ABSTRACT
Some spies are hired by the army and work for months or years at a time, but some spies are just regular people who just happen to be in the right place to learn critical information. William and Lydia Darragh had come from Ireland in 1753 to live in the Quaker community in Philadelphia. As Quakers, they were pacifists and did not believe in war, but secretly, the Darraghs did support the patriot cause. In September of 1777, the British took over the city of Philadelphia, and British General William Howe moved into the house across the street from the Darraghs. Lydia kept close watch on the comings and goings at the general’s house and used her 14-year-old son to send messages about the gen-eral to her son in the army. One day, the British knocked on the Darraghs’ door and demanded that they let them use the house for a meeting place.
