Lydia Darragh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lydia Darragh
Lydia Darrah School on the NRHP since December 4, 1986. At 708–732 North 17th St., Philadelphia, in the Fairmount neighborhood of North Philly.
Born	1729 Dublin, Ireland
Died	December 28, 1789 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Spouse	William Darragh
Children	Charles Darragh, Ann Darragh, John Darragh, William Darragh, and Susannah Darragh

Lydia Darragh was an Irishwoman who is known for allegedly warning the Continental Army of a British attack during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). This information supposedly helped the Americans avoid a surprise attack. While her story is very famous, some historians today debate exactly how much of it is true, but it remains a popular tale of courage during the Revolution.

Early Life and Family

Lydia Barrington was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1729. Her parents were John and Mary Barrington, and she was the youngest of their six children. Life in Dublin was different from what she would later experience in America.

In 1753, when she was about 24 years old, Lydia married William Darragh. William was a tutor, which means he helped teach students. A few years after they were married, Lydia and William decided to move across the Atlantic Ocean to America. They settled in Philadelphia, a large and important city in the colony of Pennsylvania.

In Philadelphia, William continued his work as a tutor. Lydia became a midwife, a person who helps mothers when they are having babies. Together, Lydia and William had a large family of nine children. Sadly, four of their children passed away very young, at birth. This was a difficult experience for the family. Their five children who survived were Charles (born in 1755), Ann (born in 1757), John (born in 1763), William (born in 1766), and Susannah (born in 1768).

The Darragh family were Quakers. The Quakers are a religious group known for their belief in peace and non-violence. Because of this belief, Quakers were often pacifists, meaning they were against war and fighting. This belief would become complicated for the Darragh family when the American Revolutionary War began.

Life During the American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War started in 1775. It was a fight between the thirteen American colonies and Great Britain. The colonists wanted to become an independent country, free from British rule. Philadelphia was a very important city during this war. It was where the Continental Congress met and where the Declaration of Independence was signed.

Because Philadelphia was so important, it became a target for the British army. In September 1777, British troops, led by General William Howe, captured and occupied Philadelphia. This meant that British soldiers were now in control of the city. Life changed dramatically for the people living there, including the Darragh family.

The Darraghs' house was located in a very interesting spot – right across the street from where General William Howe made his headquarters! General Howe moved into a house that had belonged to a man named John Cadwalader. Being so close to the British headquarters meant the Darragh family had a unique, and sometimes risky, view of what the British were doing.

Even though the Darraghs were Quakers and believed in peace, the war affected them directly. Their oldest son, Charles, chose to join the fight for American independence. He served with the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Army, which was the army fighting for the American colonies, led by General George Washington. This must have been a difficult situation for Lydia and William, with their pacifist beliefs and their son fighting in the war.

Being so close to the British headquarters, Lydia Darragh was in a position where she could potentially learn things about the British army's plans. The story goes that she started gathering information, sometimes by listening carefully to conversations happening nearby. She would then try to pass this information along to her son Charles or other members of the Continental Army. The story says she sometimes wrote messages in a simple code on small pieces of paper and hid them in things like large buttons on clothing worn by messengers.

One interesting detail from the historical accounts is that when the British first occupied Philadelphia, Major John André, an important officer on General Howe's staff, asked to use the Darraghs' home for the British officers. Lydia explained that they had nowhere else to go and wanted to stay. She went to General Howe's residence to plead her case. There, she met a British officer named Captain William Barrington. She was surprised to hear his Irish accent and his last name, Barrington, which was her maiden name. They talked and discovered they were second cousins! Captain Barrington helped her speak to General Howe, who agreed to let the Darraghs stay in their home, but said that he and his staff would use the large parlor room for their meetings. The British allowed the Darraghs to stay partly because Quakers were generally seen as neutral and not supporting either side of the war, so they didn't seem like a threat.

The Story of the Warning

The most famous part of Lydia Darragh's story happened in December 1777. The British officers were using the parlor in her house for their secret meetings. On the night of December 2, 1777, Lydia was asked by the British officers to make sure her family went to bed early, by 8 o'clock. They said they would wake her up when they were finished so she could let them out and lock up.

According to the story, Lydia pretended to go to bed, but she didn't really go to sleep. Instead, she quietly got out of bed and crept to the door of the parlor where the British officers were meeting. She listened carefully through the door. She overheard their secret plans! She learned that the British troops were planning a surprise attack on the Continental Army, which was camped at a place called Whitemarsh, outside of Philadelphia. The attack was planned for December 4th.

Lydia knew this information was incredibly important. If the British could surprise Washington's army, it could be a major problem for the Americans. After the meeting finished, Major John André knocked three times on her door to wake her up, just as they had said they would. Lydia pretended to be groggy and just waking up. She let the officers out and put out the candles.

The next morning, December 3rd, Lydia had to figure out how to get this vital information to the American army without the British finding out. She decided not to tell her husband, perhaps to protect him or because she knew he might object due to their pacifist beliefs. She came up with a plan. She went to General Howe and asked for permission to leave the city to go to a mill in Frankford (a place outside Philadelphia) to buy flour for her family. People often needed passes to go in and out of the occupied city, so getting permission was necessary. General Howe granted her the pass.

