Miss Jenny, active 1781

Miss Jenny was a spy on the side of British loyalists during the American Revolutionary War. Very little is known of her life other than she was a French-speaking woman whose real-life identity was never confirmed.

Miss Jenny is considered an important factor in the British military movements in the summer of 1781. At that time, she reported to the British that the French and Americans were planning an attack on the city of New York. She was on her way to cross the lines to the city to confirm this personally when she was caught by a French guard. The French turned her to General George Washington's camp, where she was further questioned. She was turned over to French custody again, and after a last try to make her confess, they gave up. Miss Jenny continued on her way to the British camp in New York and reported everything she had observed. Based on her and other spies' reports, the general in charge kept his troops in New York. However, the French and Americans later changed their plan and attacked Yorktown instead.