America Unearthed (2012–…): Season 4, Episode 6 - The Spy Who Saved America - full transcript

November 17, 1776.

The declaration of independence
was issued

Just four months ago,

And britain is waging war.

General george washington
is in full retreat.

He and his 5,000 men
are forced from new york

By a british army of 40,000.

How he manages to overcome
these odds

And win america's freedom is one

Of the greatest accomplishments
in military history.

But it's also
one of our nation's



Greatest unsolved mysteries,

Involving a spy who operated
in the shadows

And whose actions meant
the difference

Between winning
and losing our independence.

Which of three women
was the elusive agent 355

Has been a debate for centuries.

But that ends today.

The history that we were
all taught growing up is wrong.

My name is scott wolter,
and I'm a forensic geologist.

There's a hidden history
in this country

That nobody knows about.

There are pyramids here,
chambers, tombs, inscriptions.

They're all over this country.

We're gonna investigate
these artifacts and sites,



And we're gonna get
to the truth.

Sometimes, history isn't
what we've been told.

AMERICA UNEARTHED - SEASON 4
EP - 6 - The Spy Who Saved America

I'm on my way to new york city
on a quest to unmask

The identity of
george washington's secret spy,

A female agent known
only as 355,

Thanks to an e-mail
I got just days ago

From a former spy herself.

Valerie plame?

Valerie plame had to leave
the cia back in 2003

When a senior member of the bush
administration blew her cover.

Her e-mail to me said
she's working on

Identifying george washington's
covert operative.

Hello?

- Hello, valerie?
- Yes, this is she.

This is scott wolter.

I just got your e-mail,
and I have to say,

I'm very intrigued.

I'm definitely interested
in george washington.

I'm part of the same
fraternal brotherhood

Of freemasonry that he was.

Well, I'm familiar
with some of your work,

And I thought this might be
right up your alley.

Well, I think it is up my alley,

And I am familiar
with agent 355.

I know she was part

Of george washington's
culper spy ring

During the revolutionary war.

And my understanding is
she's the only one

That was part of that,
that's never been identified.

That's right.

General george washington
devised the culper spy ring

As a way to outwit the british

During our fight for
independence.

This team of five men and one
woman would steal intelligence

From british-occupied new york
and funnel it

To george washington at
his headquarters in new jersey.

Today, the ring is considered
the prototype for the cia.

I've actually narrowed down
the suspects to three women,

And I think you'll find them
all pretty interesting.

Can you come to new york?

Valerie, this sounds
very intriguing

And it sounds like fun.
I'll see you there.

Figuring out who 355 is
would give this agent

A place in the history books
and help us understand more

About how america won
its freedom.

She's credited as being the spy

Who exposed benedict arnold's
plot to betray washington,

Making his name synonymous
with the word "traitor."

Many people, including myself,
believe that without her,

We wouldn't have won
the revolutionary war.

I'm wondering if valerie plame,
as a former cia spy,

Might have clues to the case

That can't be found
in the public record.

We're meeting near east drive
in central park,

A place that's front and center
in this mystery.

Valerie?

- Scott.
- Good to meet you.

- Nice to meet you.
- You know what?

George washington
is a hero of mine,

But nobody does
these things alone.

I kind of like the idea

Of trying to figure out
who 355 was.

I'm up for the job.

Good. Let's bring her out
from the shadows.

I like that.
The culper spy ring.

I do know that
they gathered intelligence

About british troop movements
primarily around new york city.

But I'm gonna need some clues,
I'm gonna need some help.

Well, have you heard about
the battle of brooklyn?

I have.

I general george washington
really got hammered.

I mean, he lost that battle,

But more importantly,
he lost new york city.

And that became the central base
for the british,

And that was a big problem.

Washington called new york city
the "hinge" of the colonies,

Where the balance of power
could swing

For or against the patriots.

After submitting
the declaration of independence,

He predicted it would be
the crown's first target,

And he was right.

After a surprise attack,
which would leave

Over 1,000 of washington's men
killed or captured,

His troops were forced
to retreat under cover of fog,

Right past where we're standing
in central park.

