Lydia Darrah

Infobox Person
name=Lydia Darrah


caption=A portrait Darrah,
dead=deceased
birth_date=1728
birth_place=Dublin, Ireland
spouse=William Darrah
children = Charles Darrah, Ann Darrah, John Darrah, William Darrah, and Susannah Darrah
religion= Quaker
death_date=December 28, 1789
death_place=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Lydia Barrington Darrah (also spelled Darragh or Darrach) (1728–1789) crossed British lines during the American Revolution to warn George Washington's troops of a surprise attack.

Early life

Lydia Barrington Darrah was born in 1728 in Dublin, Ireland, to John Barrington. On November 2, 1753 she married the family tutor, William Darrah, a son of a clergyman. After a few years of marriage they moved to Philadelphia because they were members of the Society of Friends and it had a large Quaker community.

William worked as a tutor and Lydia as a midwife. She bore and raised five children, Charles (b. 1755), Ann (b. 1757), John (b. 1763), William (b. 1766), Susannah (b. 1768), and four others that died in infancy.

As Quakers, the Darrahs were pacifists. Despite this, they secretly supported the American Revolution. They did not believe that the British should be in America and that the colonies deserved independence. Their eldest son, Charles, served with the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment.

British occupation

On September 26, 1777, British troops occupied Philadelphia. General William Howe took up residence in the house across the street from the Darrahs, formally belonging to George Washington’s friend and ally, General Cadwalder [Melissa Lukeman Bohrer, "Glory, Passion, and the Principle: The Story of Eight Remarkable Women at the Core of the American Revolution" (New York: Atria Books, 2003), 127.] .

Upon the occupation, Darrah began regularly providing her son Charles with information regarding the enemy's plans, gathered from eavesdropping in her home and around town. She would often write the information she obtained in simple code on a piece of scrap paper and hid them in large buttons that she and the messengers were wearing. [Elizabeth Leonard, "All the Daring of the Soldier" (New York: Penguin, 1999), 19-35.]

Crossing British lines

In late fall of 1777, British troops (one of which was a distant relative of the Darrahs from Ireland) requested use of the Darrahs 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 no place else to go and would like to stay in their home. They were permitted to do so, as Quakers were known to not be supportive of the war, even on the side of the colonies, therefore not an apparent risk to the British army. [Bohrer, "Glory, Passion, and Principle", 128.]

On December 2, 1777, Lydia received the request that she and her family should be in bed early, by 8 o'clock, and that she would be awakened when they 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, 1777, 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 knocked three times at her door to awake her to follow them out and blow out the candles.

Lydia decided not to share this information with her husband or family so that it would not put them in a compromising situation. The following morning she received permission from 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 towards the American camp. Along the way she was met by 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 long 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 no longer questioned. [Lincoln Diamant, ed., "Revolutionary Women in the War for American Independence" (Westport, Conn: Praeger, 1998), 113-115.]

There are variations on this story, according to Elias Boudinot, Commissary of Prisoners, who was eating at Rising Sun Tavern, said Lydia came in and gave him a “dirty old needle book, with various small pockets.” In one of the pockets he “found a piece of paper rolled into the form of a pipe shank. On unrolling it I found information that General Howe was coming out the next morning with 5000 men, 13 pieces of cannon, baggage wagons, and 11 boats on wheels.” [ [http://www.ushistory.org/march/bio/lydia.htm "Biography of Lydia Darragh"] .] The information was then passed on the Washington and the troops were prepared.

Later life

In June 1778, British troops left Philadelphia, and Darrah's children returned to their family home. William Darrah 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.

References

Further reading

*Elizabeth F. Ellet, "The Women of the American Revolution", Third Edition. New York: Baker and Scribner, 1849.

External links

* [http://frankfordgazette.com/2008/04/16/lydia-darragh-2/ "Lydia Darragh"] at FrankfordGazette.com
* [http://www.ushistory.org/march/bio/lydia.htm “Biography of Lydia Darragh”]
* [http://www.nwhm.org/Education/biography_ldarragh.html “Lydia Darrah Biography”]
* [http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9266326 “Lydia Darrah Biography”]
* [http://www.twainquotes.com/Muscatine/18540106.html "Lydia Darrah's House"] , Muscatine "Journal", Friday, January 6, 1854
* [http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/doh/hmp.asp?secid=18 Historical Marker Program] Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
* [http://www.americanrevolution.org/women/women15.html Lydia Darrah] at AmericanRevolution.org

Other notes & bibliographic information on Lydia Darragh

There are many variations in the spellings and misspellings of the name "Lydia Darragh," as well as numerous accounts with many variations of the actual events.

