Washington's Spies

by Alexander Rose

  25. Letter, Lee to Washington, November 12, 1776.

  26. Letter, Robert Auchmuty to the Earl of Huntington, January 8, 1777, in F. Bickley (ed.), Report on the manuscripts of the late Reginald Rawdon Hastings, Esq., of the Manor House, Ashby de la Zouch (London, Historical Manuscripts Commission, 4 vols., 1928–47), III, pp. 189–92. Auchmuty copied the contents of the November 25 report from Francis, Lord Rawdon (see below).

  27. Letter, Rawdon to Robert Auchmuty, November 25, 1776, printed in Commager and Morris (eds.), Spirit of ’seventy-six, pp. 496–97.

  28. Orders to Colonel John Cadwalader, December 12, 1776.

  29. Letter, Cadwalader to Washington, December 31, 1776.

  30. Letter, Cadwalader to Washington, December 15, 1776. William Shippen, a Philadelphia merchant, was killed a couple of weeks later at the Battle of Princeton. See also, letter, Cadwalader to Washington, December 27, 1776.

  31. Quoted in Commager and Morris (eds.), Spirit of ’seventy-six, p. 509.

  32. The essential text in this regard is D. H. Fischer, Washington’s crossing (New York, 2004).

  33. Orders, Washington to Lord Stirling, February 4, 1777.

  34. Letter, Duer to Washington, January 28, 1777.

  35. Letter, Washington to Sackett, February 4, 1777.

  36. Tallmadge had been promoted to his captaincy on December 12, 1776. See F. B. Reitman, Historical register of officers of the Continental Army during the War of the Revolution, April 1775 to December 1783 (Baltimore, 1967 ed., orig. pub. 1914), pp. 531–32. The most detailed narrative of the Second Continentals is contained in B.G. Loescher, Washington’s eyes: the Continental Light Dragoons (Fort Collins, Colo., 1977), pp. 23–62.

  37. C. S. Hall, Benjamin Tallmadge: Revolutionary soldier and American businessman (New York, 1943), pp. 12–13.

  38. Letter, Tallmadge to Hale, May 9, 1775, quoted in Hall, Tallmadge, p. 12.

  39. Letter, Tallmadge to Hale, July 4, 1775, quoted in Hall, Tallmadge, p. 13.

  40. Reitman, Historical register of officers, pp. 531–32.

  41. Hall, Tallmadge, p. 15.

  42. Washington’s orders, October 11, 1776; Reitman, Historical register of officers, pp. 531–32.

  43. C. S. Hall, Benjamin Tallmadge: Revolutionary soldier and American statesman (New York, 1943), p. 27.

  44. Letter, Washington to Sheldon, December 16, 1776.

  45. B. Tallmadge, Memoir of Col. Benjamin Tallmadge (New York, 1858; rep. 1968), p. 19; Loescher, Washington’s eyes, pp. 29–30.

  46. Tallmadge, Memoir, p. 19.

  47. See, for example, letters, Washington to Tallmadge, March 1, 1777; Tallmadge to Washington, March 16, 1777.

  48. For a brief description of Clark, see I. H. McCauley’s contribution at the end of E. W. Spangler, “Memoir of Major John Clark, of York Co., Pennsylvania,” Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, XX (1986), pp. 85–86.

  49. See R. K. Showman and others (eds.), The papers of General Nathanael Greene (Chapel Hill, N.C., 12 vols. to date, 1976–), I, p. 343 n. On Clark’s reading matter and espionage, see letter, Clark to Greene, November 8, 1776, in Papers of Nathanael Greene, I, pp. 340–42.

  50. Spangler, “Memoir of Major John Clark,” Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, XX (1986), pp. 77–79.

  51. “Abstract of a letter from Mr. Talmage to Mr. Sackett dated 25th February 1777,” enclosed with letter, William Duer to Washington, March 2, 1777.

