Draper, Mary (1719-1810), a woman of colonial America , became famous for assisting the Continental Army during the American Revolution (1775-1783). Draper lived in Dedham, Massachusetts, southwest of Boston. Soldiers of the Continental Army frequently marched through the town. With the help of her daughter Kate, Draper baked bread and made cheese. They set up a table by the road and put the provisions out for passing soldiers. When she ran out of food, Draper asked her neighbors to contribute.
Draper’s husband, Moses, had purchased a bullet-casting mold before joining the army. After the Battle of Bunker Hill (1775), the army was running out of ammunition. Draper had pewter pans and platters—family heirlooms from her late mother—melted down into bullets for the army. She, Kate, and her maid, Molly, sewed extra sheets and fabric into shirts and coats for the soldiers. Draper also offered shelter to passing soldiers and housed many people made homeless by the war.
Mary Alvis was born on April 4, 1719. She was married and widowed before marrying Moses Draper. Mary and Moses worked a thriving farm in Dedham with their six children. In 1775, Draper was widowed again. She died in 1810.