Washington himself
was the last man to leave,

And it was after this
he got the idea

For the culper spy ring.

It was a huge defeat for him,

Because after he lost
that battle,

He came to realize
that he needed to use

Every tool in his toolbox,

Not just might,
to defeat the british.

Yes, including espionage.

This spy ring was so integral
to washington's efforts,

They've often been credited
with winning the war.

Let me show you something.

Here are all the men. They're
all known in the spy ring.

We know their names. We don't
know the name of the one female.

In addition to revealing
benedict arnold's treason,

Agent 355 exposed a plot
by the british

To funnel counterfeit bills
into circulation

And threaten the economy.

And one of her fellow spies
wrote to washington

To give glowing reviews
about her role

In delivering intelligence,

At a time when women
rarely received recognition.

Why is it that
the one female spy is referenced

By a number, 355?
- Well, that was their code.

It meant "female" or "lady,"
and I think it's time

That we put her name
in the history books.

I'm looking forward to seeing

What tricks you have
up your sleeve.

Let's meet tomorrow, 0800 hours.

We'll drive right in.
- I'll see you in the morning.

To be a spy conjures images
of enviable gadgets,

Fancy cars, and martinis
shaken, not stirred.

Washington's spies had
none of that,

Slogging through new york city

When it was
british-held territory

With nothing
but a good cover story

To protect them
if they were caught.

It wasn't until
world war I and ii

That more high-tech tools
came into play,

Like the one
valerie wants to show me.

I want to show you
the enigma machine.

This is what the british used
to decode nazi codes.

The british code breakers

Were able to get a copy
of the nazi enigma machine...

Mm-hmm.
...And be able to
reverse engineer it.

Right, right.

The nazis never knew that
the british had their codes.

- The whole war?
- The entire war.

Codes were front
and center to the culper spies

Over a century earlier, too,
including agent 355.

But there were no machines
like this.

The agents encoded information
stolen from the redcoats,

Then risked their lives
smuggling it

Through british lines
to deliver it to washington

Using an intricate chain
of custody

I started working out
back at my lab.

But I'm here to learn
more about it.

So, they were occupying...
The british... new york city.

This is where everything
was being compiled.

So, the first link in the chain
was a shopkeeper

In new york city
named robert townsend.

He would collect intelligence,

Things like
british troop movements,

And then he would take
that intelligence

And put it into a report
to washington using secret ink.

He would collect
the information, his goods,

And then he would head out.

The next link in the chain

Was a gentleman named
austin roe.

Austin roe had a bar
in long island,

And he would come into
new york city,

Buying supplies for his bar,

And that would give him cover
to visit robert townsend.

He would travel 55 miles
on horseback

From new york city
to setauket, long island,

And we would deposit the report
with invisible ink.

Now we have it here,
it's picked up by woodhull.

Exactly.

Abraham woodhull, one of
the most trusted agents

In washington's spy ring.

Caleb brewster...
He would take the package,

Row it across the sound
to connecticut.

And then there was
somebody waiting for him

On the other side.

Someone named
benjamin tallmadge.

He was the leader
of the culper spy ring.

He would take the package
from brewster

And give it directly
to george washington

At his headquarters
in new jersey.

Now here's the big question.

We have one more person... 355.

What role did they play in this,

And what link in the chain
did 355 play?

It turns out valerie managed
to get her hands on

Exactly the clue I need

To figure out
what she did and who she was.

Valerie jotted down the contents
of an actual cryptic message

Passed between the spies.

That's part of a letter
from woodhull to tallmadge.

"29, 15th, 1779.

"I intend to visit 727
before long

"and think by the assistance
of a 355 of my acquaintance.

Shall be able
to outwit them all."

I know 355 is our elusive
female agent.

But who, or what, is 727?

And I have something that
I think will help explain it.

A coded message
between two members

Of george washington's culper
spy ring on August 15, 1779,

Is the only clue I have to solve
a 240-year-old mystery...

