Lydia Darrah Lydia Darragh ( 1729 – December 28 , 1789 ) was an American woman said to have crossed British lines during the British occupation of Philadelphia , Pennsylvania during the American Revolutionary War , delivering information to George Washington and the Continental Army that warned them of a pending British attack . Early life . Lydia Barrington Darragh was born in 1729 in Dublin , Ireland to John Barrington and his wife . On November 2 , 1753 , she married the family tutor , William Darragh , the son of a clergyman . A few years later , they immigrated to Philadelphia , where William worked as a tutor and Lydia as a midwife . She gave birth to five children : Charles ( born 1755 ) , Ann ( born 1757 ) , John ( born 1763 ) , William ( born 1766 ) , Susannah ( born 1768 ) , and four others who died in infancy . American Revolutionary War . As Quakers , the Darraghs were pacifists . However , their oldest son Charles served with the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Army . On September 26 , 1777 , British troops occupied Philadelphia . General William Howe moved across the street from the Darraghs , in a house formerly belonging to John Cadwalader . Darragh began regularly providing her son Charles with information regarding the enemy ' s plans , gathered by eavesdropping in her home and around town . She would often write this information in simple code on pieces of scrap paper , which she hid in large buttons that she and the messengers wore . In late fall of 1777 , British troops ( one of whom was a distant relative of the Darraghs from Ireland ) requested use of the Darraghs ' home for meetings . Lydia told them that they had already sent away their two youngest children to live with relatives in another city , but that they had nowhere else to go and would like to stay in their home . They were permitted to remain , as Quakers were known to be unsupportive of the war , even on the side of the colonies , and therefore posed no apparent risk to the British army . On December 2 , 1777 , Lydia received a request that she and her family retire early , by 8 o ' clock . She was told that she would be awakened when the soldiers were finished so she could let them out . Lydia pretended to go to sleep , but instead listened to the soldiers through the door . She learned that British troops were being ordered to leave the city on December 4 to make a surprise attack on the Continental army camped at Whitemarsh , led by George Washington . Lydia sneaked back to bed and pretended to be asleep until the officer , Major John André , knocked three times at her door to awaken her to follow them out and extinguish the candles . Lydia decided not to share this information with her husband . The following morning she was given permission by General Howe to cross British lines in order to go to Frankford to get flour . Lydia dropped off her empty bag at the mill and then headed toward the American camp . Along the way she met an American officer , Colonel Craig of the Light Horse , and told him about the impending British attack so that he might warn Washington . After the warning , Lydia made her way back to the mill , picked up her flour and started her journey home . After the British troops attempted their attack and realized that the Americans were waiting for them , the officer questioned Lydia and asked if anyone was awake on the night of the meeting , because it was obvious that someone had betrayed them . Lydia denied any knowledge of this and was not further questioned . American intelligence sources claim Darragh ' s uncorroborated story is historically not substantiated . First Hand Account . Elias Boudinot ' s Journal relates the following : " In the Autumn of 1777 the American Army lay some time at White Marsh . I was then Commissary Genl of Prisoners , and managed the Intelligence of the Army . — I was reconoitering along the Lines near the City of Philadelphia . — I dined at a small Post at the rising Sun abt three miles from the City . — After Dinner a little poor looking insignificant Old Woman came in & solicited leave to go into the Country to buy some flour — While we were asking some Questions , she walked up to me and put into my hands a dirty old needlebook , with various small pockets in it . surprised at this , I told her to return , she should have an answer — On Opening the needlebook , I could not find any thing till I got to the last Pocket , Where I found a piece of Paper rolled up into the form of a Pipe Shank . — on unrolling it I found information that Genl Howe was coming out the next morning with 5000 Men — 13 pieces of Cannon — Baggage Waggons , and 11 Boats on Waggon Wheels . On comparing this with other information I found it true , and immediately rode Post to head Quarters — " chir A contemporary account of Lydia Darrah highlights several grist mills on the Frankford Creek ; also a tavern named the Rising Sun next to Frankford ' s main grist mill . This was not the same Rising Sun Tavern mentioned in Boudinot ' s Journal . British Intelligence agents became aware of the " bag of flour " trick bit too late . On December 6 , 1777 , after the British returned from Whitemarsh , a message was published in the Philadelphia newspaper about " a poor woman , whom we both know " traveling to the Frankford Mill : " The following letter was found in a bag of Indian meal , which was picked up on Saturday the fourteenth of last month , was supposed to have been dropped by some of the women who were coming into town , when the skirmish happened between the pickets . " Later life . In June 1778 , British troops left Philadelphia , and Darragh ' s children returned to their family home . William Darrgah died on June 8 , 1783 . Charles lost his membership to the Society of Friends on April 27 , 1781 . Lydia lost her membership on August 29 , 1783 . In 1786 , Lydia and the children moved into a new house , and she ran a store until her death on December 28 , 1789 . External links . city