Agent 355
Many people today and in years past enjoy tales of spies and espionage. The daring thrill of someone trying desperately to not be caught and to gather information to help their country is touching and exciting, inciting hundreds of movies, books, and TV shows about them. Famous spies of history–Aldrich Ames, Fritz Joubert Duquesne, Klaus Fuchs, Francis Walsingham–are great examples of people doing their best to gather information for their country or beliefs. But have you heard of Agent 355, possibly another great spy?
The American Revolution, 1779. Chief spy Abraham Woodhull of the Culper spy ring sends a letter to George Washington, in code. Translated correctly, a part of it reads: “I intend to visit 727 [Culper code for New York] before long and think by the assistance of a 355 of my acquaintance, shall be able to outwit them all.” This letter, one of 193 surviving letters, is the only one to mention 355–the Culper code for a lady.
The Culper spy ring was established during the revolution after Washington suffered a disastrous defeat to the British in 1776. He correctly realized that the only way to fight against such a huge power force like the British was to set up an intelligence operation to dig up information on the British and their attacks. And so, in 1778, the spy ring was born.
Of the American Revolution spies, people like Nathan Hale or Abraham Woodhull are more known. There is clear evidence of their existence and contributions, along with mentions of them in numerous letters. The mysterious 355 mentioned in Woodhull’s letter, however, is only mentioned once, and no record of her is found otherwise. But that one mention has catapulted her into great legend, inspiring movies and theories as to who she could really be.
The idea of a lady spy in the Revolutionary War seems extraordinary, but it really isn’t. Women were needed as spies; after all, a man couldn’t simply dress up like a woman to fool British officials. They were necessary, especially as women were often not seen as someone capable of spying, and hence were the perfect people to listen in on conversations or gather information.
Agent 355, then, doesn’t seem like that much of a rarity, but the mention of her in the letter is incredibly interesting. Woodhull clearly states that she “shall be able to outwit them all,” indicating that she has power beyond what most women were valued as back then. This has sparked incredible theories–including the idea that she was the one who won the Revolutionary War for the patriots with her spying.
Along with that, her being a woman has added to the continuation of the legend. While there are female spies, certainly, many of them are lost to time or poorly appreciated. Agent 355, then, is a prime example of a woman who clearly contributed significantly to the Revolution, and ought to be praised for it.
Brian Kilmeade, a news co-host who lives on Long Island, speculates that 355 was a British spymaster and legendary party-thrower. His book on the subject states that she “remains unidentified” yet her “courage undoubtedly made a difference.” Kilmeade insists that 355 was a young woman who lived in New York, and was probably attached or affiliated with Loyalists, though she herself had pro-American sentiments.
Alexander Rose, however, feels that he can even identify Agent 355 as a woman named Anna Strong. Author of Washington’s Spies, Rose argues that Anna Strong, a neighbor of Woodhull, would have been a supporter of the revolution and have dabbled in espionage–increasing her likelihood of being 355. She was said to have arranged handkerchiefs and a petticoat in a certain way to inform Woodhull of where to meet with Brewster, although this has been reduced to nothing more than a myth.
Many people have taken the legend and even created television shows and movies based on her, like the Jessica Chastain titled The 355, which seeks to inspire others by showing the history of the first woman spy. These attributions clearly indicate that many people enjoy hearing the story, and want to know more about her, again showing her value.
However, many people feel that Agent 355 is not even a real spy, or even exists. She is only mentioned in one letter, a rarity for most of the Culper spies, who were often mentioned and able to be identified. The letter itself also does not mention that she is necessarily a spy–simply that she is a woman, as the Culper code for a lady is 355. Not only that, the word “agent” wasn’t really used back in the Revolutionary War. “Spy” would have been more appropriate, yet she is normally acknowledged, if known at all, by the name Agent 355.
In fact, historians are quite sure that they will never be able to identify who the woman in the letter was. Certainly she existed, but whether or not she was a spy as many speculate is up in the air. Kenneth Daigler, author of Spies, Patriots, and Traitors: American Intelligence in the Revolutionary War, called it a “romantic myth” and discredited the theories surrounding 355. In fact, many people believe that the whole thing must be made up–the only evidence is in the letter, and since there is no mention of whether or not she is a spy, those theories merely came from other people insinuating that she must be a spy.
In the end, though, the legend of Agent 355 is a colorful and diverse one, with multitudes of people speaking up to proclaim what they believed happened. The idea of a woman spy is tempting, to say the least, especially to the young girls and women of the world today. But whether you believe in the story or not, no one can deny her incredible impact throughout history, as one of the first great women spies in television and literature.