The Quakeress Spy

This Beadle and Adams dime novel, *The Quakeress Spy* by William Henry Howland (1868), is set in December 1776 during the American Revolution. The narrative opens at the Green Bank near Burlington, New Jersey, where British forces have advanced across the Jerseys while Washington maintains position across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. The story centers on gatherings at the estate of the wealthy, Loyalist widow Hagar Langstaff, whose parlor hosts three British military officers—Major André, Colonel the Honorable Cosmo Gordon, and Captain Fitz Patrick. They discuss plans to capture American military personnel, specifically McLane and his lieutenant Pemberton, who will attempt to cross the Delaware. The household includes Lucy De Normandie, a young woman at the harp; Chaplain Bee; and young Royal Langstaff. A visiting Quaker schoolmaster's wife, Lydia Darrach, listens attentively to the officers' strategic discussions. The arrival of Miriam Doane, a spirited Quaker girl dependent on Mrs. Langstaff's hospitality, sparks conflict when she defends her brothers against accusations of plundering, declaring they fight for principle and country rather than hire and spoils.