Culper Spy Ring

Culper Spy Ring

By: Jake Gottesman

What Are They?

The Culper Spy Ring was a small group of trustworthy people. They were mostly from Setauket, Long Island. They helped the Americans make their next move to help win the Revolutionary War. They were in action from late 1778-1781.

Who Are They?

A Map of Revolutionary-era New York City – site where the Culper Spy Ring operated during the American Revolution. (Library of Congress)

Benjamin Tallmadge was a young cavalry officer from Setauket, Long Island. He enlisted for the Americans in 1775. He became the head of the spy ring. His code name was John Bolton.

Caleb Brewster was a friend of Tallmadge's brother. He ferried spy reports over the Long Island Sound. He was also a "whaleboat" raider. Whaleboat raiders attacked British ships, then retreated to a safe area.

Abraham Woodhull was Tallmadge's head spy. His nickname was Samuel Culper.

Anna Smith Strong was a friend of Benjamin Tallmadge. She was the wife of a Patriot judge. She arranged her clotheslines to signal ship movements to Caleb Brewster.

Caleb Brewster

Bibliography

"History of the Culper Spy Ring." The Culper Spy Ring and Benedict Arnold. N.p.,

n.d. Web. <http://aphdigital.org/projects/culperspyring/

culperspyring>.

"Culper Spy Ring." George Washington's Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon Ladies'

Association, 2015. Web. <http://www.mountvernon.org/research-collections/

digital-encyclopedia/article/culper-spy-ring/>.

How Do They Do It?

Invisible Ink

Benjamin Tallmadge

Invisible ink was used by the British and Americans. It was made from ferrous sulfate and water. The invisible ink was written in between the lines of a normal letter. To read the invisible ink, a person would put the paper over the flame of a candle, or treat it with a chemical reagent like sodium carbonate.

"The Culper Spy Ring." History. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web.

<http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/culper-spy-ring>.

Secret Codes

The Culper spy ring used numbers and letters to represent words, numbers, and letters.

Previous American Espionage Attempts

What Do They Do?

Nathan Hale

3. They Don't Get Caught

One of the most famous spies is Nathan Hale. He was a teacher and was born in Coventry, Connecticut. He was caught and hanged by the British. His last words were "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

All spies weren't allowed to tell anybody about what they were doing. They made the British think that they were loyalists. They used code names to protect their identity. One spy never even told a single person their name. That person was called agent 355 and is still a mystery today.

Lieutenant Lewis J. Costigan

2. Send Information to George Washington

They would send the information to George Washington by secret letters. The important information was concealed inside a harmless letter with invisible ink. The letters were first ferried out of New York. Then they were passed along by horseback until they reached George Washington.

Lieutenant Lewis J. Costigan was captured by the British in January 1777. He was put on parole in New York City and was allowed to walk around in his uniform. He got information from people in New York and then sent it to George Washington. Even after he was exchanged for another prisoner, he still stayed in New York and sent information to George Washington.

1. Gather Information

American spies would get their information from British soldiers and generals. They would mostly get it by pretending to be loyalists. They would trick soldiers into telling them military secrets by waiting for them to get drunk at taverns. This information would include ship and troop movements.

The Last Words of Nathan Hale by Alexander Hay Ritchie (Yale University Art Gallery)