However, his rowboat was pulled in by a ship at night while he was headed for New York, and he was told that he was being arrested by the Continental Congress for smuggling. 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. The house was burned to the ground, and the family moved into Whitehall. War History Online welcomes many guest authors who share their knowledge of the history on our pages. [24] Culper to Tallmadge, July 5, 1783, GW Papers, accessed April 27 2014 via http://memory.loc.gov. In late July the agents reported that the British knew about the expected fleet and were moving naval forces to counter a planned French attack on Rhode Island. 10 Significant Things About The Culper Ring, George Washington's Most By the end of October he recruited his brother-in-law Amos Underhill, owner of a Manhattan boarding house, to gather information from his British Army lodgers. Abraham was severely troubled by this, and there is no reason to assume his father did not feel likewise. [11] He held a few minor political appointments, including magistrate in Suffolk County, New York, from 1799 to 1810. 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. They were immigrants from the Ukraine. Washington had enjoyed an effective spy network operating in Philadelphia, but with the British gone from there and New York crawling with redcoats, his focus now shifted towards starting an effective intelligence network around the British headquarters. Thomas Sprout Woodhull (died August 24, 1814) was the son of Culper Ring spy and farmer Abraham Woodhull. Abraham had in fact joined the county militia in 1775 with no apparent objection from his father, but became disenchanted and quit after two months. Caleb escaped, and Abraham decided to continue passing information to the patriots. Son of Richard W. & Margaret Smith. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! A number of close calls with British authorities had made both Woodhull and Robert Townsend jumpy. He filed his last intelligence report, not written in code but still signed with the alias Samuel Culper, on February 21, 1783, while the British planned the wars closing act, the evacuation of New York City. Abraham Woodhull was a noted hero of the American Revolution. Woodhull encountered his childhood friend Caleb Brewster when he arrived in Connecticut, selling him his cabbage in exchange for some money and some silk. Abraham Woodhull, spy for General George Washington, nearly got himself hanged on one of his first missions. Abraham Woodhull: The Spy Named Samuel Culper. Journal of the American Revolution, 19 May 2014. Woodhull decided to have Baker as his second for the duel, and he met Simcoe on a small patch of land at a creek. Thomas Woodhull | Turn Wiki | Fandom I know versions of his diary exist elsewhere, but the war time entries can be found, Thank you for sharing that, Adam. 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. 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. What General Washington, the ultimate consumer of Culper Ring intelligence, thought of the operation is unclear. He also noted that Howe left New York with most of his army, but he left 200 Hessians in the city, while the city was defended by a dozen 24-pounders and 6 16-pounders at Canal Street. Abrahams own family is also quite fictionalized in the show; he was unmarried during most of the war, and did not wed Mary Smith until 1781. 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. Fueled by a strong desire to avenge his cousins allegedly brutal murder, Woodhull threw himself into his new job with a passion. I saw an old friend today. Abraham's own family is also quite fictionalized in the show; he was unmarried during most of the war, and did not wed Mary Smith until 1781. Two of his children, Elizabeth and Jesse, married into the Brewster family. Woodhull returned to New York, defeated. Later, petition signer Moses Paine decided to turn in the petition, saying that he was drunk when he signed it, giving Hewlett a list of patriots; he proceeded to have those men rounded up and arrested along with Paine himself. Since Woodhull was ill at the time, another spy named Austin Roe was sent to New York to get information from Robert Townsend, who sent a report back to Woodhull for forwarding to Washington. Richard Woodhull (died 1780) was the father of Culper Ring spy and farmer Abraham Woodhull. There is much more to the story of the Culper Ring and intelligence activities in and around New York City. Journal of the American Revolution also produces annual hardcover volumes, a branded book series, and the podcast, Dispatches. Abraham "Abe" Woodhull, known also by his spy alias of Samuel Culpeper and Samuel Culper, his chosen version of the alias, is a New York farmer that went on to become a spy for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Woodhull would copy what information he could gather onto paper, and on his way back home to Setauket, he would hide the information in a prearranged location, a hidden cove on Long Island Sound. In June, the British had been forced to evacuate Philadelphia after the city became untenable due to vulnerability and stretched supply lines. 