The Teenage Girl Turned Patriot Spy Who Fought Redcoat Raiders: Dicey Langston

When the War for Independence erupted, her brothers left home to join the Patriot forces. Before they left, however, one brother, James, gave her a musket and instructed her to hide it until he came back for it.

He later sent a comrade, Thomas Springfield, to retrieve it for him. Dicey immediately went to fetch it from its hiding place, but when she returned she pointed it at the man and demanded that he give her the secret counter sign that she and James had agreed upon earlier.

She would see more of Springfield later. Although her brothers were away from home, their camp was only about 20 miles from the Langston farm, and they remained in contact with Dicey and helped instill in her a love for and devotion to the patriot cause.

Soon, British and Loyalist troops set up their own camp not far from the Langston farm. and Dicey noted everything the Loyalists, also known as Tories, did there.

She then relayed that information to her brothers, enabling the Patriot troops to foil many of the Tories' military plans.

The Tories began to suspect that a spy was at work among or near them. Their plans were being discovered and foiled before they could set them in motion.

Because of the proximity of the Langston farm to their encampment, they naturally suspected that Solomon Langston was that spy.

They visited his farm and threatened severe consequences if they ever proved his guilt.

To avoid that danger, Solomon then forbade any further efforts by Dicey to inform the patriot forces of Tory activities.

For a time Dicey obeyed her father's instructions.

But one day she learned that a band of ruthless Tory outlaws known as the Bloody Scouts were planning to attack the Patriot force at Little Eden where her brothers were encamped.

The scouts were led by a Tory named Bloody Bill Cunningham, and they were infamous for their ruthless cruelty in punishing families who favored the Patriot cause.

She had to warn her brothers, even if it meant disobeying her father.

But how? no one was available to send with the warning.

She would have to go herself.

Late that night, after her father and the servants had gone to bed.

Dicey slipped from the house and began her journey on foot.

To avoid discovery, she was forced to avoid all roads and go through wet fields and tangled forests in the darkness.

The weather was cold, and heavy rain was falling in a blowing wind.

She had to cross several swollen, fast-flowing creeks.

But then she came to the overflowing Innere River.

It was deep, the current was swift, and there was no bridge on which to cross the raging waters.

The raging current swept her downstream, turning her around and around in the darkness before she was able to regain her footing and drag herself onto the opposite shore.

She soon regained her bearings and resumed her errand to warn them of the Tories' impending attack.

She reached the Patriot camp just as the men were returning from a mission.

They were tired, and hadn't eaten for quite some time.

In spite of her own condition, Dicey built a fire and prepared meals for the soldiers.

While she cooked, she told them of the Tories' planned surprise attack.

They first ran to warn the Patriot farmers who lived nearby.

and then they escaped to fight another day.

Dicey, meanwhile, retraced her steps through the darkness and over the difficult terrain.

She arrived home just in time to slip into dry clothes and begin fixing breakfast for her father before he arose.

He never knew until later what had happened.

Bloody Bill Cunningham and his scouts fell on the Patriot camp expecting to slaughter the Patriot troops.

Instead, they found it deserted.

They immediately suspected that Solomon Langston had warned the Patriots and were determined to kill him in retaliation.

When they arrived at the Langston farm, They caught Solomon there.

He, of course, truthfully denied having any knowledge of what they alleged he had done.

When an angry Tory shoved a pistol into Solomon's chest, Dicey jumped between the two men, daring the Tory to shoot her.

Apparently impressed by her bravery and audacity, or shamed by the prospect of shooting a defenseless woman, the Tories relented and left the farm without harming anyone.