Summary and Analysis of Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring

Based on the Book by Alexander Rose

• Publisher: Worth Books
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781504046367
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Military & Maritime History
• Index: History

So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of Washington's Spies tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Alexander Rose's book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This short summary and analysis of Washington's Spies includes:

• Historical context
• Chapter-by-chapter overviews
• Profiles of the main characters
• Detailed timeline of key events
• Important quotes
• Fascinating trivia
• Glossary of terms
• Supporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work

About Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring by Alexander Rose: Alexander Rose's New York Times– bestselling book Washington's Spies offers an in-depth account of the network of men who operated covertly under George Washington's command during the Revolutionary War. These men, referred to as the Culper Ring, worked largely in southern New York, sending and receiving coded messages from across Manhattan to Long Island, and getting crucial British intelligence to General Washington. Rose delves into the varied personalities and motivations of the Culper Ring, explores the espionage techniques of the time, including encryption and the use of invisible ink, and describes the differences in the British and American methods of gathering intelligence. Washington's Spies inspired the television series Turn, with author Alexander Rose serving as a historical consultant and producer. The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.

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 Connecticut’s 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 Hale’s 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 Washington’s 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 York’s Committee for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies—Nathaniel Sackett—who would work with Nathan Hale’s 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 Howe’s and Sir Henry Clinton’s, 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 Washington’s 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 Clark’s 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.

Need to Know: Sackett virtually invented the espionage long game. Whereas before, spies were sent on brief missions to peek behind enemy lines and quickly report back, Sackett was the first to plant moles with invented identities to stay among the enemy for extended periods of time.

Chapter Three

Genesis of the Culper Ring

In August 1778, French Admiral Charles-Hector, Comte d’Estaing, engaged with the forces of Admiral Howe (brother of General Howe) near Newport, Rhode Island, and was forced to retreat. Shortly thereafter, Washington began receiving reports from Lieutenant Caleb Brewster, a former whaleboatman, through Tallmadge, charting the movements of Howe’s fleet. Tallmadge also recommended a friend of his to join the spy ring, a farmer named Abraham Woodhull who had been passing freely through enemy lines as a smuggler, before he was caught and arrested by the Americans. Washington had him freed from jail to join his team of spies, which they would call the Culper Ring, a reference to Woodhull’s code name, Samuel Culper, later “Culper Senior.” Woodhull, Tallmadge, and Caleb Brewster were all from Setauket originally; Caleb’s father had been the town minister, and when he resigned, his congregation was taken over by Tallmadge’s father. Woodhull preferred life on the family farm, but he was motivated into action by the death of his cousin Nathaniel, a general who had been captured by the British army and suffered horribly from negligence in prison, dying of a gangrene infection. Woodhull officially joined the spy ring in October 1778, making reconnaissance trips to New York and reporting back to Tallmadge and Washington. In November, he filed a detailed report of the locations, numbers, and movements of the British troops stationed on Long Island.

Need to Know: It was paramount that Brewster, Woodhull, and Tallmadge grew up together in Setauket because o...