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Summary and Analysis of

Washingtons Spies

The Story of Americas First Spy Ring

Based on the Book by Alexander Rose

The summary and analysis in this ebook are meant to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction. This ebook is not intended as a substitute for the work that it summarizes and analyzes, and it is not authorized, approved, licensed, or endorsed by the works author or publisher. Worth Books makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this ebook.

Contents

Context

In Washingtons Spies , first published in 2006, historian Alexander Rose provides a riveting depiction of the Culper Ring spy operation in more complete detail than any previous account. Rose combed through the participants letters, memoirs, diaries, and family papers, along with a wealth of historical texts covering everything from cryptography and invisible ink to Revolutionary War military strategy and George Washingtons allocation of expenses. This impeccable research allows for a vivid reconstruction of the spy rings process, as well as the individual spies lives and personalities, from timid Abraham Woodhull, to bold Benjamin Tallmadge, to the mysterious Robert Townsend. Rose demonstrates exactly how George Washington used the information from the Culper Ring to make educated decisions about where and when to do battle, and provides useful comparisons between the British and American intelligence operations.

The television network AMC adapted Roses book into the show Turn: Washingtons Spies , which aired for four seasons, from 2014 to 2017. The critically acclaimed show stars Jamie Bell as Abraham Woodhull and Ian Kahn as George Washington. Though some events depicted on the show are fictionalized, Alexander Rose serves as a historical consultant and producer.

Overview

In late summer of 1776, George Washington asked his high-ranking officers to seek out men willing to travel behind enemy lines in New York and report back with information about the British troops, including their location, supply cache, and movements. One of these early spies, Nathan Hale, was caught by the British and subsequently hanged. Washington learned from this incident that more cautious and covert methods would be required in the future. He subsequently employed Benjamin Tallmadge, a friend of Hales, to establish a ring of operations whereby he and a few discreet contacts could exchange information from Manhattan to Long Island, and from there to wherever General Washington was stationed. The ring included Abraham Woodhull, a farmer; Caleb Brewster, a former whaleboatman; and Robert Townsend, a businessman, along with several low-level messengers. They came to be known as the Culper Ring because Woodhull was known by the code name Culper Senior, and Townsend Culper Junior.

The Culpers used codes, invisible ink, and advanced (for that time) techniques of espionage, including placing men behind enemy lines to act as moles. They advised Washington on imminent attacks and other British chicanery during the war, like the counterfeiting operation to tank the fledgling American economy. What the Culper Ring could not predict was that the British had their own spy in place, the traitorous Benedict Arnold, who planned to orchestrate the British capture of Washingtons fortress at West Point. Arnolds plan came to naught when his contact man, Captain John Andr, was caught by the Patriots and executed. Arnold escaped West Point and made it to safety with the British army, but he knew of the Rings existence and something of its route, causing much alarm.

In the final days of the war, Abraham Woodhull was the first to inform Washington that the British had brought peace terms to Congress.

Summary

Chapter One

As Subtil & Deep as Hell Itself: Nathan Hale and the Spying Game

Nathan Hale was a young man attending Yale with his best friend Benjamin Tallmadge in the years of escalating tension before the Revolutionary War. After graduation, the two men both became school teachers. Hale enlisted in Connecticuts Seventh Regiment on July 6, 1775, about three weeks after the Battle of Bunker Hill. Shortly thereafter, the Seventh was sent to Long Island, where General George Washington was expecting the arrival of British troops, under the command of General William Howe, at any time. When the British arrived, the Americans retreated to Harlem Heights, and then further north. Washington began seeking someone to go behind enemy lines for information. By September 1776, Hale was leading a group of Rangers, and he volunteered to conduct a covert mission. Unfortunately, the arrival of his ship caught the notice of Robert Rogers, an American ranger in the British army. Rogers approached Hale in a tavern and pretended to be a fellow Patriot, whereupon Hale, believing himself in the presence of a comrade, confessed his espionage mission. Hale was promptly arrested, and his death warrant signed by General Howe. He was hanged September 22, 1776.

Need to Know: The Patriots were informed immediately of Hales death, and were obviously angry and dismayed, but Washington used this as a learning experience to improve the methods and secrecy of his spies in the future.

Chapter Two

The Year of the Hangman

With Washingtons troops having retreated to Harlem, some well-meaning Patriots thought it better to set fire to Manhattan rather than cede it to the British. A few of these Patriots were caught and executed in the streets by British soldiers. Afterward, New York City fell into a derelict state of shanty towns and black-market trading. Amid clashes at White Plains, Trenton, and Princeton, New Jersey, Washington conducted a search for reliable spies. One came to him from New Yorks Committee for Detecting and Defeating ConspiraciesNathaniel Sackettwho would work with Nathan Hales classmate Benjamin Tallmadge, and Major John Clark. Messages were carried to Setauket on Long Island, to Connecticut, and on to Washington (then, stationed in New Jersey). Sackett sent men into Long Island pretending to be Loyalists in order to get closer to British troops and report back. Washington fired him after only a few months of service, although it is unclear why. British and American troops alike were aware that there were spies among them, and executions over mere suspicions were frequent.

In the summer of 1777, British General John Burgoyne set out from Canada, hoping to unite with the troops of two other contingents, General Howes and Sir Henry Clintons, and separate New England from the rest of the colonies. Burgoyne was defeated in battle near Fort George, and when his expected reinforcements did not come, he was forced to surrender. In Pennsylvania, General Howe engaged with Washingtons troops near Brandywine, en route to capture Philadelphia. The Patriots were forced to retreat. Washington continued to run spies, some of whom were feeding the enemy false information. Upon Major Clarks retirement, Benjamin Tallmadge, now a major with an impressive tour of duty under his belt, stepped into his place as spy recruiter. The British found their position in Philadelphia too precarious and abandoned the city. General Howe resigned as commander-in-chief, and Henry Clinton was promoted.

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