Who was agent 355,

The female spy who was critical
to america's victory

Over the british
in the revolutionary war?

"29, 15th, 1779.

"I intend to visit 727
before long

"and think by the assistance
of a 355 of my acquaintance.

Shall be able
to outwit them all."

Can you help me with
those numbers?

I have something that I think
will help explain it.

A blank piece of paper?

Could this be invisible ink?

At george washington's
specific request,

The spy ring created
a special invisible ink

Called a sympathetic stain.

It was sympathetic in that
it would only reveal

The truth of the coded message
to the one with

A special reagent
to apply to the letter.

Invisible ink dates back
more than 2,000 years

And was first used
by the greeks and the romans.

During the revolutionary war,
george washington created

A unique formula of
invisible ink

For notes being passed
that required the application

Of a very specific chemical
used in tanning animal hides

To make the ink appear.

The culper spy ring
would've used ferrous sulfate

To make
their invisible ink visible,

But we're gonna use
a black light.

Oh. Okay.

Well, this looks like
a code book.

It is.

It's part of the culper
spy ring's code book.

In order to keep
their vital information secret,

The spies created a code book
of 763 numbers

Representing words, names,
and places.

Using the code book, the message
about agent 355 becomes clear.

29 is August,

While 727...

New york, okay. - Mm-hmm.

And 355 means "lady."

So abraham woodhull was going
to travel to new york

Where he was going to meet
with a female agent, 355,

For some purposes of espionage.

That's right.

In August 1779,

New york city was probably
the most dangerous place

In the country
for a patriot spy,

But it's also a big clue
to agent 355's identity.

Whoever she was, she had access
to the city at a time

When british soldiers were in
control and around every corner

And also had their eyes
on an even bigger prize...

The strategic fort
at west point,

Further north
on the hudson river.

I have no doubt that
355 played an important role,

But what specifically
was she given credit for?

She would've been privy
to intelligence that exposed

Benedict arnold's plot
to take over west point.

Losing west point, that would've
divided and conquered us.

For 355 to have played
a key role in those things,

I mean, you cannot overstate
the importance in the role

That this person played,
and I think it's important

That we figure out
who this person is.

I would say there are
three strong candidates.

Okay.

There's anna strong...
Her friends called her nancy...

And she lived
out on long island.

The second is a known patriot,
elizabeth burgin.

And the third is
peggy shippen arnold.

As in benedict arnold?

Yes. Wife of benedict.

So, let me see
if I understand this.

You're saying that peggy arnold

Was working behind the back
of her husband, benedict arnold,

For washington?

- Possibly.
- I find it ironic

That benedict arnold was
playing washington

When his wife
may have been playing him.

Before he became a traitor,

Benedict arnold was
one of the continental army's

Most successful field officers

Until he took
two shots to the leg,

Which left him
with a noticeable limp

And took him out of combat

And earned him
a battle memorial.

Washington gave him command
of the fort at west point,

But arnold considered the post
a slap in the face.

When the british
offered him £20,000,

Or $3.65 million
in today's cash,

To hand over west point,
he accepted.

That actually makes
a lot of sense.

She'd be in a perfect position
to spy on her own husband.

And privy to
all that information.

I think I'm gonna
start with her.

I always assumed that
benedict arnold's wife peggy

Would have been
in on her husband's treason

And never considered
she could have been agent 355.

Could she really have been
working behind benedict's back?

I think the answer may lie
in some letters peggy wrote

That historians have been
scrutinizing for decades.

I'm bringing those letters
to the person

Who probably knows peggy arnold
better than anyone else...

Allison pataki.

She's the author
of "the traitor's wife,"

A historical novel
based on peggy's real life,

And if anyone can help me figure
out if peggy was 355, it's her.

Well, I'm here looking into
washington's culper spy ring

And specifically agent 355.

Apparently, she tipped off
washington to benedict arnold.

In this case, if it's peggy,

Her husband's plan to turn over
west point to the british...

Yes. Yes.
...I mean, that would've
been devastating.