  52. In a letter to Washington of February 20, 1777, Clark’s mentor Nathanael Greene—based in Basking Ridge, New Jersey—said that Clark had given him an account of the enemy’s strength and “the places they are posted at.” Mysteriously, there is no mention of Clark again until July 17, when Greene told his wife that his aide was still “absent.” See correspondence in Showman (ed.), Papers of General Nathanael Greene, II, pp. 24 (for the February letter), 121 (for the July letter).

  53. See Revolutionary War Expense Account, May–August 1777, and especially the annotation for June 1, the Washington Papers at the Library of Congress.

  54. Davis had joined the colors as a lieutenant on June 28, 1775, made captain on November 21, 1776, and would be wounded at Stillwater on September 19, 1777. Three years later, he was promoted to major and retired from the army on January 1, 1780. Reitman, Historical register of officers, p. 188.

  55. On Samuel, see A. W. Lauber (ed.), Orderly books of the Fourth New York regiment, 1778–1780 and the Second New York regiment, 1780–1783 by Samuel Tallmadge and others with diaries of Samuel Tallmadge, 1780–1782 and John Barr, 1779–1782 (Albany, 1932), pp. 7–8.

  56. See “List of the officers of four battalions to be raised in the State of New York,” November 21, 1776, in Calendar of historical manuscripts relating to the War of the Revolution, in the office of the secretary of state (Albany, 2 vols., 1868), II, pp. 35, 49, 164.

  57. “Abstract of a letter from Mr. Talmage to Mr. Sackett dated 25th February 1777,” enclosed with letter, Duer to Washington, March 2, 1777.

  58. B. F. Thompson (ed. C. J. Werner), History of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time (New York, 3 vols., 3rd ed., 1918; orig. 1839), III, p. 475.

  59. “Historical discourse prepared and delivered at Setauket, L.I. N.Y.—July 2nd and 16th, 1876 by Rev. William Littell, 9th pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Brookhaven,” available at http://www.​setauket.​presbychurch.​org/​littell-​history.​htm; Thompson, History of Long Island, III, p. 475.

  60. Reitman, Historical register of officers, pp. 531–32.

  61. Letter, Tallmadge to Wadsworth, July 9, 1777, quoted in Hall, Tallmadge, p. 25.

  62. Letter, Sackett to Washington, April 7, 1777, published in full in P.D. Chase, F.E. Grizzard, Jr., D.R. Hoth, E.G. Lengel et al. (eds.), The papers of George Washington: Revolutionary War series (Charlottesville, Va., 14 vols. to date, 1985–), IX, pp. 79–82. The original is kept at the Washington Headquarters and Museum in Newburgh, New York. I have corrected much of Sackett’s erratic spelling and grammar.

  63. Note to letter, Washington to Sackett, April 8, 1777, printed in Chase et al. (eds.), Papers of George Washington, IX, p. 95.

  64. Note quoting letter, Sackett to Washington, May 23, 1789, printed in Chase et al. (eds.), Papers of George Washington, IX, p. 81. I have amended some of Sackett’s spelling and grammar.

  65. Letter, Washington to Sackett, April 8, 1777, printed in Chase et al. (eds.), Papers of George Washington, IX, p. 95.

  66. Anonymous report to Washington, quoted in Chase et al. (eds.), Papers of George Washington, X, pp. 71–72.

  67. See letter from McDougal to the Convention, April 14, 1777, printed in Calendar of historical manuscripts relating to the War of the Revolution, in the office of the secretary of state (Albany, 2 vols., 1868), II, pp. 84–85.

  68. “Proceedings of a general court martial on John Williams and others,” April 13, 1777, in Calendar of historical manuscripts, II, pp. 85–86.

  69. Washington sometimes expressed alarm at the prevalence of courts-martial, saying that he was “not fully satisfied of the legality of trying an inhabitant of any State by military law, when the Civil Authority of that State has made provision for the punishment of persons taking Arms with the Enemy.” See letter, Washington to William Livingston, April 15, 1778.

