The Mystery of Agent 355

The Culper Spy Ring’s Unknown Member

During the American Revolution, a woman known only as “355” was thought to be a key figure in Washington’s Culper Spy Ring. A single coded letter mentions her as a “lady” who could “outwit them all,” leading to speculation that she may have been a covert spy in British-occupied Manhattan.

Theories and Speculation

Some historians suggest this mystery woman could have been Anna Strong, a Setauket local with Loyalist family ties who assisted the ring. Others propose she was “Liss,” an enslaved woman helping Robert Townsend, the ring’s chief spy in Manhattan, by using her position to pass information unnoticed.

The Myth of Agent 355

The story of “Agent 355” as a designated female spy was first popularized in the 1930s by historian Morton Pennypacker. Although the term “agent” wasn’t used for intelligence operatives of that era, the myth has since gained popularity in books, television, and film.

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