You cannot overstate
the significance

Of how disastrous a blow
this would have been

To the american cause.

West point was referred to
by george washington

As the key to the continent.

Because of its location
on the hudson river,

If the british gained control
of west point,

They could use the river
to divide the colonies in two

And weaken the american forces.

One of the things I'd like
to touch on here is,

There's a couple of interesting
letters that I found.

These are fascinating keys here

In the search for agent 355

And in considering the role
that peggy might have played.

These letters were just
mundane notes that she wrote.

But then, underneath,
in invisible ink,

Was a cipher code,
written by benedict arnold,

That was outlining
very treasonous,

More nefarious content.

Peggy wrote her letters
to john andré.

He was the british spymaster

And the one who talked benedict
into betraying the u.S.

Peggy appeared to be more than
close friends with andré

Before the war began.

Some say they were
a couple, a romantic pair.

When the british occupied
philadelphia

During the early years
of the american revolution,

Peggy lived there
with her family

As a young woman
of 16, 17, 18 years old.

She and john andré
were constantly together.

We have records of drawings
that he made of her.

He did this beautiful
pencil engraving of her

That still exists.

He wrote her love letters.

So peggy spends
the early years of the war

Mingling with the highest levels
of british society.

When the british get driven
out of philadelphia

And the patriots come in,
in 1778,

Benedict arnold is installed

As the military governor
of philadelphia

And immediately begins
this really lavish,

Extravagant courtship of
this beautiful young lady,

Peggy shippen arnold,
who is, you know, half his age.

An interesting rumor is that,

Even when john andré left
and the british left,

She remained loyal
to them in her heart

And that she, in fact,
kept a lock of john andré's hair

Until the day she died.

If peggy still held
a torch for john andré,

I can't imagine she could have
been working for washington

As agent 355
unless she was a woman scorned.

Everything that
you've said so far,

It seems to suggest
that she was a loyalist

And that's where
her allegiance was.

What are the points in your mind

That make her
a good candidate to be 355?

She was well-connected
with patriots.

Her brother-in-law fought
for the patriot side.

Her uncle was a doctor
for the patriot cause.

And the real figure
is george washington.

Peggy met him as a 14-year-old

And actually
entertained him in her home

And was described as having
a real reverence for him.

And it was certainly mutual.

If you take a look
at this map here

And basically, what it details
is the culper spy ring's route.

Yeah.

And it starts here
in new york city,

And eventually, messages would
get to washington in new jersey.

Was peggy in the area
when she needed to be

To realistically be part
of this ring?

Peggy, being this most eligible
socialite belle,

One of the most desired
ladies in town

From this
very high-society family,

She would have loved
nothing more than to be

In new york city, mingling.

But instead, they were
a full day's ride north,

Up the hudson river
at west point,

Much to her chagrin.

And so to think about peggy

Going in and out of
new york city,

It just seems highly unlikely.

Unlikely, but not impossible.

As the wife of
a high-profile general,

She had the means to travel
and the ability to do so freely,

Thanks to her connection to both
the patriots and the brits.

I need to know more about
the other candidates for 355

Before I rule her in or out.

She's a very strong candidate,

But we still don't know
who our hero was.

What do you know about a woman
named nancy strong?

I'm not an expert on her,

But if you're
looking into agent 355,

I think geographically
she makes a lot more sense.

We know that someone
told george washington

About benedict arnold's plans
to hand over west point,

And peggy arnold
may have had better access

To her husband's plans
than anyone.

But I'm not sure I can prove

She was in the right place
at the right time.

Anna "nancy" strong, on
the other hand, may have been.

She lived here, in the small
long island town of setauket,

Which was home to half

Of the culper spy ring's
six members,

People she was
childhood friends with.

I'm meeting margo arceri,
a setauket native,

Who knows a local legend
that suggests anna nancy strong

Was much more than just
a friend of the culper spies.

She may have been
their lead agent.

Well, margo, thank you so much

For taking the time
with me here.

I really appreciate it.
- Absolutely.

I'm investigating
the culper spy ring.

