Undercover Spies

Drawing of Anna Smith Strong running the Clothesline Code, ASK Magazine

The Clothesline Code

   The Clothesline Code was headed by Anna Smith Strong, who was involved in the Culper Spy Ring (George Washington’s spy ring). Strong’s job in particular was to signal another spy that information was ready to be received. In order to provide the other spy named Caleb Brewster information in an inconspicuous way, Anna hung her laundry out to dry. This action was right in the eyeline of British soldiers, yet it was never suspected due to it being such an everyday act. The laundry she would hang up was a large black petticoat accompanied with handkerchiefs. Each of these articles signaled something different to Brewster. The black coat signaled that the message itself was ready to be received. The handkerchiefs would relay further information, such as where the message was hidden. The number of handkerchiefs signaled one of the six coves along the coast of Long Island which were designated as “dead drop locations.” Throughout the entire revolution, this operation was never found out, in part due to the involvement of Anna Smith Strong. She went underestimated due to her being a woman and participating in everyday activities that no one would expect to be connected with the war efforts.¹

   The spy efforts of women during the Revolution were extremely important to America’s eventual victory.  Being as they were able to go undetected in their efforts due to their gender, women were extremely useful as spies, and were able to use their intellectual skills to pass information along.

¹“Revolutionary Spies.” National Women’s History Museum, November 9, 2017. https://www.womenshistory.org/articles/revolutionary-spies.

Nancy Morgan Hart Defending her Home, The New York Historical

Nancy Morgan Hart

   Nancy Morgan Hart was the wife of a soldier away at war. She often snuck away during prime opportunities to spy on the Patriots. Due to her appearance, she was able to pass as a crazy man and sneak herself into British camps.²

   It is said that Hart’s most “famous display” of resistance to the crown is when she detained six British officers in her home by successfully holding them at gunpoint. They had entered her home without warning, and she was ready to resist. Hart was successful in her contributions to the American cause by actively fighting against British soldiers, even while she remained at home.³

² “Female Spies of the American Revolution.” Defense Intelligence Agency, June 1, 2014. https://www.dia.mil/News-Features/Articles/Article-View/Article/566985/female-spies-of-the-american-revolution/.

³ Boomer, Lee. “Life Story: Nancy Morgan Hart.” Women & the American Story, January 23, 2024. https://wams.nyhistory.org/settler-colonialism-and-revolution/the-american-revolution/nancy-morgan-hart/#.

A Fictional Image of Lydia Darragh Passing on Information, HWHM

The Button Code

   The Button Code was headed by Lydia Barrington Darragh, who often had British soldiers quartered in her home during the Revolution. She took this opportunity to her advantage, and listened in on the soldiers' meetings when she was under the ruse of being a helpful housewife; bringing them refreshments, food, offering firewood, etc. Lydia’s husband then wrote in a special shorthand to transcribe the information. This code was known by the close members of their family, and was easily transferable through Darragh hiding the messages under cloth covered buttons in her husband's coat. Her husband then took this information to his brother who was serving in the Continental Army.¹

   One specific instance when Darragh’s involvement was crucial was on December 2, 1777. The British had ordered the family to stay in their bedroom while they held a meeting in the house. Lydia, however, made the decision to hide in a closet to spy on the officers meeting, where it was revealed that the soldiers were planning a surprise attack on Washington's Army in Whitemarsh. In order to convey the information outwards, Lydia left with the excuse of getting flour from an out of town mill. When she arrived, she handed over the message to Washington's men, giving them just enough time to prepare for an attack, ending in a standoff.⁴

   Darragh’s work changed the trajectory of the attack at Whitemarsh. Without her valiant efforts and determination to uncover information, the surprise attack could have been a massacre. Lydia’s brave efforts saved many lives and secured another American win in a battle.

¹“Revolutionary Spies.” National Women’s History Museum, November 9, 2017. https://www.womenshistory.org/articles/revolutionary-spies.

⁴ “Spy Techniques of the Revolutionary War.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Accessed November 2024. https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-revolutionary-war/spying-and-espionage/spy-techniques-of-the-revolutionary-war.