#AMERICAN REVOLUTION SPY NETWORK CODE#

If advice is necessary, legal or professional, a practiced individual in the profession should be ordered. The publication is sold with the idea that the publisher is not required to render accounting, officially permitted or otherwise qualified services. This document is geared towards providing exact and reliable information in regards to the topic and issue covered. © Copyright 2019 by _History Titans - All rights reserved. The Culper Ring The History of the American Revolutionary War’s Spy Network Table of ContentsĬhapter II: Benjamin Tallmadge and the Early Days That is, however, the story that this book will recount in a concise manner so that you can remind yourself of the revolutionary heroes that went unsung for a long time. Behind the main events and the history that everyone is familiar with, the story of the Culper Ring is like a seldom-told chapter that serves as an important piece of the puzzle, regardless of how it might often be overlooked. This is a story that weaves its way through a relatively short but decisive period in American history. In time, we've learned about the ring's founders, the context of its emergence, its key operatives, methods, and successes. Since then, the Culper Ring has been the object of scholarly study and discussion, especially in the US. It wasn't until the 20th century that the public gained insight into the existence and activities of this spy network. New York: Bantam Books, 2007.The story of the Culper Ring wasn't always as well-known as it is now, which was due to much of the information about it being classified for a long time. Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring. Invisible Ink: Spycraft of the American Revolution. The Enemy Within: A History of Espionage. The group was also responsible for the apprehension of the British spy Major John André.Ĭrowdy, Terry. Tallmadge contacted Washington who immediately ordered his army into an offensive position causing Clinton to cancel the attack. For instance, in 1780 the group learned that the British under the command of General Henry Clinton were about to launch an expedition in Rhode Island. The spy ring played an important role in the Revolutionary War. Brewster would then deliver the messages to Tallmadge. Strong indicated which cove Brewster should land at by hanging up handkerchiefs to designate the specific cove. Anna Strong, who owned a farm near to Woodhull's barn, would then hang a black petticoat on her clothesline that Caleb Brewster could see in order to signal him to retrieve the documents. The messages were then hidden in goods that Roe took back to Setauket and hid on a farm belonging to Abraham Woodhull who would later retrieve the messages.

#AMERICAN REVOLUTION SPY NETWORK CODE#

There Roe placed an order from Tallmadge who signed under his code name John Bolton.Ĭontained in this message were prearranged code words from Washington to Tallmadge to which Tallmadge responded in code.

Austin Roe rode from Setauket, Long Island to New York City, where he entered Townsend's establishment. As a result, all information sent to Washington had to be transported through British-held territory.

The spy ring established a sophisticated method of conveying information to Washington, who was based at New Windsor in New York. Tallmadge and his associates also wrote in invisible ink. Seven hundred and sixty-three numbers were used, with 711 denoting General Washington, 745 representing England, and 727 for New York. Tallmadge gave his informants pseudonyms and invented a numerical substitution system to identify his informants rather than use names. In order to safeguard the identity of his spies, Tallmadge utilized a number of protective measures. As a reporter Townsend was able to obtain information from the British at society gatherings. Though Woodhull was Tallmadge's chief agent, Robert Townsend was an important informant who posed as a Loyalist coffee-shop owner and merchant while working as a society journalist. Tallmadge's informants consisted of friends he made at school on Long Island, including Austin Roe, Caleb Brewster, Abraham Woodhull, and Anna Strong. Indeed even Washington was ignorant of the spies' identities. This network became known as the Culper Spy Ring and operated successfully in and around New York City for five years, during which time no spy was ever unmasked. In November 1778, George Washington appointed Major Benjamin Tallmadge as director of military intelligence, charged with creating a spy ring in New York City, the site of British headquarters. The Culper Spy Ring was an American spy network operating during the War of American Independence that provided George Washington with information on British troop movements.

American revolution spy network