Sarah "Sally" Townsend (c.1760–1842) was thought to be an informant for

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

Culper Ring The Culper Ring was a network of Espionage, spies active during the American Revolutionary War, organized by Major Benjamin Tallmadge and General George Washington in 1778 during the British New York and New Jersey campaign, occupation of New Yo ...

, a

spy ring Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or Confidentiality, confidential information (Intelligence (information), intelligence). A person who commits espionage on ...

founded in the summer of 1778. Townsend lived in Oyster Bay and passed information to her brother, Robert Townsend, a main member of the ring. She died in December 1842 and is buried at the

Townsend Cemetery The Townsend Cemetery is located atop one of the most distinguished hills surrounding Oyster Bay, New York, USA. Members of the prominent Townsend family, some of whom built and later lived in Raynham Hall, are buried here. An old fort dating fro ...

The Culper Spy Ring

The Culper Spy Ring was assembled in 1778 by Major

Benjamin Tallmadge Benjamin Tallmadge (February 25, 1754 – March 7, 1835) was an American military officer, spymaster, and politician. He is best known for his service as an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He acted as lead ...

on orders of

. The ring was to be formed inside

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, the site of British intelligence headquarters. Townsend's brother Robert was recruited to gather intelligence inside the city under the alias "Culper Jr." Washington placed special emphasis on the true identities of agents remaining secret and using aliases, and none were able to meet him in person. This was designed to avoid spies being captured and hung, as

Nathan Hale Nathan Hale (June 6, 1755 – September 22, 1776) was an American Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot, soldier and spy for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He volunteered for an Military intelligence, intelligence ...

was two years prior to the ring's formation. British officers were stationed at the Townsend home including

John Graves Simcoe Lieutenant-General (United Kingdom), Lieutenant-General John Graves Simcoe (25 February 1752 – 26 October 1806) was a British army officer, politician and colonial administrator who served as the lieutenant governor of Upper Canada from 1791 u ...

of the

Queen's Rangers The Queen's Rangers, also known as the Queen's American Rangers, and later Simcoe's Rangers, were a Loyalists fighting in the American Revolution, Loyalist military unit of the American Revolutionary War that specialized in cavalry tactics, clo ...

, who was often visited by the British army's Adjutant General,

John Andre John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second Ep ...

. According to legend, Sarah told Robert about how she overheard Simcoe and André discussing plans to capture

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

thanks to

Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold (#Brandt, Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American-born British military officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of ...

's treachery. This information through Robert was sent to Tallmadge's agents, and led to André's capture. André was captured on neutral ground carrying documents with the plans to capture West Point and was soon hanged.

Courtship

Simcoe courted Townsend for a time and declared his love for her in 1779 in America's first known valentine. In it he asks her to choose him as her valentine. An excerpt reads, "Say, must I all my joys forego and still maintain this outward show? / Say, shall this breast that’s pained to feel be ever clad in horrid steel? / Nor swell with other joys than those of conquest o’er unworthy foes? / Shall no fair maid with equal fire awake the flames of soft desire: / My bosom born, for transport, burn and raise my thoughts from Delia’s urn? / “Fond Youth,” the God of Love replies, “Your answer take from Sarah’s eyes.” Townsend, who was about 18 at the time of this proposal, did not choose Simcoe to be her valentine, likely due to greatly differing political sentiments, however it is believed the two had a brief flirtation. The theme of the lengthy valentine revolves around the difficulty of loving an enemy. Townsend was never married, and it is said that the valentine was found among her possessions after her death. The Raynham Hall Museum features a preserved windowpane where a British officer scratched a message to "The adorable Miss Sally Townsend".

Personal life

Townsend was the seventh of eight children born to Samuel and Sarah Townsend in Oyster Bay."History" '' Raynham Hall Museum'' https://raynhamhallmuseum.org/history/ Her father was a

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...

and her mother was an

Episcopalian Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protes ...

. She never married and grew old with her brother,

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

and her sister Phebe and died in 1842. The home in which she lived in Oyster Bay is now the Raynham Hall Museum. According to Rose, her nephew Peter drew a sketch of her at age 65, where she shows significant similarities to her brother such as a slim long nose, a firm chin, and small, round glasses.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Townsend, Sarah 1760s births 1842 deaths American spies during the American Revolution People from Oyster Bay (town), New York Female wartime spies Women in the American Revolution Townsend family People of New York (state) in the American Revolution