  70. “Proceedings of a court martial,” April 30, 1777, in Calendar of historical manuscripts, II, pp. 120–25.

  71. “Affidavit of Simon Newall,” May 20, 1777, in Calendar of historical manuscripts, II, pp. 165–68. I have amended Newall’s idiosyncratic spelling and grammar.

  72. “Trial of John Likely and Anthony Umans,” in Calendar of historical manuscripts, II, pp. 179–82.

  73. Letter, Putnam to Washington, July 18, 1777.

  74. Letter, Putnam to Clinton, August 4, 1777.

  75. Letter, Stirling to Washington, July 24, 1777.

  76. The letter (and grille) can be seen at http://www.​si.​umich.​edu/​spies/​l
etter-​1777august10-1.​html. The originals are kept at the William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan. On Cardano, see D. Kahn, The codebreakers: The story of secret writing (New York, 1967), pp. 144–45.

  77. “Confession of Daniel Taylor at New Windsor, October 9, 1777,” in H. Hastings and J. A. Holden (eds.), Public papers of George Clinton, first Governor of New York, 1777–1795, 1801–1804 (Albany, 10 vols., 1899–1914), II, no. 825, pp. 398–99.

  78. Letter, George Clinton to the Council of Safety, October 11, 1777, in Hastings and Holden (eds.), Public papers of George Clinton, II, no. 836, pp. 412–14.

  79. “Daniel Taylor the spy sentenced to death,” October 14, 1777, in Hastings and Holden (eds.), Public papers of George Clinton, II, no. 858, p. 443; and, for the soldiers’ letters, “Confession,” no. 825, pp. 399–401.

  80. Letter, Clinton to Council of Safety, October 11, 1777, in Hastings and Holden (eds.), Public papers of George Clinton, II, no. 836, p. 413. See also Dr. Hames Thacher’s diary entry for October 14, 1777, printed in Commager and Morris (eds.), Spirit of ’seventy-six, pp. 587–88.

  81. “Daniel Taylor the spy sentenced to death,” October 14, 1777, in Hastings and Holden (eds.), Public papers of George Clinton, II, no. 858, pp. 443–44 and note.

  82. Spangler, “Memoir of Major John Clark,” Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, p. 78.

  83. Letter, Washington to Continental Congress, September 11, 1777.

  84. Letter, Clark to Washington, October 6, 1777.

  85. On the Nicholls description—issued by Clark when his messenger deserted some months later to visit his family in Philadelphia—see J. F. Reed (ed.), “Spy chief to army chief,” Valley Forge Journal, V (1991), 3, p. 190.

  86. Letter, Clark to Washington, October 6, 1777 (second of same day).

  87. Letter, Clark to Washington, October 27, 1777.

  88. See, for example, letters, Clark to Washington, November 3, 1777; November 18, 1777; and November 25, 1777.

  89. Letter, Clark to Washington, November 18, 1777.

  90. Letter, Clark to Washington, November 3, 1777.

  91. Letter, Washington to Clark, November 4, 1777.

  92. See letter, Clark to Washington, November 22, 1777: “This will inform you one of my spies has this moment come to me from Philadelphia; he delivered the despatches to Sir William.”

  93. See P.S. in letter, Clark to Washington, November 22, 1777, at 6 p.m.

  94. Letter, Clark to Washington, December 3, 1777.

  95. Letter, Clark to Washington, December 10, 1777.

  96. See, for example, letter, Clark to Washington, November 16, 1777.

  97. Letter, Clark to Washington, December 10, 1777. He also suggested that “if a troop of horse was stationed in this quarter, and patrol[led] the roads, ’twould be of infinite service.”

