The Petticoat Code — Anna Strong

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Anna Smith Strong was Selah Strong III, a leading Patriot judge, and their family controlled one of Long Island’s manors.  In 1778 her husband was arrested and confined on the British prison ship Jersey in New York harbor for “surreptitious correspondence with the enemy.” Although Anna’s wealthy Tory relatives eventually helped her bribe British officials to parole her husband, this arbitrary imprisonment and subsequent exile to Connecticut (a condition of his parole) convinced Anna to support the American cause. 

Anna was alone on Strong’s Neck.  She stayed behind to take care of the family home because empty homes were subject to greater destruction and abuse.  She used her estate and isolation to advise Abraham Woodhull (Culper Sr) of Caleb Brewster’s (the courier who crossed the Long Island Sound) location.   Brewster came periodically to deliver or retrieve the Culper’s messages. This assignment was in constant danger because there were British frigates constantly patrolling the Sound, so he hid his boat in the willows of the bay.

Anna Smith Strong’s assignment was to signal Brewster’s arrival and signal Brewster of the need to collect new information.  She did this by hanging laundry on her clothesline in pre-arranged configurations (a code).   By counting the number of white handkerchiefs scattered through her wash, Woodhull knew in which of six coves Brewster hid his boat. Woodhull then rendezvoused with Brewster and passed along the messages.

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