Margaret Corbin was a woman who fought in the American Revolutionary War during which she manned a cannon with her husband, John.
Margaret and John were married in 1772 and three years later when the war began John enlisted in the First Company of Pennsylvania Artillery. Margaret chose to accompany John and assisted him in his work as a matross, loading and firing cannons.
On November 16, 1776 the pair fought in the defense of Fort Washington, where 600 American soldiers fought 4000 Hessian troops in the service of the British. During an assault by the Hessians, John was killed and Margaret took his place operating the cannon. She continued to fire the cannon repeatedly until her arm, chest, and jaw were hit by enemy fire.
Following the battle Margaret was left disabled from her injuries, however in 1779 she became the first woman to receive a military pension from Congress. She was enrolled in the Corps of Invalids and became part of the garrison at West Point, New York. Discharged in 1783, she lived in Westchester County, New York, until her death in 1800 aged 48.