2022-07-02. The show also portrays Richard Woodhull as a devoted Tory, who grows ever suspicious of his sons behavior, but in reality, he was more supportive of the Patriots, and circumstantial evidence supports this. Woodhull was unable to talk him out of it, and it took a meeting with Benjamin Tallmadge to convince him to continue spying, with the provision that he would only deliver information to Woodhull verbally. Immediate Family: Son of Capt. There is nothing I love more than watching you in your crib, but tonight I am wide awake, alone with my thoughts, unable to rest as dark intentions keep my mind preoccupied. One example is from October 1779, when the Americans anticipated the arrival of a French fleet. JMS you are correct as with any untranscribed 18th century documents, reading and understading the Culper letters is a tough task. 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. 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. The Culper spy ring proved to be a vital part of General Washingtons intelligence network, keeping him informed of the British Armys intentions and operations throughout the Colonies. Abraham had in fact joined the county militia in 1775 with no apparent objection from his father, but became disenchanted and quit after two months. His parents were Judge Richard Woodhull and Mary Woodhull (ne Smith). I knew I had to do this for you. One of the facts he provided was that a spy ring was operating on Long Island, and before long suspected spies were being arrested throughout the area. Another of Tallmadges operatives was Caleb Brewster, a Continental artillery lieutenant and skilled mariner stationed on the Connecticut coast who previously supplied Washington with naval intelligence. 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. Lucy was the daughter of Abraham Somes, one of the. . Who was Abraham Woodhall? Capt Abraham Thomas (1785-1838) - Memorial Find a Grave Abraham and Anna spending time together in Anna's barn. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The near-miss left him shaken, but he was compelled to find another way to continue spying. 2022-07-02. However, Woodhull sent him to persuade Townsend to join the rebel cause, as Woodhull had previously met with his father Samuel Townsend in attempts to persuade Robert to join the patriots. Upon hearing of Woodhulls rumored espionage, Simcoe marched his Rangers into Setauket and proceeded to raid the Woodhull household. Not two months had passed, however, when Washington needed their services again. Did Abraham Woodhull have a son named Thomas? We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. He was a Presbyterian, occupying a "Pew of Authority" in the old church and doing much toward the building of the new church. Little Thomas Woodhull, whom Abraham fondly calls Sprout, steals the spotlight at the beginning and end of the TURN pilot episode. By that time Washington and Tallmadge had developed other agents in New York City and the Culper Rings role diminished. Woodhull was tortured, being thrown in a cage with patriots; he did not disclose his true loyalties, and he was beaten and hated by the imprisoned patriots. Woodhull told Brewster about the plans, and Brewster passed the information on to Tallmadge, leading to Tallmadge, Brewster, and other Continental troops ambushing and killing 19 of the 20 British troops, capturing a wounded Simcoe. [15][16] Other people from Woodhull's life are portrayed in the show as well. Brewster told Woodhull that his encounter with him in Connecticut was the first part of the test to see if Woodhull was fit to join the patriots, and Tallmadge's interrogation was the second part of the test. These agents reported on British activity from their homes in New York City, on Long Island, New York, and in Connecticut. His father, Richard, was unharmed, but Simcoe had plundered the house in the most shocking manner in order to obtain compensation for his troubles. Even after resigning he sent seven more letters about British activities. Yes, a gown, as in a dress. Sometimes boys even wore stays, too. [22] Culper to Tallmadge, June 4, 1781, GW Papers, accessed January 26, 2014 via http://memory.loc.gov. As the British departed the colonies, a celebration was thrown in Setauket. [8] His plan was to travel to Manhattan, ostensibly to visit his married sister, Mary Underhill, and her husband, Amos, at their boarding house. Before he left Connecticut, Woodhull was probably stunned when he received a visit from Benjamin Tallmadge, who he knew as a fellow Setauket native. Abraham Woodhull - the 'Culper' of the Culper Ring. While there, he had a conversation with two Hessians making sauerkraut at their campfire, and they let him try their food. Did Abraham Woodhull have a son named Thomas? Benjamin Tallmadge, Setaukets highest-ranking military officer, was appointed the master of ceremonies.. 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. Abraham enlisted in a Suffolk County militia in the fall of 1775, but he resigned after a few months; his cousin Brigadier-General Nathaniel Woodhull was killed by the British while in their prison on 20 September 1776, when he was killed with bayonets. He used the alias Samuel Culper when sending messages and working as a spy. The war is raging now, and General Washington has been driven out of York City and the Royal Army has taken over there. [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. 