August 15, 1781 -- Baron Ottendorf to ? (Page 1 of 3)
From the Clinton Collection
 

Deposition of Miss Jenny after returning from the French camp Miss Jenny left here on Thursday the 9th of this month. In the evening, she slept  / in Kingsbridge and spent 3 to 4 hours in the morning traveling, having walked / almost 3 miles. Our refugees cam upon her, stopped her, and brought her back / to Kindsbridge to Colonel Warn(er) who sent her back from this encounter / with a passport. Having followed the main road, keeping always to the right, / she came across a cavalry officer coming from the woods whom she asked, / "Monsier, would you show me the French camp?" He answered her, "Why are / you French?" "Yes, Monsieur," (she replied). "Come with me; I’ll take you / there," (he said). The officer led her to the outermost guard post of the camp / after having proposed an amorous liaison to her, even desiring to force her, / which she did not wish under these circumstances. When she arrived at the / main guard post of the camp, the Captain asked her whom she sought. She / answered that she came from the direction of York, having learned that her / father was there (at the camp), and that she will be delighted to come and see / him; (she said) that she was a seamstress and that her mother was a good wife, / and that they found out that their father returned from France with the troops, / seeing that it was six years since he went to France from Canada. The Captain / of the post sent her to Monsieur de Rochambeau at general headquarters and / Monsieur l(e) V(ice) C(onsul) de Laval had orders to question her since he (de / Rochambeau) was not able to get anything from her, and he asked her several / times whether she knew Hend and that surely he would have promised her / money for coming to spy. She told him that she did not know what he meant. / At this, she was sent to Monsieur de Rochambeau who asked several / questions and in the end said, "Madame, I am sending you to General / Wa(s)hi(ng)t(on)," which he did. Having arrived there, she was interrogated by / Monsieur Smidt and Monsieur Cooper. Finding nothing against her, they held / her for two days, and she was sent back to the French camp.  Page 1 | 2 | 3

See the Story: Miss Jenny

See the Method: Intelligence

See the Timeline: 1781