CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — As the nation moves closer to its 250th anniversary and celebrate the lives of the brave men and women who served to ensure freedom at great cost, we look back at the heroes of Franklin County throughout history.
Margaret “Molly” Cochran Corbin
Margaret Cochran Corbin (1751-1800), who was well known as “Molly”, was a native of Franklin County before the county existed. Born and raised in the area that is now Chambersburg, the daughter of Irish immigrants had faced life’s harsh realities while still very young.
When she was only 5 years old, her parents, Robert and Sarah Cochran, were attacked by Native Americans. Her father was killed and her mother taken away never to be seen again. Molly grew up to become a strong-willed woman, which led her to join her husband, John Corbin (1745-1776), on the front lines when he enlisted with the 1st Company of Pennsylvania Artillery during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783).
Molly would initially spend her time during the war cooking and providing water for the soldiers and cannons that would get overheated during the battle. She also helped care for wounded soldiers.
Battle of Fort Washington
During the Battle of Fort Washington on November 16,1776, Molly and John were among some of the group left behind to defend the fort against British Hessian soldiers as Gen. George Washington took the rest of the Continental Army on to White Plains, New York. During the battle, John was killed and Molly, who was there alongside her husband on a ridge that is now known as Bennett Park, took over manning the cannon that her fallen husband had left behind.
Molly fired the cannon and fought bravely before being shot and receiving wounds to the arm, chest, and face. She survived the injuries and was taken captive when the British took control of the Fort. After being released by the British, she was sent to Philadelphia to recover, but sadly her life was never the same again.
Life after great loss
She stayed on in the military until the end of the war, becoming a member of the Corps of Invalids, which is also known as the 1st American Regiment under the command of Col. Henry Jackson (1747-1809). After the war, Molly would become the first woman in America to receive financial support from the newly formed government in appreciation for her services during the war. Molly died at the age of 48 in the year 1800.
Honoring a hero
Several monuments have been erected to honor Molly Corbin. In 1909 a memorial marker was placed in New York’s Fort Tryon Park near the site where her heroic acts were played out. A road named in her honor is also featured at the park. In 1926, the Daughters of the American Revolution had the remains of Molly exhumed from their original resting place and buried with full military honors at West Point Cemetery, where another memorial was erected to honor her services. Even today, the memory of Molly Corbin lives on. In 2021, the Margaret Cochran Corbin Campus at the Manhattan Campus of the New York Harbor Health Care System was named after her.
Molly Corbin may be more well known in the State of New York for her wartime services, but she is still a child of Franklin County. Her legacy began here. Her bravery in the face of death and defeat is a testament to the courage and spirit that make up the history of Franklin County.
This is part one of a five part series looking at the lives and accomplishments of the heroes of Franklin and Washington counties.