What I'm really trying
to determine is,

Who was agent 355?

One of the candidates
that I'm looking at

Is anna nancy strong.

What do you know about her?

Most people refer
to anna strong as nancy,

Especially her close friends
and family.

She was an ardent patriot,
as was her husband.

She was also
a woman of standing.

So she was a high-society woman.

Everybody knew who she was,
which is sort of the antithesis

Of what you would think
most spies would be.

They tend to hide
in the shadows.

But on the other hand,
maybe being someone out there

Is a good way to hide it
in plain sight, so to speak.

- The perfect cover.
- Yeah.

I know that the town of setauket

Was a key place
along this spy ring.

Anna nancy strong...

What role did she play
in the chapter of setauket?

I've heard the story
from anna smith strong's

Great-great-great-granddaughter,
kate wheeler strong.

But she used to write
these little booklets called

"the true tales of the early
days on long island." mm-hmm.

And one of them was about
nancy and her magic clothesline.

Magic clothesline?
What's a magic clothesline?

When it comes
to revealing the identity

Of a patriot spy
known only as agent 355,

I know peggy arnold
had a direct line

To her husband,
benedict arnold's,

Treasonous plans.

But I'm learning
anna nancy strong

Had
a so-called magic clothesline

She may have used to ensure
general george washington

Wasn't hung out to dry.

What's a magic clothesline?

Oh, well, nancy's role
in the culper spy ring

Was using a clothesline
as a form of espionage,

As a signal system.

Obviously, it was dangerous.

The british were everywhere.

Long island and new york
were occupied

From the beginning of the war
all the way to the end in 1783.

Everywhere you turned,
whether it was on the water

Or on the land,
the british were there.

- The redcoats were there.
- You had to be careful,

Especially if you were
a patriot.

Well, especially
if you're being a spy

And you're a patriot.

Margo thinks
it's a fact that nancy strong

Was in the culper spy ring,
and takes me outside

To nancy's original property
to show me why.

What a beautiful vantage point.

This is the point on the neck

That you can see every entrance
point to all the waterways.

And I actually have a map
I can show you a little bit.

- Okay.
- So we are standing here.

- Okay.
- This is the lookout point.

At a designated time,

Anna would stand
at this lookout point

Overlooking
port jefferson harbor

With her eyes peeled

For longshoreman and spy
caleb brewster.

He would be coming
from connecticut to setauket

To pick up coded messages
from abraham woodhull.

Standing here, she could see
which of six coves in the area

He was headed to.

Anna would stand here,

Caleb brewster would
come through the channel,

And then, depending on which
direction his whaleboat headed,

Anna would know which cove
he was meeting him.

- She had to be careful, right?
- Yeah.

I mean, it was
absolutely dangerous.

The british took over
her manor home.

- Okay.
- So they were right here.

She was actually doing it
right under their noses.

I mean, wasn't she worried
about being discovered?

You know, I think
they were ardent patriots,

And they believed in the cause.

I have margo arrange for someone

To play the role
of caleb brewster

In order to help me figure out

If this system
really could've worked.

So there he is, right there.

Yep. That's my friend steve.

He is in a kayak today.
We could not get a whaleboat.

And it looks like he's headed
to alleged location number 3.

Okay.

Well, this is really helpful.

I mean, I can actually see him
heading out there.

So she would see
which one that he went to.

Then what would she do?

She'd walk across the property
to her cottage

So she could set up
the signal system.

So, let's head over there,
and I can show you that.

Great.

This is where anna's cottage
used to be,

Around this location. - Okay.

And I'll show you where she used
to hang the clothesline.

- All right.
- All right, great.

We are looking directly across

At abraham woodhull's
property and farm.

Okay.

So she would have hung
her clothesline

Somewhere around this area,

And then she would've
signaled to abraham

Looking across the bay which
location to meet caleb brewster.

She would've hung
a black petticoat up first.

So a black petticoat
would have signaled

Caleb brewster's arrival
in one of the coves to meet.

Okay. So, this means
"it's on," right?

Right. So, that means "it's on."

