It is a choice that comes at a heavy price. Also, his cousin, Continental Brigadier-General Nathaniel Woodhull, died at the battle of Long Island in 1776. Sometimes historians give the Culper Ring credit for discovering Benedict Arnold was a traitor. For boys, this was often a celebrated childhood milestone. Was is from Morton Pennypacker? Schellhammer, Michael. Place of Burial: Setauket, Suffolk, New York. Woodhull was secretly engaged to Anna Strong in 1773 before his brother Thomas, a soldier in the British Army, was killed while quelling a protest at King's College and his father decided to marry him to his brother's fiancee Mary, leading to Abraham and Anna parting. . His parents were Judge Richard Woodhull and Mary Woodhull (ne Smith). In one incident, a Tory privateer named John Wolsey reported a rumor that Woodhull was spying for the Continental Army. Setauket Presbyterian Church and Burial Ground, Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring, Intelligence operations in the American Revolutionary War, "Grave Stones and Epitaphs from the Churchyard", "TCA: AMC Picks Up 'Halt & Catch Fire' & 'Turn' To Series", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abraham_Woodhull&oldid=1135483720, Jesse Smith Woodhull, Mary Woodhull, Elizabeth Woodhull, "Samuel Culper" and then "Samuel Culper Sr.", This page was last edited on 24 January 2023, at 23:13. Tuskegee Airman Clarence D. Lester Broke Barriers, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Abraham Woodhull, Birth Year: 1750, Birth date: October 7, 1750, Birth State: New York, Birth City: Setauket, Birth Country: United States. In 1778, he was . Townsend also owned a share of a coffee house popular with British officers operated by James Rivington, printer of the Loyalist Royal Gazette. Accessed 18 May 2016. https://spycurious.wordpress.com/2015/04/27/lieutenant-colonel-richard-hewlett-the-loyal-est-loyalist/, Long Island Surnames: Abraham Woodhull. Longislandsurnames.com, accessed 15 May 2016. http://www.longislandsurnames.com/getperson.php?personID=I0519&tree=Woodhull, Markle, Donald E. The Fox and the Hound: The Birth of American Spying. Interesting notes. One day, Ensign Baker told Abraham's wife Mary about the time when he caught Abraham and Anna having sex on the table of Abraham's house after Anna informed him of her former slave's willingness to spy on Major John Andre for them while sent to him after the Dunmore Proclamation (which effectively made American slaves into British soldiers for the men, or British servants for the women and children). He thus enlisted the aid of Anna Strong, the wife of Selah Strong, a tavern keeper who was jailed aboard a British prison ship when the Culper Ring was formed. Introducing the Topic Index page (Just in time for the Season 3Premiere! When Baker left, an angry Simcoe had him tell him about the affair, and Simcoe beat up Woodhull in the woods at night after coming onto him with a few regulars, saying that he retracted an apology that he was going to give him for accusing him of Captain Joyce's murder. I fight this fight for you. [12] Tallmadge to Washington, April 21, 1779, GW Papers, accessed March 29, 2014 via http://memory.loc.gov; Rose, Washingtons Spies, 128. Abraham Woodhull - the 'Culper' of the Culper Ring. Highwaymen on the road near the town of Huntington robbed him of all of his money in early April 1779, and Woodhull told Tallmadge that he felt a life of anxiety to be within . Their reports are believed to have uncovered Benedict Arnolds treason, and led to the capture of British Major John Andre, who was working with Arnold to undermine the Continental Army. Breeches and a linen shirt, like the little colonial man he is! Bakeless did not provide a primary source for Townsends employment as a journalist for Rivington so this part of Townsends role is unclear. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. In July 1778 Woodhull paid for his daring when a Continental naval patrol intercepted his boat and Rebel authorities threw him into a Connecticut jail. Are there transcriptions at any other accessible digital websites? Woodhull refused his father's offer of releasing him from prison if he would stop spying, and he also refused to escape with Caleb Brewster, who had infiltrated New York in David Bushnell's Turtle and disguised himself as a British officer. And the different writing styles of the Culper agents becomes apparant after reading a lot of the correspondence. Nevertheless, he continued to send letters to Washington, informing of anything of importance he came across. Letter Dear Thomas , As I write this letter you are upstairs in your mother 's arms, sleeping peacefully. Background. I know versions of his diary exist elsewhere, but the war time entries can be found, Thank you for sharing that, Adam. Woodhull and the Culper Ring continued spying until the war's official end in 1783, although it appears they did not gather much useful intelligence during their final years. In the ensuing encounter, Woodhull was rescued by the redcoats, who killed Cyrus. [11][13], Warren Walker suggested in 1956 that James Fenimore Cooper's character Harvey Birch had been based upon the work of "Samuel Culper" as a spy. [19], But on the heels of this victory came a threat to their security. I was just wondering. When I came home after seeing Ben, I sat down and watched you playing on the floor near the fireplace. Abraham Woodhull was born on 7 October 1750 in Setauket, New York, the son of Judge Richard Woodhull and Mary Smith. [14] Culper to Bolton, June 5, 1779, GW Papers, accessed March 29, 2014 via http://memory.loc.gov (second letter dated June 5). During the American Revolution, Abraham Woodhull became a member of the Culper Spy Ring, which provided intelligence to .