not included with the purchase of this costume), you can pair this costume outfit with these options from our wide selection of added details to create your very own personalized costume.

This high-quality Mary Ludwig Hays, or Molly Pitcher, colonial costume can be used for historical school events, play, or simply a fun day of pretending to be a woman serving with the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War in the 18th century. Made with pride and care right in the United States, this kids’ Mary Ludwig Hays colonial costume is built to last.