And then the number
of handkerchiefs on the line

Would've indicated
to abraham woodhull

Which one of the six coves
they should meet.

Ah.

We saw our friend steve
go around to...

Cove number 3, right?

- Cove number 3.
- Okay.

So abraham would've
looked across right now,

And he said,
"okay, black petticoat,

"so that signals to me
that caleb brewster is here.

And then 1, 2, 3...
I'm gonna go to location 3."

- Huh.
- So...

- Pretty clever.
- Yeah.

You know what I like about
this way of communicating?

You build in
plausible deniability.

Somebody comes over here
and is suspicious,

You could say, well,
"what are you talking about?

I'm just hanging out
my laundry," right?
Laundry.

And, well, she had
seven kids as well,

So there was
a lot of laundry to do.

I bet there was.

Well, I'm curious to see
if they could see it

With the naked eye
or if they needed a spyglass.

Okay, well, why don't we head
out, and we'll take a look?
Okay.

This whole thing is just
an incredible story.

Culper spy abraham woodhull

Once lived on this land,

Directly across
from anna nancy strong.

He was the one who passed
intelligence to caleb brewster,

Who in turn would bring it
across long island sound

On its way to
general george washington.

Woodhull's home would've
been somewhere up here?

Yeah, this was his farm.

And as I look across the bay,

I can easily see
the three handkerchiefs.

I can't really see
the black petticoat too well.

Woodhull might have used
something to help him see,

Such as a spyglass.

This is an exact replica
of what they would've used.

Okay, so, there's
the black petticoat

Then three white handkerchiefs.

You know what? I can see it.
That's a beautiful signal.

Pretty ingenious system...
Simple, but effective.

It worked.

I've just proven
that a local legend

About anna nancy strong
coordinating secret meetings

Between culper spies abraham
woodhull and caleb brewster,

The last link in the chain

Before messages got
to washington,

Is not only possible,
it's probably true.

But does that mean she's
the ring's lead spy, agent 355?

Not necessarily, but it does go
a long way toward

Making the case that she was.

And her actions definitely
helped the patriots win the war.

She could've overheard plans
about west point

From soldiers stationed
at the house

And all around these bays
that caleb brewster

Managed to operate in
undetected.

So, here we are...
Cove number 3.

Cove number 3.

And here comes brewster.

Steve paddling along.

All right.

There you go.

Perfect. - All right.

Well, you know what?

This little experiment
that we've done today

Has worked perfectly.

I mean, how does it
make you feel?

You're retracing the steps
of an american hero, really.

Yeah.

I mean, it's amazing what they
did back in that period of time.

If it wasn't for the ring

And what these young people
had done,

We wouldn't have won the war.

We'd be drinking tea right now.

Sometimes these stories evolve
into myths, really,

And by the time you hear it,

It has nothing to do
with reality at all,

But this thing actually
did take place.

She went above and beyond
what most people would've done.

Do you think anna strong
is agent 355?

I think there's
a strong case for it.

Anna likely helped
the culper spies

Transport intelligence
to george washington.

That much I can believe.

But agent 355 did much
more than that.

She operated in the lion's den

Of british-occupied
new york city.

Anna had seven kids
to look after on her own

While her husband
was imprisoned by the british.

Leaving the kids at home
to visit new york city,

Which we know agent 355 did
on August 15, 1779...

The date in the note
I decoded with valerie plame...

Would've been very difficult,

And a 50-mile ride through
british-occupied territory

Would have as well.

But for my last candidate,
a woman named elizabeth burgin,

That wouldn't have been
a problem.

New york city was her home.

Here, along the east river,

In what was once known
as wallabout bay,

I learned how elizabeth
helped american prisoners

Escape british custody.

This is the east river.

Across from the east river,
manhattan island.

Mm-hmm.

Down on the bottom
of the island,

Where you see
all the skyscrapers,

Would've been occupied
revolutionary war new york city,

Occupied by the british.

During the american revolution,

This was a place
called wallabout bay.

Weren't there some
prison ships right here?