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}George Washington to assist the Patriots war effort. To overcome these problems Washington and Tallmadge envisioned a permanent network of spies that lived behind British lines and communicated their information through coded messages. Brother of Mary (Woodhull) Arthur and . Best Known For: Abraham Woodhull was a member of the Culper Spy Ring, which provided information to George Washington during the American Revolution. Presbyterian Church-Setauket, Setauket- East Setauket, NYAbraham Woodhull / Place of burialSetauket Presbyterian Church and Burial Ground, also known as First Presbyterian Church of Brookhaven, is a historic Presbyterian church and cemetery at 5 Caroline Avenue in the hamlet of Setauket, Suffolk County, New York. While I am caught in the middle of a war I hope will be over soon, I can only hope we are on the side of right and good. Did Abraham Woodhull have a son named Thomas? When Woodhull and Anna were finally able to go to New York, Woodhull and Anna shared a room together, and Woodhull and Anna had an argument about the cancellation of their engagement, with Abraham refusing to tell her about his brother's death. Rogers followed Woodhull to his secret hideout in the basement of his burnt-down farm, and Woodhull was told that he had to work with Rogers to get revenge on Andre before Rogers would kill him. Abraham's wife Mary convinced him that he had to shoot the courier, Corporal Eastin (the man who had been sent to escort Woodhull to New York previously), and not kill Hewlett as he had planned to do. Selah and Anna Strong lived out the rest of their lives quietly in Setauket. Basing his operation in his British-occupied hometown of Setauket, New York, Woodhull enlists the aid of local tavern keeper Anna Strong to ferry crucial intelligence to their friends in the Continental Army, Caleb Brewster and Benjamin Tallmadge, who in turn bring the intelligence to General George Washington himself. While this piece underscores some of the glaring inaccuracies of the TV series TURN, it also highlights the intrigue and anxiety spies like Woodhull must have experienced day to day. What leverage Tallmadge used to get Woodhull to consider the offer is unknown, but the major may have reminded Woodhull about the death of his cousin, General Nathaniel Woodhull, at British hands. While Hewlett acknowledged Woodhull's excuse that he was in prison, he told Woodhull that he would send the report to Major John Andre in Philadelphia. [14] Like Woodhull, Townsend played the part of a devoted Loyalist but he was a secret Patriot who had served briefly as a commissary to General Nathaniel Woodhull, Abrahams cousin. Benedict Arnold. type. He recruited Woodhull, a native of Tallmadge's hometown of Setauket, Long Island, New York. Captain Thomas Woodhull (1746 - 1773) was a British Army officer who served in the King's Militia, the son of Richard Woodhull and Rebecca Woodhull and the brother of Abraham Woodhull.He was killed while putting down a riot at King's College. If so, how did this myth get created? The house was built in 1660 and was destroyed by fire in 1931. Adorable outfit hes wearing, right? In late August, Woodhull received an unexpectedly early release from jail by order of Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull. In the court case, Simcoe had trouble loading the musketball that hit Richard Woodhull into Tallmadge's gun, as it was a Pennsylvania rifle; only a Brown Bess British musket could use that type of ball. I hope that one day, the Lord willing, you will grow up to be a man. He found out of a petition to the provincial congress, and he intended to hunt down the people responsible. Members of the Spy . Perhaps Sprouts wealthy grandfather has servants churning out breeches for his grandchildren! What General Washington, the ultimate consumer of Culper Ring intelligence, thought of the operation is unclear. The Culper intelligence allowed Washington to arrange countermoves, and the episode was one of the Rings greatest successes. Abraham Woodhull: The Spy Named Samuel Culper. Journal of the American Revolution, 19 May 2014. [7] Culper to Tallmadge, March 17, 1779, GW Papers, accessed January 26, 2014, via http://memory.loc.gov. So little Thomas Sprout Woodhull appears to be quite the little hipster baby wearing breeches before they were cool. That would include both Woodhull as "Culper Sr." and Robert Townsend, who used the alias "Samuel Culper Jr."[14]. When Abraham returned, it took the help of a friend of the Woodhulls, a generals adjutant, to assure Simcoe that Abraham was a proper Loyalist. [9][10], Woodhull married his friend Mary Smith in 1781 and had three children with her. This ruined Woodhull's plan to spy in New York, so he decided to inform his guard that he could wait outside of the city when he entered Manhattan for his studies. In 1781, Woodhull resigned from his duties. Fixed the link. There is much more to the story of the Culper Ring and intelligence activities in and around New York City. With the new spy permanently in place in New York City, Woodhull assumed the role of the leader of the operation, passing on instructions from Tallmadge and occasionally meeting Townsend in New York. While Anna objected to either plot, Abraham stole his father's pistol and ambushed Eastin as he rode down a road, shooting him off of his horse. Woodhull was forced to work by himself, and he attempted to plant evidence for Major Hewlett so that it would appear as if he had made a discovery of some of the Sons of Liberty's activities. The 100 Best American Revolution Books of All Time, Perspectives on the Ten Crucial Days of the Revolution, This Week on Dispatches: Gene Procknow on Ethan Allen and Revolutionary-Era Newspapers. In addition, Abrahams cousin, Nathaniel Woodhull, a general in the Continental Army, had perished in the Battle of Long Island in 1776. I wish also to know where their shipping lies, and if they appear to be taking measures and what measures for their security in case of a French fleets entering the harbor.