The captain willingly complied.

“It was a dreadful battle,” remarked Evelyn with a sigh, as his story came to a conclusion.

“Yes, one of the most hotly contested of the war,” he assented, “and resulted in victory to the Americans in spite of Lee’s repeated assertion that the ‘attempt was madness.’

“All the other American generals did well, the country resounded with praises of Washington, and Congress passed a unanimous vote of thanks to him ‘for his great and good conduct and victory.’”

“It was in this battle Captain Molly fought, wasn’t it?” asked Rosie.

“Yes,” the captain replied; and, noticing the eagerly inquiring looks of Grace and Walter, he went on to tell the story.

“Molly was the wife of a cannoneer who was firing one of the field-pieces, while she, disregarding the danger from the shots of the enemy, made frequent journeys to and from a spring near at hand, thus furnishing her husband with the means of slacking his thirst, which must have been great at such work in such weather.

“At length a shot from the enemy killed him, and an order was given to remove the cannon, as there was no one among the soldiers near who was capable of its management.

“But Molly, who had seen her husband fall, and heard the order, dropped her bucket, sprang to the cannon, seized the rammer, and, vowing that she would avenge his death, fired it with surprising skill, performing the duty probably as well as if she had belonged to the sterner sex.

“The next morning General Greene presented her—­just as she was, all covered with dust and blood—­to Washington, who gave her the commission of sergeant as a reward for her bravery; in addition to that he recommended her to Congress as worthy to have her name placed upon the list of those entitled to half-pay during life.

“The French officers so admired her bravery that they made her many presents.  Lossing tells us that she would sometimes pass along their lines and get her cocked hat full of crowns.  He also says the widow of General Hamilton told him she had often seen ‘Captain Molly,’ as she was called, and described her as a red-haired, freckle-faced young Irish woman, with a handsome piercing eye.”

“Papa, did she wear a man’s hat?” asked Grace.

“Yes, and also an artilleryman’s coat over her woman’s petticoats.  She had done a brave deed about nine months before the battle of Monmouth, when Fort Clinton was taken by the British.  She was there with her husband when the fort was attacked, and when the Americans retreated from the fort, and the enemy were scaling the ramparts, her husband dropped his match and fled, but Molly picked it up and fired the gun, then scampered off after him.  That was the last gun fired in the fort by the Americans.”

“And this battle of Monmouth was a great victory for us—­for the Americans, I mean?” Walter said inquiringly.