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. [7] Tallmadge added two couriers to the operation to speed the reports from New York City to Setauket. Then he wrote down his observations and hid them at a secluded cove near Setauket. The killer was discovered to be loyalist John Robeson, and Rogers decided to use a dead redcoat as a scapegoat while employing Robeson as his eyes and ears in Setauket. What a fun anecdote thanks for sharing! Woodhull also recruited other spies into the ring; one such spy was Robert Townsend, who worked in a New York boardinghouse which was frequented by British soldiers. For the first few years of a childs life in the late 18th century, regardless of gender, he or she would wear a gown, a loose-fitting garment that could be tied, pinned, or buttoned shut. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! [20] Tallmadge to Washington, October 11, 1780, GW Papers, accessed April 24, 2014 via. TURN: Washington's Spies: Created by Craig Silverstein. Abraham had in fact joined the county militia in 1775 with no apparent objection from his father, but became disenchanted and quit after two months. Woodhull was mildly supportive of the American cause, and the closest he came to the rebellion was an uneventful two months in his county militia. Students deserve to know about their hometown heroes. ), Spy Chat in Fairfield: Revolutionary Spies in CT (Featuring Caleb Brewster and the WhaleboatWars), New Scholarly Roundtable on Historical Accuracy vs. Truth inTURN. He also never had a son named Thomas; Mary would give birth to two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary, and a son named Jesse. But how do you read the non-transcribed Samuel Culper John Bolton GW Papers via http://memory.loc.gov? Woodhull refused to give any names to the Congress, and he found out that his interrogator was Benjamin Tallmadge, another childhood friend who had joined a regiment of Connecticut dragoons in the Continental Army. Once they were several years old, boys and girls would then make the transition to outfits that were miniature versions of mens and womens adult clothing. However, Judge Woodhull decided to inform Major Hewlett that Woodhull had been spying for the patriots, as Woodhull's suspicions had increasingly grown over time. 9. It was then that I knew I could no longer remain idle in this war. Abraham Woodhull was born to Richard Woodhull and . The ink was a solution developed by John Jays brother, Sir James Jay. 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. At one point he neared an encampment of Loyalist soldiers commanded by General William Tryon. Woodhull immediately set to work attempting to collect the money due him for his services. His fears were eased when Woodhull sent him a report in November 1778 that provided almost exact figures of British troop strength in New York. [6] In March Woodhull sent intelligence on British plans to raid the port of New London, Connecticut. Crazy Facts About George Washington's Long Island Spies What better way to get back at the enemy, Tallmadge might have said, than by spying on the British under their own noses and helping the American cause? 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. British forces on Manhattan obtained much of their supplies from the farms of Long Island, which meant that Woodhull could travel regularly to New York, ostensibly to sell his goods but really to observe military activities. His parents were Judge Richard Woodhull and Mary Woodhull (ne Smith). 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 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. But while their passion is thick, their numbers are overshadowed by the fastest and largest navy in the world. While he was a staunch loyalist, his son Abraham Woodhull would become the leader of the pro-patriot Culper Ring . Abraham Woodhull: The Spy Named Samuel Culper Despite his success, the espionage business wore Woodhull out physically as well as mentally. Robert Rogers, (born Nov. 7, 1731, Methuen, Mass. In AMCs drama TURN: Washingtons Spies, we follow Abraham Woodhull and company as they play a cunning game of deceit and trickery to gather intelligence for the Continental Army in the American War for Independence. Abrahams own family is also quite fictionalized in the show; he was unmarried during most of the war, and did not wed Mary Smith until 1781. It's possible it was incorrectly annotated. He attempted to stay out of the war, and he smuggled cabbage for his family after their harvest in the autumn of 1776 proved to be insufficient due to maggots eating up his crops. Abraham socialized with Andre and the British officers before he snuck into an officer's room where Anna was about to lay with the officer and steal his book (which contained coded messages). American Revolution: Spies - Ducksters 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. So yes, if you were to time-travel back to the era of the American Revolution, you might very well see a young six-year-old boy wearing stays and a gown. Woodhull headed to meet with Colonel Cook afterwards and made a good deal to sell Selah Strong's cauliflower to him, and Cook invited him to Major John Andre's dinner party in order to sell some more of his goods. He delivered messages via dead drop, burying them in a box in a pasture that he rented on Woodhull's property. Woodhull became involved in the revolution around the same time, with Anna convincing him that he should side with the patriots against the British. Little Sprout Woodhulls curiousclothing, Linda Baumgartens primer on colonial childrens clothing, the 18th Century Material Culture Resource Center, Vexatious Vexillology TURN to a historian, TURN Historical Timeline updated for Season 4 (PartOne), TURN Historical Timeline updated for Season3. 