[16] However as a commander who needed timely and accurate intelligence, Washington sometimes found Woodhulls skittishness irritating, as he wrote to Tallmadge in September 1779, I have been expecting for some time past a communication from Culper. He began providing information to the British in 1779, and started a correspondence with Major John Andre, the head of British intelligence. This week I was reviewing Muster, Payrolls and List of Effectives for Capt Gross Scruggs company of the Fifth Virginia. Woodhull told him to ask Major Hewlett, who would vouch for him, but he was unaware that Hewlett had been kidnapped by the patriots from his home after Simcoe framed him for the murder ot their captain. The Culper Ring was a successful operation that provided Washington with valuable information on the British Army headquartered in New York from October 1778 to the end of the war. 2022-07-02. These heroes get no mention whatsoever in our history books or lessons. ; on back: Old Abraham Woodhull home Seatuket. The Culper Ring was probably Washingtons most successful spy operation. If I am caught, I could be hanged as a traitor and a spy. I understand why they didnt opt for historical accuracy on this one, but boys wearing gowns as children is one of my favorite Colonial oddities and I wished they had included it. The intelligence provided by the Culper Ring prevented what might have been a terrible disaster, and was one of its most important triumphs. But how do you read the non-transcribed Samuel Culper John Bolton GW Papers via http://memory.loc.gov? Possibly after testing his old friends allegiance, Tallmadge probably dropped his bomb; it was he who secured his early release from Governor Trumbull, and would Woodhull be willing to spy for the American cause? 16, accessed April 19 2014 via http://etext.virginia.edu. Woodhull was one of Washington's spies during the revolutionary war. Anna remained alone on the family farm during the American Revolution, where she assisted with General Washington's Culper Spy Ring. [4] Culper to Scott, October 31, 1778, GW Papers, accessed January 26, 2014 via http://memory.loc.gov. Townsend, in fact, had somewhat foolishly recruited his cousin James into the ring, who ended up being arrested by the Continental Army for allegedly being a British spy! Tallmadge told Woodhull that George Washington wanted him to work with the patriots as a spy during the American Revolutionary War, and he refused. Woodhull was a descendant of Richard Lawrence Woodhull, a wealthy settler of Setauket,[1] and was also related to New York militia Brigadier General Nathaniel Woodhull. [7] Tallmadge added two couriers to the operation to speed the reports from New York City to Setauket. Tallmadge wrote Washington on October 11, 1780 that Arnold knew not a single link in the chain of my correspondence, but that the Culper operatives were too apprehensive of danger to give their immediate usual intelligence.[20] Woodhull and Townsend laid low but returned to providing information. Those knickers were adorable, I want the sewing pattern for them anyone have any ideas where / how I can get one? [22] In the same letter he finally bowed out of the spy business. Accessed 18 May 2016. https://allthingsliberty.com/2014/05/abraham-woodhull-the-spy-named-samuel-culper/. . Washington was impressed: His account has the appearance of a very distinct and good one and makes me desirous of a continuance of his correspondence, he wrote. Washington sent Caleb Brewster out to Setauket to notify Woodhull of the situation. (Dont believe me? Soon after Benedict Arnold defected to the British, he directed the arrest of people in New York and Long Island that he suspected as American spies, based on his knowledge of Continental Army intelligence. Watching you fall and get up over and over again swelled my heart with pride and joy. Gen. Charles Scott, added their own comments and couriers then sped the messages to Washington at Continental Army headquarters in New Jersey. Score: 4.9/5 (68 votes) . He is most notable for leading the British side in the Battle of Setauket. Anna married a wealthy patriot named Selah Strong, an especially unlucky choice once Selah was sent to . He was later buried is Setauket, next to his wife, Rebecca and his son, Thomas . 9. Major Edmund Hewlett was in fact named Richard Hewlett, and he was actually married during the entirety of the war, and he and his wife had eleven children; there is no evidence of a relationship between him and Anna Strong either. Hewlett decided to send the accused to HMS Jersey in lieu of hanging, although this was effectively a death sentence due to the poor conditions there. S1 E6. Abraham Woodhull (7 October 1750 - 23 January 1826) was the leader of the Culper Ring network under the alias Samuel Culper, Sr. during the American Revolutionary War.