The heroine Molly Pitcher

This is a detail of a painting by Dennis Malone Carter (1818-1888) called Molly Pitcher at the Battle of Monmouth (1854) illustrating the legendary heroine of the American War of Independence, Molly Pitcher, in action.
What we have here is a dark scene of the American war of Independence. In the foreground, the focus, is Molly Pitcher near to the cannon. She is wearing a red dress and clenching her fist, together with her husband Hays, the gunner. They are both with a determined look as if they were prepared to die for their country. In the middle ground, the American soldiers appear riding horses and carrying the flag of the United States. We can also see some wounded and dead soldiers. Finally, in the background, the battle of Monmouth is taking place.
It is interesting to notice that the whole painting is somber, contrasting with Molly, the main character who is in red and white. It is remarkable that she and the army are dressed with the colors of the flag. She is the only woman, and appears to be the most determined of the scene. Two other characters call my attention: first, the gunner, her husband, strong and reanimated probably because of the presence of his wife. Second, the man in the middle of the painting wearing a white torn shirt and holding his hat to the air with an expression of freedom and satisfaction or relief.
As a conclusion, we could say that Molly Pitcher is represented as inergy which gave strength to the army and was an essential piece in the victory of the Americans in this war.