Yes, and that's what
makes wallabout bay

So infamous
in new york city history.

The british had a series
of decommissioned ships

Anchored here, on which
they stuck thousands

And thousands
of prisoners of war.

Patriots who found
themselves on prison ships,

Like the hms jersey,

Could routinely be found
gasping for air below decks

Because there wasn't enough
oxygen in the cramped quarters.

Men were eaten alive by rats,

Smallpox ran rampant,
and every morning,

A death patrol comprised
of british soldiers

Would collect the bodies of men
who had expired overnight

And throw their often
feces-covered bodies overboard.

In total, 11,000 men died
on prison ships like the jersey,

Once harbored here.

The jersey was
considered to be hell.

This is from an etching
of inside the jersey.

You see how wretched and
horrible the conditions are.

They were often fed rotten food.

We have one survivor
of the jersey

That wrote a first-hand account,
captain thomas dring,

And he tells
this incredible story

About how the cook
would cook their meat

In a copper kettle
with sea water,

And that the sea water
would erode the copper...
Oh, right.

...And poison everyone
who ate the food.

Awful.

Okay, so,
let's get back to elizabeth burgin. Right.

She was the one that was
helping these guys.

She saved about 200 men.

How did she get them out?

Well, this is kind
of incredible.

The guys on the ship
were allowed

To buy goods from peddlers.
- Okay.

And the peddlers would
come up to the side

Of the ship in a little boat.

She was one of these peddlers.

She often worked with a partner,

Since the british
weren't keeping track,

Didn't know who was who.

Once in a while, they might
grab one of the guys,

Stick them in the boat,
and cover him up.

So she would risk her life
to save these guys

That were dying on these ships?

Absolutely,
and if they caught her,

She might end up
on the ship herself.

Well, yeah. Well, you know what?

Just hearing about what she did
is so heroic and so brave.

It's mind-boggling, really.

At a bar called the ear inn,
that dates back to the 1700s,

Karen tells me elizabeth
was eventually outed as a spy.

But was she an official
culper spy?

The gentleman who had
been helping her

Get men out of new york city
was captured himself,

And in order to free him,
his wife gave up elizabeth.

- What happened then?
- She fled.

And interestingly, she headed
east to a place called setauket.

- Setauket?
- Right?

I was just there!

That was a very important place

Along this information route
for the culper spy ring.

So for her to go there,
that can't be a coincidence.

That's very interesting,
isn't it?

Once she gets to setauket,
what happens then?

Someone takes her across
the long island sound

To connecticut,

Possibly someone named
caleb brewster.

Caleb brewster.

He was part of
the culper spy ring.

And setauket, that's where
he would take messages

And deliver them
across the sound,

And now he's delivering her?

The more I think about this,

Things are really starting
to make sense.

Take a look at this letter.

Hmm.

Well, I see it's signed
by george washington.

And...

Elizabeth burgin.

- Right.
- What's the gist here?

Well, this is a letter
from george washington

To probably the ration master

Or the quartermaster
of philadelphia,

Recommending
elizabeth burgin for rations,

Telling him that she has
provided a great service to him,

And that he's recommending
her to receive

Regular rations for herself
and her children.

The patriot army
barely had enough money

To feed its soldiers.

So if george washington

Was giving rations
to elizabeth burgin

For what he described as
"a great service,"

That service could have been
smuggling pows to freedom.

But it could also have been
payment for her work

As agent 355.

I mean, this is mind-blowing.
It really is.

She's having
personal communications

With george washington?

Why would he take the time
to do that?

Unless there was a reason.

So here's a note that
valerie plame had me decode.

You can see we have a date here
of August 15, 1779,

And 355 is referenced
in this note.

When did you say that
she was outed

And then escaped to setauket?

Around July of 1779.

Hmm. Well, you know what?

That's perfect, because that
would put her in the vicinity

When abraham woodhull wrote
this note to benjamin tallmadge.

Elizabeth burgin was in new york
at the exact time agent 355 was.

Based on that, I think
she's a very good candidate.