The correct spelling as it appeared on her death notice is:

Deceased: Mrs. Lydia Darragh; Article Type: Death Notices Paper: Independent Gazetteer, published as The Independent Gazetteer.; Date: 01-02-1790; Volume: IX; Issue: 1264; Page: [3] ; Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In Historic Tales of Olden Time: Concerning the Early Settlement and Progress of Philadelphia Pennsylvania. FOR THE USE OF FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS. by John Fanning Watson - Philadelphia (Pa.), 1833, there is an account of "Lydia Darrach" listed on page 294 under "MISCELLANEA."

The Watson account:

"I have very direct and certain evidence for saying, that Mrs. Lydia Darrach (the wife of William Darrach, a teacher, dwelling in the house No. 177, South Second street, corner of Little Dock street,) was the cause of saving Washington's army from great disaster while it lay at Whitemarsh, in 1777. The case was this ..."

The name "Lydia Darrach" appears July, 1845 in THE LADY'S BOOK, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Volume XXXI in an article titled: HEROIC WOMEN OF AMERICA with the following account:

"... But the Loxley house is deserving of most distinction as the residence, in the time of the Revolution, of Lydia Darrach. At the time when the British were in possession of Philadelphia, the head-quarters of General Howe were in the house on Society Hill, formerly occupied by General Cadwallader. William and Lydia Darrach, both members of the Society of Friends, and many of the British officers were among their boarders. Among them was the adjutant-general, who had his office in a back room, where he frequently met other officers of the army in consultation. On the 2d of December, he told Lydia that they would be in the room from seven o'clock until late in the evening; he therefore wished her to cause her family to retire early to bed, and stated that when about to go away they would call her to let them out and extinguish the fire and candles. ..."

A different account appears in January 1848 in Godey's Lady's Book, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Vol XXXVI, page 11, titled AMERICAN HEROINES. BY MRS. E. F. ELLET, as follows:

"LYDIA DARRAH.

It was on the second day of December, 1777, late in the afternoon, that an officer in the British uniform might have been seen ascending the steps of a house in Second street, a few doors below Spruce street, Philadelphia, immediately opposite the quarters occupied by General Howe, the commander-in-chief of the British forces, who, at that time, had possession of the city. The house was plain and neat in its exterior, and well known to be tenanted by William and Lydia Darrah, members of the Society of Friends. ..."

Mark Twain's account when visiting Philadelphia, Dec. 24, 1853 as published in the Muscatine "Journal", Friday, January 6, 1854:

- Lydia Darrah's House -

During the week I have visited several places of note near Philadelphia. ... At the corner of Little Dock and Second streets, stands the queer looking old house occupied by the heroic Lydia Darrah. It was here, if I remember the story aright, that she left the British officer, and taking her flour bag, set off to inform Gen. Washington of the intended attack of the British upon his camp; and her heroic conduct defeated the plans of the red-coats, and saved the Americans. Well does she deserve a monument; but no such monument is hers. As one might almost guess, her old mansion is now occupied by a Jew, as a clothing store.

No methodical examination or inquiry as to the accuarcy of the Lydia Darrah story ever appears until November 10, 1915. This account, written by Henry Darrach, is published in 1916 as: "Publication of the City History Society of Philadelphia No. 13 - Lydia Darragh"

This publication appears to be the first and only attempt to dispel any myth and establish the historical facts.

A local historian says: "It is pretty much the most thorough investigation and explanation of Lydia’s Walk to Frankford. It is largely the foundation for many of the modern day accounts on Lydia Darragh."

Publication of the City History Society of Philadelphia No. 13 - Lydia Darragh is free to read or download: http://www.frankfordgazette.com/doc/darragh3.pdf

Modern Day Accounts:

Intelligence in the American Revolutionary War

The Central Intelligence Agency has published a free book with an account recognizing Lydia as a spy for the American Revolutionary Army:

"Family legend contributes the colorful but uncorroborated story of Lydia Darragh and her listening post for eavesdropping on the British. Officers of the British force occupying Philadelphia chose to use a large upstairs room in the Darragh house for conferences."

Historical marker

"Well does she deserve a monument; but no such monument is hers." - Mark Twain 1853

To date, Lydia Darrah has no historical marker - anywhere.