Margaret Corbin: 1751 - 1800
Living and working in the frontier never allowed a single job description; when danger crossed the tree line, hands reached for whatever tool was the closest to them. Rifles were handed to neighbors, buckets to children—survival demanded speed, nerve, and the courage to act without waiting for permission.
Those were lessons Margaret Corbin learned early.
A Childhood Forged by Loss
Born on November 12, 1751, Margaret Corbin entered a violent world in Franklin County, Pa., when violence arrived before she had the chance for a relatively normal childhood. A Native American raid killed her father when she was five years old. Her mother was carried away during the same raid, never to be seen again.
An uncle raised Margaret and her brother in a place where fear lived too close, and mastering self-reliance mattered.
It was an upbringing that trained her to think quickly, while maintaining steady nerves. There was never an announcement when danger arrived, and survival depended on readiness, even on ordinary days.
Marriage and the March
Margaret married John Corbin, a Virginia farmer, in 1772 at age 21.
When war followed talk of independence, John enlisted with the First Company of Pennsylvania Artillery in 1775, and Margaret refused to stay away from the events that shaped their lives. She became a camp follower, cooking meals, washing uniforms, nursing wounds, and marching through the same mud and cold as the enlisted men.
No rank was assigned to camp followers, yet the army relied on them. Suspicion also followed them, but necessity overruled any suspicions.
Without family to rely on while John was gone, she would have to provide for and protect herself. On the other hand, instead, Margaret chose to join John and the Army as a camp follower, like thousands of women before her. As a camp follower, Corbin traveled with the Continental Army, staying in their camps and performing a variety of tasks, including sewing, cooking, laundry, and caring for injured Soldiers.
Though not official members of the Army, these women received rations and a small wage if they operated their own business. They did not receive any special treatment and faced the same harsh conditions of camp life as Soldiers. They also received a bad reputation as some viewed them as sex workers and not assets to the Army.
General George Washington did not view camp followers favorably, but allowed them because he understood the vital role they played in keeping the Army running. Even his wife, Martha Washington, joined her husband on campaign several times during the war.
Without formal protection or credit, Margaret endured the same risks.
Fort Washington Under Fire
In late 1776, John's unit defended Fort Washington on Manhattan Island against an overwhelming British and Hessian attack. While John manned a cannon, Margaret carried water, swabbed the barrel, and kept the gun, working in the heat and smoke. Out of respect, other soldiers called her Captain Molly, and they weren't joking.
Standing alongside the cannon, a blast of grapeshot killed John, yet Margaret didn't step away; she took his place, loading, aiming, and firing repeatedly. Soon, enemy guns began targeting her position, resulting in a shattered left arm, broken jaw, and chest wounds. She would never regain use of her left arm.
Margaret finally collapsed after sustaining the wounds that would last a lifetime.
Survival Without Applause
Eventually, the British overran the fort, capturing many, including Margaret.
The British quickly overran Fort Washington, capturing the remaining Patriot forces. Despite suffering life-threatening injuries, British doctors saved Corbin’s life. After receiving treatment, the British army returned Corbin and several prisoners to the Continental Army, who sent her and a number of other women and injured Soldiers to recover in a Philadelphia hospital. She ultimately lost the use of her left arm, impeding her ability to dress and perform everyday tasks.
Later, the army assigned Margaret to the Corps of Invalids at West Point, where disabled soldiers guarded stores and supplies. She served while there, injured but present, despite many others quietly disappearing from the records.
Recognition That Arrived Late
Officers petitioned Congress in 1779 on Margaret's behalf, and on July 6, lawmakers granted her a lifelong pension.
In 1779, the U.S. Continental Congress awarded Corbin a lifelong pension equivalent to half the amount a man would receive; the first woman to ever do so. According to the National Women’s History Museum, the overwhelming support and assistance Corbin received from the U.S. government were a testament to how highly her comrades valued her and appreciated her acts of bravery.
Congress also provided clothing to replace what was destroyed during the battle.
Margaret remarried in 1782. Unfortunately, the marriage didn't last; she was widowed again within a year. Her true companion was poverty, making a difficult life even harder.
Widowed again without a family, the Army moved her to West Point, while she relied on her pension and a veteran charity. She smoked a pipe and traded stories with soldiers, while carrying herself without apology.
For Margaret, comfort never followed her courage.
A Grave Without a Name
Margaret Corbin died at age 48 on January 16, 1800, in Highland Falls, New York. Her burial came without any markers along the Hudson River.
Margaret Corbin did not receive full military honors upon her death. It wasn’t until the New York State chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution verified Margaret’s record in 1926 that the remains believed to be hers were reinterred with full military honors at the West Point Cemetery.
History eventually caught up, but life? It never waited.
There were never clear transitions in frontier life; when one set of hands failed, another stepped forward. Margaret Corbin never asked whether the task was hers; she simply took hold because the line had broken. The tool sits, waiting, and there is no shelter in retreat.
Next in the Series: Deborah Sampson
Deborah Sampson was born into poverty and raised without protection, choosing to live in concealment over recognition and discipline over any comfort. While passing inspections and hiding a secret that could've cost her life, Deborah navigated through danger with courage marked by silence and restraint. She endured rather than confront the peril directly.
