Sally Townsend, George Washington's Teenage Spy

Sally Townsend of Oyster Bay was a petite, vivacious, intelligent and remarkably beautiful young lady with beguiling eyes. A 1779 Valentine poem from an admiring British officer reads: "Thou know''st what powerful magick lies Within the round of Sarah''s eyes."

She was the sister of Robert Townsend, a principal member of the "Culper Ring," General Washington''s most effective spy network. Dur...