On December 4th, the day the British attack was planned, Lydia set out for Frankford. She took her empty flour bag with her. Once she was outside the city lines, instead of going straight to the mill, she made her way towards where the American army was camped at Whitemarsh. On the road, she met an American officer. Some accounts say it was Colonel Thomas Craig, others mention Colonel Elias Boudinot (who was the Commissary General of Prisoners and managed intelligence). She told the officer about the British plan for a surprise attack on Whitemarsh that very day.

After delivering the warning, Lydia continued on to the mill in Frankford, got her flour, and then headed back to Philadelphia. She had to act normally so the British guards wouldn't suspect anything.

That night, the British troops marched out of Philadelphia towards Whitemarsh, expecting to surprise Washington's army. But because of the warning Lydia Darragh is said to have delivered, the Continental Army was ready! They were armed and prepared for the attack. When General Howe and his troops arrived, they found the Americans waiting for them. The surprise was gone. General Howe realized his plan had been discovered and was forced to turn his army around and march back to Philadelphia without attacking.

One British officer is quoted as saying, "We were betrayed, for, on arriving near the encampment of General Washington, we found his cannon mounted, his troops under arms and so prepared at every point to receive us that we were compelled to march back, without injuring our enemy, like a parcel of fools."

When the British officers returned to the Darragh house, they were puzzled about how the Americans could have known about their secret plan. The officer who had knocked on Lydia's door that night questioned her. He asked if anyone in her house had been awake while they were having their meeting. Lydia calmly denied knowing anything or being awake. Since she seemed like a quiet Quaker woman and denied it, they didn't question her further, and she was not suspected.

Historical Debate

It's important to know that while Lydia Darragh's story is very famous and has been told for a long time, some historians today are not completely sure if every detail is true exactly as it's told. The story was first published many years after the event, in 1827, and later versions added more details.

Some historical records from the time mention a warning being received by the Americans, possibly from a woman, but they don't always name Lydia Darragh specifically or match every detail of the famous story. For example, Elias Boudinot, who was involved in intelligence, wrote in his journal about receiving information from a "little poor looking insignificant Old Woman" who hid a message in a needle book. This account mentions a different location (Rising Sun tavern) and method of delivery than the flour bag story.

Because the story was written down much later and there are different versions, some historians believe that while a warning likely happened, and perhaps a woman was involved, the specific details about Lydia Darragh eavesdropping and using the flour bag might have been exaggerated or changed over time as the story was retold. Contemporary sources (sources from the time it happened) don't fully back up the famous version of her story.

However, even if the exact details are debated, the story of Lydia Darragh has become a powerful symbol of how ordinary people, including women, played important and brave roles during the Revolutionary War, sometimes in secret ways.

Later Life

In June 1778, the British troops left Philadelphia. The city was no longer occupied, and life began to return to normal for the people who lived there. Lydia Darragh's children who had been sent away for safety returned home.

Lydia's husband, William Darragh, passed away on June 8, 1783.

The Darragh family's involvement in the war had some consequences for their membership in the Quaker community. Quakers were expected to remain neutral and not support the war effort. Because their son Charles fought in the army, he lost his membership in the Society of Friends (the formal name for the Quakers) in 1781. Lydia herself also lost her membership in 1783, perhaps because of her actions during the war or other reasons related to the community's rules at the time.

In 1786, Lydia and her children moved into a new house. She ran a store to support her family. Lydia Darragh lived in Philadelphia for several more years after the war ended. She passed away on December 28, 1789, at the age of 60. Both Lydia and William Darragh are buried in the Quakers' burying ground in Philadelphia.

Legacy

Even with the historical debate about the exact details, Lydia Darragh's story has made her a well-known figure in American history, celebrated for her alleged bravery and contribution to the American cause.

Her story is often told as an example of how civilians, and particularly women, found ways to support the war effort even if they weren't soldiers. It highlights the hidden dangers and sacrifices made by people living in occupied territories.

In 2013, the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (an organization for descendants of people who supported the American Revolution) created the Lydia Darragh Medal. This medal is awarded to women who provide significant service to the organization, recognizing the important support women provide behind the scenes, much like Lydia Darragh is said to have done.

There is also a street in Northeast Philadelphia named Darrah Street in her honor, keeping her name alive in the city where she lived and where her famous story took place.

Lydia Darragh's story, whether viewed as historical fact or inspiring legend, reminds us that the fight for independence involved many different kinds of courage and many different people working in their own ways to achieve freedom.

Quick Facts

• Born: 1729 in Dublin, Ireland.
• Moved to: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with her husband William Darragh.
• Occupation: Midwife.
• Religious Group: Quaker (Pacifist).
• Lived: Across the street from British General William Howe's headquarters during the British occupation of Philadelphia (1777-1778).
• Famous Story: Allegedly overheard British plans for a surprise attack on George Washington's army at Whitemarsh in December 1777.
• Alleged Action: Obtained a pass to leave the city, traveled towards the American camp, and warned an American officer about the impending attack.
• Outcome of Warning: The American army was prepared, and the British attack failed.
• Historical Debate: While the story is famous, some historians question the exact details and whether it happened exactly as told, as the first published account was many years later.
• Later Life: Ran a store after her husband's death.
• Died: December 28, 1789, in Philadelphia.
• Legacy: Remembered as a brave woman who aided the American cause; honored by the Sons of the American Revolution with a medal; a street in Philadelphia is named after her***.