The American Revolution wasn’t just won by muskets and cannons—it was fought in the shadows, where whispered secrets and hidden betrayals could be as deadly as any battlefield ambush. While names like Benedict Arnold and the Culper Spy Ring are well known, the war’s lesser-known spies and traitors played just as critical a role in shaping its outcome. Some were caught and executed, their stories lost to history. Others vanished into the fog of war, their true allegiances never fully revealed.

These are the unsung operatives—the forgotten figures who worked in silence, risking their lives in a war where loyalty was never guaranteed.

James Rivington: The British Loyalist Who Spied for the Americans

James Rivington was the last person anyone would have expected to be a Patriot spy. A staunch Loyalist and publisher of Rivington’s Royal Gazette, he was one of the most hated men in the colonies, known for printing pro-British propaganda and mocking the revolutionaries. His newspaper was widely read in New York, and his ties to the British military made him seem untouchable.

But Rivington had a secret. He was working for the Americans.

As it turned out, Rivington was a double agent, secretly passing information from British officers to the Patriots. He used his position as a trusted publisher to gain access to classified military correspondence, feeding intelligence to the Culper Spy Ring and, ultimately, to General Washington himself. His work likely influenced key American victories, yet after the war, he was never fully trusted by either side. The Patriots remembered him as a Loyalist propagandist, and the British saw him as a traitor. He faded into obscurity, dying in near poverty despite his role in the Revolution.

Dr. Edward Bancroft:

 The Spy Who Played Both Sides

Dr. Edward Bancroft was one of the most dangerous double agents of the war, and yet few people know his name today. A physician and scientist, Bancroft had the perfect cover—he was Benjamin Franklin’s personal secretary in Paris, where he helped negotiate the vital alliance between America and France.

But Bancroft had a secret. He was spying for the British the entire time.

Every week, Bancroft wrote intelligence reports about Franklin’s dealings and placed them in a bottle hidden in the hollow of a tree in the Tuileries Garden. British agents would retrieve the messages, giving them a direct window into American negotiations. Bancroft’s work helped Britain counter French and American strategy, though the full extent of his impact remains debated.

Despite years of treachery, he was never caught. The Patriots never suspected him, and when the war ended, he lived out his life as a respected scientist—his betrayal only revealed decades later when British intelligence files were declassified.

Ann Bates: The British Spy Who Posed as a Peddler

Ann Bates wasn’t a soldier, an officer, or a diplomat—she was a schoolteacher who became one of the most effective British spies of the war. Disguising herself as a peddler selling sewing needles and thread, Bates infiltrated American camps, gathering intelligence on troop movements, supplies, and battle plans.

• She used her ordinary appearance to move freely among soldiers, listening in on their conversations.
• She memorized maps and layouts of encampments, reporting back to British officers.
• At one point, she even entered George Washington’s headquarters, blending in with the crowd of camp followers.

Bates’ intelligence was highly valued by the British, and she continued spying until the war’s final years. Afterward, she disappeared from history, her fate largely unknown.

Moses Dunbar: The Patriot-Turned-Loyalist Who Paid the Ultimate Price

Not all traitors in the Revolution worked for personal gain. Some, like Moses Dunbar, truly believed they were on the right side—even as they paid the ultimate price for their loyalty.

Dunbar was born in Connecticut and originally supported the Patriot cause. But as the war escalated, he began to sympathize with the Loyalists, seeing the rebellion as a dangerous gamble that would only lead to suffering. He enlisted in the British army, recruiting men to fight against the revolution.

He was caught, convicted of treason, and sentenced to death. Just before his execution in 1777, he wrote a final letter, insisting that he had done what he believed was right:

“I die in the peace of God and in the belief that I am acting in the cause of truth and justice.”

His execution was one of the first for treason against the Patriot cause, setting a precedent for how traitors would be treated in the years to come.

Hercules Mulligan: The Tailor Who Dressed—and Undermined—the British

Hercules Mulligan was an Irish immigrant and a New York tailor. On the surface, he seemed like a Loyalist—his shop was popular with British officers, and he made uniforms for high-ranking officials. But what they didn’t know was that Mulligan was one of Washington’s most valuable spies.

Every day, British officers talked freely in his shop, assuming he was no threat. Mulligan listened carefully, passing information to the Patriot cause. On at least two occasions, he thwarted assassination attempts on Washington, warning the general of British plans before they could be carried out.

Mulligan’s role remained secret until after the war, when Washington publicly acknowledged his service. Despite working in the shadows for years, he lived to see American independence and became a respected businessman in the new nation he helped create.

Conclusion:

The Hidden Figures Who Shaped the Revolution

While generals and soldiers fought on the battlefield, the war was just as much decided in the world of secrets, betrayals, and hidden alliances. The spies and traitors of the American Revolution took incredible risks—some for money, some for ideology, and some for sheer survival.

Some, like Hercules Mulligan and Ann Bates, lived to see the end of the war. Others, like Moses Dunbar and John André, met a brutal fate. And some, like Dr. Edward Bancroft, walked away without anyone realizing what they had done until it was far too late.

In war, not all battles are fought in the open. Some are fought in whispers, in coded messages, and in the trust placed in the wrong hands.