But peggy arnold and anna strong

Are compelling candidates
as well.

There are a lot of clues
to parse through,

So I head back to the lab

To fit the pieces
of the puzzle together,

And in doing so,

I go back to one clear fact
that can't be ignored,

And I called valerie
to tell her what I've decided.

Hi, valerie!

Hi, scott!
Have you cracked the case?

Well, I think I have.

I'm gonna present my case
to you,

And you tell me
if I've cracked it, okay?

I have utmost faith in you.
Go ahead. What do you got?

Okay.

Well, we're gonna start here
with peggy shippen arnold,

Who is really good
for a couple reasons.

Her husband, benedict arnold,
was at west point,

And certainly, she would've
known about the treasonous plans

That her husband had,
and she could've been the one

That turned her husband over
to george washington.

However, there's a couple
of things that I don't like.

These letters here suggest
that she was involved

In her husband's
treasonous plans.

So these letters definitely
work against her.

Okay.

The other thing that works
against peggy is geography.

Agent 355 spent a lot of time
in new york city.

Unfortunately for peggy,

She spent most of her time
in philadelphia

And in upstate new york
at west point.

So pretty hard for her to be 355
if she isn't in new york city.

So I think geography works
against peggy pretty strongly.

I'm taking her off the table.

I would agree.

She's out. Who's the next one?

Well, my next candidate here
is anna nancy strong.

So one of the stories
that we heard about anna

Is that she used something
called a clothesline code,

Where she would hang laundry up
in a certain pattern

To tell abraham woodhull
what bay caleb brewster

Was coming into
and where they would meet.

But was she agent 355?

I'm not so sure about that.

Once again, geography...
You can't be 355

If you don't spend time
in manhattan,

And we don't have a lot
of evidence that she did.

So, even though anna was
a strong asset

To the culper spy ring,

I don't think
that she's agent 355.

Yeah, I would have
to agree with you.

That makes sense.
Who's your next one?

Elizabeth burgin, who I really
like for a lot of reasons.

One of those reasons is,
we know that she helped

Pows escape from prison.

So she literally risked her life
for the patriot cause.

And unlike the other two,

Geography works
in elizabeth's favor.

She spent a lot of time
in new york city,

And so that really
helps her case.

But you know what
the clincher is for me?

After the war, george washington
personally made sure

That elizabeth received
a financial pension

For the rest of her life.

The question is,
why did he do that?

George washington
personally made sure

That elizabeth received
a financial pension

For the rest of her life.

Well, of course, it was
in gratitude

For service to their new nation.

I mean, that makes sense.

She was smart, she was brave,

And, in my mind,
a true american hero.

I think our agent 355
is elizabeth burgin.

I think you've done
some amazing sleuthing,

And I'm with you.

I would have to agree.

Even though I have chosen
elizabeth burgin

To be our agent 355,
I think many women played a role

During the revolution
and going forward.

Well, scott, I love that
you've shone a spotlight

On these really brave women,

And that was
the very beginning of women

Being involved in our
national security up to today.

And finally, we do have
a woman in charge

Of the central intelligence
agency,

Gina haspel, but she, I'm sure,

Would say she stands
on the shoulders of many,

Many unacknowledged women
that have come before her.

I think that we owe a lot
of these women back then

And today a big debt
of gratitude, including you.

So I want to personally
thank you for this journey

And thank you for your service.

I appreciate it,
and I've so enjoyed this.

Thank you, scott.

From the first clue from valerie

To the last word
on the identity of agent 355,

The journey to unmask
this unsung american hero

Has shed light
on the role many women played

In the american revolution.

It's easy to give credit
to the icons of that period,

Like washington,
benjamin franklin,

And the sons of liberty.

But it's more important
than ever to recognize the women

Who risked their lives
to ensure our freedom

And the women who continue
to risk it today,

Not just as spies

But in every facet of service
for our country.

And to them, I say "thank you."

If you have a mysterious
artifact or site

I need to see,
I want to know about it.

Go to travelchannel. Com/
americaunearthed.