Margaret Cochran Corbin

was orphaned at age 5 & she & her older brother were adopted & raised by an uncle

became a camp follower in 1775 & followed her husband into battle

when her husband was killed at the Battle of Ft Washington in Manhattan, she took over his job at a cannon but was subsequently injured almost severing her left arm & injuring her jaw & left chest leaving her unable to use her left arm for the rest of her life

was taken as a prisoner of war after the battle but eventually paroled to a Revolutionary hospital for recovery

joined the Invalid Regiment at West Point after she healed & was discharged from the service in 1783

1779 was awarded a half-pension for life (approximately $3.30/monthly) & a new suit of clothes yearly to replace her clothing ruined in the war

1926 her remains were moved from a grave along the Hudson River & she was buried at West Point with full military honors thanks to the DAR

in 2017 it was discovered the bones in her grave were that of a male & the location of her remains is still a mystery

1909 a plaque at Ft Tryon in NYC was dedicated to her & hails her "as the 1st woman to take a soldier's part in the War for Liberty"

was known as Captain Molly

is sometimes referred to as Molly Pitcher, a common name for women in the war who brought water to thirsty soldiers & also to cool down overheated cannons but it is generally believed there was no 1 Molly Pitcher but she is a mythical composite of many Revolutionary War women camp followers including Corbin & Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley who fought at the Battle of Monmouth 2 years after Corbin was disabled

there is a memorial monument to her at West Point Cemetery

a Veteran's Administration Hospital campus in NYC is named after her

records indicate she became a disagreeable person with a sharp tongue & volatile temper making it difficult to find people willing to help care for her when she was disabled