Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-11-18
Ramilp GirtIf.
the FEMALE spy.

there was IN u elghb0flnE town Of New
J,f ey. a Young lady Of not more than
siNtetl snlnmers-Viio VAS eminently
distinguished Tor her beauty. talents and
Wit. She was a daughter OF a Major
AuucrieAc. Of The BRITISH Engineer Corps,
a d he gifted mind gave evidence Of the
iayi i Expenditure wtlr his feet OH had
mduced afa, a. Nuke ia secure 10 her a
brilliant edu alton. The occupancy OF
Satcn l,iai.u necessarily Dioughi the
war into her Immediate yiciuiiS. aud The
nci1htor iig towns Oh the Jersey shore
having becomc pnsatr is a place u resi-
dence, She adopted The psan OF appealing
to General Putnam for protection.
The General sent Tor her and took her
under his own individual guardianship
and while he remained in New York, she
continued to be a member of his family,
Here she passed the time in company Of
Mrs. Putnam and her daughters. The
battle of Long Island. and the subsequent
retreat of Washington and his army from
the city, caused a change in the aspect OF
affairs, and we find her soon afterward
at the house of a Mr.. Wood near Peek.
skill, on the Hudson River. The advent
Of such an accomplished and beautiful
lady al Miss Moncriefe could not be
otherwise than a subject OF interest to
the residents of Peekskill and its vicinity,
and she soon became the centre of attrac-
ton of a brilliant circle Of beaux, among
whom was a number of the officers at
tached to the American army in the
neighborhood.
Although at heart a bitter and uncom-
promising Royalist, Mis- Moncrefe man
aged so admirably to conceal the fact
and lead those about her to believe that
she entertained the warmest feelings OF
interest in, and desire for the success of
the American cause, that acme hesitated
to converse before her regarding the
plans and operations Of the Americans
without the least reserve. She took ad,
vantage OF this fact to get possession of
important information, which she was
in the habit of transmitting to General
Howe, through the means Of a poor
wretch who served as a convenient in
strument in her nefarious plans. Being
a splendid equestriene," it was custom
airy with her to ride along the banks of
the Hudson in pleasant weather, and she
seized these opportunities to communicate
with her messenger, and through him
with the British Commander.
At regular intervals she would ride
down the road, and, at a spot whore it
passed through a thick wood, she would
stop, as though upon some ordinary occa.
sion, aud hum a bar of some tune
agreed upon. La a moment after, a man
would emerge from the dense underbrush,
and while he pushed back the leaves with
one hand, the other was held out to re
ceive the missive which he knew was pre-
pared Tor him. In this way the English
General received much valuable informa-
ton, and SO secretly and discreetly was
1t managed that the Americans never
once suspected that their fair enchant-
ress was the spy, to whose activity and
efficiency they owed the Illustration of
many of their plans. Accident at last
unveiled her duplicity and crime.
On one occasion, as she was taking her
accustomed ride down the road, her horse
was startled by the barking Of a dog
which darted out from a farm-yard which
she was passing, aud shyed to the oppo-
site side so suddenly as to throw her to
the ground with considerable Violence
The females in the house, who had wit
messed the accident, ran out, took her in
their arms, and conveyed her within
doors, while the man went in pursuit of
the horse. The force with which she had
fallen had rendered her insensible, and
she Was laid upon a bed, while every
means at the command Of her nurses was
used for her resusciation. Anxious to
give her a freer respiration, one of them
opened the irons Of her riding habit,
aud, as she did so, a letter dropped from
that receptacle upon the 4oor. 1t was
picked up and placed upon the table
Without exciting curiosity. At this mo
ment the man returned with the horse,
and III a few moments the young lady be-
gan TO recover her CONSCIOUSNESS. Upon
being fully restored, and seeing strange
faeeS about her, she started up and seized
the open lapse of her vest, while horror
and dlsinay were strongly depicted upon
her countenance as she discovered that
the mlssive it had held was gone. In
tones which gave evidence of the most
excited feelings, she asked for the letter.
One OF the females took it up, and was
about to hand it to her, when the man,
whose suspicious were aroused by her
manner took it from her, and finding
tina 1t was directed to New York, he re-
fused to let her have it. Her ~earnest
entreaties only served to strengthen his
doubts, that all was not right, aud, not
outstanding her threats and offers of re-
ward, he resolutely determined not to
deliver up the important document.
Finding all her efforts for It's recovery
unavailable, the young lady readjusted
her dress, mounted her horse. and return
ed to Mr.. Woods where she made imme-
date preparations to take her departure
for the city. Fate was against her, how
ever, az the farmer had FASTENED with
the suspicious missive to head quarters
a party Of soldiers rode up to the house
soon after, and The officer in command
Informed her that she was a prisoner
Without giving her time to destroy or
secrete her papers she was removed to
the opposite side of the river, where she
was securely guarded until her case could
receive the attention Of higher authority.
Meanwhile, the trunks and effects were
carefully searched, and gave the strong
est evidence OF her guilt. Several pa
pers relating to military matters were
fonnd, and the letter which caused her
arrest, proved to contain important
information relative to the movements
OF the American army. And, as if to