2022-07-02. In 1781, Woodhull married Mary Smith. [13] Culper to John Bolton, June 5, 1779, GW Papers, accessed March 29, 2014 via http://memory.loc.gov; Rose, Washingtons Spies, 129. From Brewster, the intelligence would be passed on to Major Tallmadge, then to General Washingtons desk. Townsend then decided he was through with espionage. (LogOut/ This is a dangerous endeavor. 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. Whatever tactic the major used, Woodhull accepted the offer. March 30, 1844 (48) Setauket, Suffolk, New York. Your email address will not be published. [11] Culper to Tallmadge, April 101779, 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. The Battle of Monmouth 1778. Britishbattles.com, accessed 15 May 2016. http://www.britishbattles.com/battle-monmouth.htm, Braisted, Todd W. Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hewlett: The Loyal-est Loyalist. TURN to a Historian, 27 April 2015. For the first few years of the Revolution, Continental Army leaders preferred to sneak operatives into British territory where they skulked around for a few days, acquired information, and then slipped back out through the lines to report to American commanders. October 7, 1750Abraham Woodhull / Date of birth. Abraham Woodhull (1750-1826) FamilySearch Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life 1.2 Death 2 Characters met 2022-07-02. The two of them spent a moment together before Abraham found out that Major Hewlett's horse Bucephalus had been poisoned through his apples, and Captain Simcoe blamed the poisoning on rebel sympathizers. Tallmadge and his commander, Brig. Turn: Washington's Spies. How do you stay on task while doing homework? It was in October 1778, when Woodhull toured British-held New York City and its environs, observing Crown military activities. This week I was reviewing Muster, Payrolls and List of Effectives for Capt Gross Scruggs company of the Fifth Virginia. Startled, Woodhull sprang to his feet and snatched up his writing paper, breaking the vial of special ink on the floor. Ive noticed that every time the kid is supposed to make a sound it is superimposed when his face is off screen. In 1778, he was caught making his way into New York to sell some of his farms yield, and was jailed by the Rebels for selling goods to the enemy.. Abraham Woodhull (1750 - 1826), a key figure of the Culper Ring, was born into a prosperous family in Setauket, a small agricultural community on the north shore of Long Island, New York. Throughout history once the conflict is over, the perceived value of infantrymen and intelligence agents are always called into question. Abraham Woodhull is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor. (Dont believe me? They did, however, take plenty of liberties with the historical facts, but on the whole, the show presents the major activities and accomplishments of the Culper Ring in a reasonably accurate manner. Abraham Woodhull/Parents Background. Was is from Morton Pennypacker? Jesse Smith Woodhull (1796 - 1844) - Genealogy Woodhull began spying for the. Now that York City is dark to the rebel army, they need a man who can get inside and gather information. Abraham Woodhull was born on 7 October 1750 in Setauket, New York, the son of Judge Richard Woodhull and Mary Smith. His position as a merchant in New York City put him in an excellent position to learn British plans from his Crown business contacts. I know not exactly a hugely significant issue in the greater storyline of TURN (and definitely not as big of a sartorial gaffe as, say, the bizarre garb that the Queens Rangers are wearing), but I thought readers might enjoy a small and pleasant domestic diversion while I finish making sense of the premiere episodes Swiss-cheese timeline. The court case fell apart, leading to uproar. 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. Fixed the link. I hope that one day, the Lord willing, you will grow up to be a man. Except what he should be wearing at that tender age is a gown. Anna married a wealthy patriot named Selah Strong, an especially unlucky choice once Selah was sent to . Nicholas was the son of one of the earliest settlers in the area of Eden (Bar Harbor), Maine, John Thomas III, and his wife, Elizabeth Peck. Abraham Woodhull was a member of the Culper Spy Ring, which provided information to George Washington during the American Revolution. Still, the fact is that little hipster Sprouts outfit IS several years ahead of his time, according to the historical record. type. Abraham pretended to have had sex with Anna, telling the officer that her "roll is already buttered." INTEL - Culper Spy Ring Abraham Woodhull - Abraham was a key member of the Culper Spy Ring. It was later decided by Tallmadge and Washington that Woodhull would be given the alias Samuel Culper, and the Culper spy ring was born. This led to Abraham being disappointed with his father, whose loyalist sympathies set the two of them apart. Tallmadge told Woodhull that George Washington wanted him to work with the patriots as a spy during the American Revolutionary War, and he refused. However, I have come across letters that have the sympathetic stain across entire pages.