Margaret Cochran was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania to Robert and Sarah. When she was five her home was attacked by Native Americans. Her father was killed and her mother kidnapped, never to be seen again. Margaret and her brother were not at home at the time of the attack, they lived with her uncle for the rest of her childhood.
In 1772, at 21 she married John. When the Revolutionary War started he enrolled in the First Company of Pennsylvania Artillery. On November 16, 1776 at Fort Washington the Continental Army was attacked by the British forces. John was killed during the action, Margaret took his place at the cannon continuing to fire until her arm, chest and jaw was hit by enemy fire.
She was captured and later released. After her release she went to Philadelphia, completely disabled from her wounds. She died in Highland Falls, New York in 1800, she was 48.
What you may know about Margaret Cochran Corbin is that she was the first woman in U.S. history to receive a pension from Congress for military service because she could no longer work due to the injuries she received.
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