  98. Letter, Clark to Washington, November 18, 1777.

  99. Letter, Clark to Washington, December 30, 1777.

  100. Letter, Washington to Laurens, January 2, 1778.

  101. Letters, Clark to Washington, January 13, 1778; Washington to Clark, January 24, 1778.

  102. Tallmadge, Memoir, p. 26.

  103. Letter, Tallmadge to Jeremiah Wadsworth, December 16, 1777, quoted in Hall, Tallmadge, pp. 30–31. For a near-identical version, see Tallmadge to Washington, December 16–17, 1777.

  104. Letter, Tallmadge to Wadsworth, December 30, 1777, quoted in Hall, Tallmadge, p. 30.

  105. Hall, Tallmadge, pp. 31–33.

  106. Moylan’s complaint was paraphrased in a letter, Washington to Tallmadge, May 13, 1778.

  107. Letter, Washington to Tallmadge, April 14, 1778.

  108. Letter, Tallmadge to Washington, May 4, 1778.

  109. Letter, Washington to Tallmadge, May 13, 1778.

  110. Hall, Tallmadge, p. 36.

  Chapter Three: Genesis of the Culper Ring

  1. B. F. Thompson (ed. C. J. Werner), History of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time (New York, 3 vols., 3rd ed., 1918; orig. 1839), III, p. 478. Thompson was the son of Samuel Thompson, who was Brewster’s neighbor when the latter was a boy.

  2. Letter, Washington to Brewster, August 8, 1778.

  3. Letter, Washington to Thomas Nelson, August 20, 1778.

  4. This section based on A. T. Mahan, The major operations of the navies in the war of American independence (London, 1913), pp. 59–80; H. S. Commager and R. B. Morris (eds.), The spirit of ’seventy-six: The story of the American Revolution as told by participants (New York, 3rd ed., 1978; rep. 1995), pp. 715–21.

  5. Letter, Brewster to Washington, August 27, 1778.

  6. J. W. Wright, “The Corps of light infantry in the Continental Army,” American Historical Review, XXXI (1926), pp. 454–61.

  7. The most detailed narrative of the Second Continentals is contained in B. G. Loescher, Washington’s eyes: The Continental Light Dragoons (Fort Collins, Colo., 1977), pp. 23–62.

  8. Letter, Washington to Scott, September 25, 1778.

  9. Loescher, Washington’s eyes, pp. 27–28.

  10. Letter of December 19, 1781, printed in R. W. Pattengill (trans.), Letters from America, 1776–1779: Being letters of Brunswick, Hessian and Waldeck officers with the British armies during the Revolution (New York, 1924), pp. 232–33.

  11. As Potter, a character in Crèvecoeur’s Sketches speaking for “we poor folks, who have nothing to do with the affairs of the county,” says, “Deal with the enemy? Aye, aye, that’s to be sure; and so we do.” H. St. J. de Crèvecoeur (ed. A. E. Stone), Letters from an American farmer and sketches of eighteenth-century America (New York, 1981 ed.), pp. 445, 443.

  12. On “the London Trade,” see F. G. Mather, The refugees of 1776 from Long Island to Connecticut (Albany, 1913), pp. 209–14; O. T. Barck, Jr., New York City during the War for Independence, with special reference to the period of British occupation (New York, 1931; rep. Port Washington, N.Y., 1966), p. 133; J. L. Van Buskirk, Generous enemies: Patriots and Loyalists in Revolutionary New York (Philadelphia, 2002), p. 127.

  13. See Mather, Refugees of 1776, pp. 210, 212; T. Jones (ed. E. F. De Lancey), History of New York during the Revolutionary War, and of the leading events in the other colonies at that period (New York, 2 vols., 1879), II, pp. 12–13; B. Tallmadge, Memoir of Col. Benjamin Tallmadge (New York, 1858; rep. 1968), p. 33; New York Mercury, April 15, 1782.

  14. Individuals like Woodhull could dispose of their foreign goods to the New Englanders “at an amazing profit,” said Jones (ed. De Lancey), History of New York, II, p. 13.

