Peggy Shippen, beautiful British Spy, by Diane Scott Lewis

While researching my novel Her Vanquished Land, I came across many women who spied during the American Revolution. I wanted my heroine Rowena in the thick of the war, spying for the British, in what would become a lost cause.

Margaret 'Peggy' Shippen, the second wife of Benedict Arnold--a man whose name would become synonymous with the term 'traitor'--was reportedly also a spy for the British and a force to be reckoned with.

 

Born in Philadelphia in 1760, Peggy's prominent family were Loyalists (other sources refute this), the people who stood behind George III and the British government when war broke out in the colonies. Peggy met Benedict Arnold when he was military commander of the city. She and Arnold married in 1779. Arnold, feeling underappreciated and underpaid by George Washington, began conspiring with the British to change sides. Peggy, it's been reported, played a major role in convincing her husband to desert the Americans, ask for command and weaken the Fort of West Point, to turn it over to the British.

Arnold

 

According to Aaron Burr (lawyer, politician, and third vice president of the U.S.), Mrs. Arnold, "was disgusted with the American cause" and "through unceasing perseverance, she had ultimately brought the general into an arrangement to surrender West Point."

British documents from 1792 show that Mrs. Arnold was paid £350 for her handling of secret dispatches.



However, the surrendering of the fort was discovered, and she fled with Arnold to England. There, she supposedly received payment from the king for her involvement.

She returned to America after the war, in 1789; but in spite of her family's influence she was treated coldly and called a traitor. Arnold died in 1801 leaving Peggy in debt. She died in London in 1804, probably from cancer.

Some say the charges against Peggy aren't true. Joseph Reed, the nominal head of the government (lawyer, military leader, and statesman), resented Arnold's rise to importance and spread ugly rumors about both him and his wife. Reed even called George Washington an incompetent commander. It's hard to know what to believe.

History and Women gave Her Vanquished Land Five Stars: "Diane Scott Lewis has penned a passionate tale about a brave young woman, often in the guise of a lad, who will do anything to save her family and demonstrate her loyalty for the Brits as they lose. It is a novel of loss, of strength, and the love of family. You must read this book! Well done!" 

Blurb:

In 1780, Rowena Marsh decodes messages for the British during the American Revolution. When the rebels overrun her home state of Pennsylvania, she flees with her family. Are the people loyal to England welcome anywhere in the burgeoning United States? Rowena struggles with possible defeat and permanent exile, plus her growing love for an enigmatic Welshman who may have little need for affection. Will the war destroy both their lives?

 

Purchase Her Vanquished Land HERE

Diane Scott Lewis grew up in California, traveled the world with the navy, edited for magazines and an on-line publisher. She lives with her husband in Western Pennsylvania.

The Hanging of John André by Diane Scott Lewis

Spying for the British. In my novel set during the American Revolution, Her Vanquished Land, (Sept. release), I came across the many men and women who spied for the British and lost their lives. The main person, a man even showcased in the TV series, Turn, was Major John André. Since my heroine Rowena Marsh wishes to join the spy ring of her cousin, Major André is mentioned a few times. Especially his ignoble end.

John André

André was the man who corresponded with Benedict Arnold, aiding in his betrayal of the Americans.
When André was captured carrying letters that pointed to his involvement in this betrayal, General Washington offered him up for trade for Arnold. The British refused. André was doomed.

André was born in 1750 London to wealthy Huguenots. Well educated, he joined the British army at age twenty. By 1778 he was a major, had already been captured by the American rebels, and released through a prisoner exchange. In his off hours, he was a great society favorite with a lively personality and a talent for drawing.

In 1779 he took charge of the British Secret Service in America. He began negotiations with Benedict Arnold, a dissatisfied general in the Continental Army. Arnold said he was owed back pay and wasn't recognized as the patriot and hero that he should be. He wanted to defect to the British.

After his meeting with Arnold, André was given a safety pass by him to travel through the American lines, yet he also carried details about the fort at West Point (the one Arnold planned to turn over to the British). He was stopped by the Americans, searched, and captured. General George Washington wanted to do a prisoner exchange with André for the turncoat Arnold, but the British refused. The major was tried and convicted of spying, especially since he was wearing civilian clothes.

Sentenced to death, André was hanged at Tappan, New York, October 2, 1780. Both sides lamented the death of the amiable young officer who made friends wherever he was.

Self-portrait of André on the night before his execution.

I researched many aspects of spying during the American Revolution; brutality happened on both sides, and my heroine Rowena Marsh must find her place and make her mark. She strived to be as brave as the men.

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For further information on me and my books, please visit my website: www.dianescottlewis.org

 Diane Scott Lewis grew up in California, traveled the world with the navy, edited for magazines and an on-line publisher. She lives with her husband in Pennsylvania.