  15. W. A. Polf, Garrison town: The British occupation of New York City, 1776–1783 (Albany, 1976), p. 14.

  16. Van Buskirk, Generous enemies, pp. 120–21.

  17. Letter, William Livingston to Washington, November 22, 1777; letter, Washington to Lord Stirling, October 21, 1778. See also, Livingston’s letter to General John Sullivan, this time about “Doctor Barnet, a captain of horse,” who along with many others is trafficking with the enemy, August 19, 1779, in Commager and Morris (eds.), The spirit of ’seventy-six, pp. 809–10.

  18. Jones (ed. De Lancey), History of New York, II, p. 14.

  19. See letter, William Livingston to Washington, November 22, 1777.

  20. Letter, Washington to Samuel Parsons, December 18, 1779; letter, Washington to Stirling, November 19, 1778.

  21. Letter, Washington to Tallmadge, August 25, 1778, in Mather (ed.), The refugees of 1776, p. 1074.

  22. On Samuel, see the previous chapter, and regarding Tallmadge’s suit on his behalf, A. W. Lauber (ed.), Orderly books of the Fourth New York regiment, 1778–1780 and the Second New York regiment, 1780–1783 by Samuel Tallmadge and others with diaries of Samuel Tallmadge, 1780–1782 and John Barr, 1779–1782 (Albany, 1932), p. 8.

  23. Letters, Washington to Parke, April 11, 1778; Parke to Washington, April 10, 1778.

  24. See letters, Tallmadge to Scott, October 29, 1778; Scott to Washington, October 30, 1778.

 
; 25. Letter, Washington to James Lovell, April 1, 1782.

  26. Letter, Scott to Washington, September 10, 1778.

  27. Letter, Scott to Washington, September 12, 1778; for Rathburn and Leavenworth, see their letters to Washington and Scott, respectively, of September 12, 1778.

  28. Letter, Washington to Scott, September 25, 1778.

  29. Letter, Brewster to Tallmadge, October 22, 1778.

  30. Letter, Tallmadge to Washington, December 11, 1778, Folio 7, in the Benjamin Tallmadge Papers held at the Manuscripts Division, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Library.

  31. Letter, Scott to Washington, October 29, 1778.

  32. Quoted from the chapter on the township of Brookhaven in P. Ross, The history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time (New York, 3 vols., 1902), reproduced in full at http://​freepages.​genealogy.​rootsweb.​com/​~jdevlin/​newyork/​brookhaven_​hist.​htm. See also Thompson (ed. Werner), History of Long Island, III, pp. 384–85.

  33. Woodhull genealogy in M. Pennypacker, General Washington’s spies on Long Island and in New York (New York, 2 vols., 1939, 1948), II.

  34. D. L. Jacobus, “The family of Nathaniel Brewster,” The American Genealogist (1936–37), reproduced in full at http://​longislandgenealogy.​com/​brewster/​surnames.​htm.

  35. Quoted in C. S. Hall, Benjamin Tallmadge: Revolutionary soldier and American statesman (New York, 1943), p. 167.

  36. The list may be found in Mather (ed.), Refugees of 1776, Appendix H, p. 1058, dated June 8, 1775. The full text of the Form of Association is reproduced in Mather, pp. 141, 1050.

  37. Tallmadge, Memoir, p. 9.

  38. For a general biographical summary of Brewster, see the address given by William Brewster Minuse, president of the Three Village Historical Society, at Caleb Brewster’s grave in Fairfield, Connecticut, on August 9, 1976, in MS no. 33, Folder I:H, in the Brewster Papers, kept at the Fairfield Historical Society.

  39. On whaling, see D. Vickers, “Nantucket whalemen in the deep-sea fishery: The changing anatomy of an early American labor force,” Journal of American History, LXXII (1985), 2, pp. 277–96; R. C Kugler, “The whale oil trade, 1750–1775,” Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, LII (1980), esp. pp. 155–56.