Following the directions of Benjamin Tallmadge, his childhood friend and General George Washington’s director of military intelligence, Woodhull operated under the code name "Samuel Culper." However, during the 1750s, Pennsylvania experienced a break between “political” Quakers and “religious” Quakers. Posing as a loyalist dandy, he also visited coffeehouses in the city to hobnob with British officers. So far I’ve written about these other members: Austin Roe - Washington’s Spy on Horseback, After Espionage - Benjamin Tallmadge’s Last Stand. [13], Townsend warned his superiors of spies in their midst. His status as an unpaid columnist for The Royal Gazette, a loyalist newspaper owned by the proprietor of one of the coffeehouses he frequented, may have inspired confidences from British officers anxious to see their name in print, according to some historians. In fact, he was known only as ‘Culper, Jr’ or ‘723’ until the 1930’s. Robert Townsend, by some accounts an odd man who was unnerved by his wartime service, retired to Raynham Hall. Press Esc to cancel. 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. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. Another possibility is that the mother was a Culper Ring member known today only as Agent 355, however this possibility is unlikely. By the time Townsend was approached to join the Culper Spy Ring, he was already a moderately successful New York City merchant. However, Paine also advocated resistance as the means to achieve those goals, which put him directly at odds with the newly-reformed Quaker movement. His pamphlet inspired a small number of Quakers to join the struggle against Britain, including Townsend. Solomon Townsend once claimed that Townsend's brother William was actually the father.[20]. Despite his father’s political battles, a young Robert showed little interest in public service. Mr. Pennypacker credited Sally with doing so, and with passing word on to her brother, who by then had moved to Manhattan. Molly Pitcher was a patriot who carried pitchers of water to soldiers and helped with cannon duty during the American Revolution's Battle of Monmouth. To be very particular to find out whether any works are thrown up on Harlem River, near Harlem Town, and whether Horn’s Hook is fortifyed. Townsend worked with soldiers in the "Holy Ground" red light district of New York while apprenticing with Templeton & Stewart, a merchant firm. Robert (Culper, Jr.), 1753-1838 — See Robert Townsend and the Culper Spy Ring Audrey, 1755-1829. But he did his most historically significant reporting for George Washington, writing his reports in invisible ink on pages concealed within half-reams of blank paper that were packaged and addressed to the coded name of an American officer. Upon this request to reactivate, Townsend wrote what is likely his last report on September 19, 1782: The last packet…has indeed brought the clearest and unequivocal Proofs that the independence of America is unconditionally to be acknowledged, nor will there be any conditions insisted on for those who have joined the King’s Standard…Sir Guy himself says that he thinks it not improbable that the next Packet may bring orders for an evacuation of N. York. She and James did not have children, and lived in Oyster Bay their entire lives, though Capt. Solomon Townsend later founded the Peconic Iron Works and built a thriving forge on the banks of the Peconic River in Riverhead, but died penniless in 1811. John Deausenberry dragged James to the local Patriot headquarters, but after Washington's personal intervention, James was set free. The British got wind of the French plans and began preparing to intercept the smaller French fleet before the French soldiers could make landfall. You can also support this site on Patreon by clicking here. By the time Townsend was approached to join the Culper Spy Ring, he was already a moderately successful New York City merchant. Reports suggested that British forces in New York still continued to fortify their lines. Townsend’s Quaker upbringing placed him at odds with the thought of fighting the British forces occupying America. This first piece of intelligence was designed to look like a letter between two Loyalists. Even Robert Townsend who worked as a spy for General Washington during the Revolution, remarked when Major Andre died that he had "never felt more sensibly for the death of a person. Source(s): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Townsend_(spy). Townsend was the third son of eight children of Samuel and Sarah Townsend, from Oyster Bay, New York. In it, Townsend stated that he received information from a Rhode Islander who gathered from British troops that two British divisions "are to make excursion into Connecticut... and very soon."[12]. Whether there are any works upon the Island of New York between those near the City and the works at Fort Knyphausen or Washington, and if any, whereabouts and of what kind. Washington learned of the British plans through the Culper Spy Ring and thus managed to bluff the British forces into believing that an attack was planned on New York City by feeding the enemy false information on his plans. We strive for accuracy and fairness. In 1781, Woodhull married Mary Smith. In addition, the Culper Ring likely helped prevent a British attack against French forces that had arrived in Rhode Island to assist the colonists. Thus, a few months after Paine's pamphlet was published, Townsend volunteered for a logistics post in the Continental Army, which would not require him to kill. Indeed, I never saw such general distress and dissatisfaction in my life as is painted in the countenance of every Tory at N.Y.[18], After the war, Townsend ended his business connections in New York and moved back to Oyster Bay. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Essentially, the latter accused the former of breaking with traditional values, resulting in the resigning of “political” Quakers from office and leading to a wave of purification within the Quaker movement. With the aliases “Samuel Culper, Jr.” and “723,” Townsend operated in New York City and gathered information as a service to General George Washington. He is one of the least-known operatives in the spy ring and once demanded Abraham Woodhull ("Samuel Culper") never to tell his name to anyone, even to Washington.[2]. [22] The Townsend home in Oyster Bay is now the Raynham Hall Museum. Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring, Peter Van Brugh Livingston Guides New York Patriots, The Sibling with Nothing to Sign - Richard Morris. These are George Washington’s instructions for Woodhull (Culper, Sr.) and Townsend (Culper, Jr.). The near-miss left him shaken, but he was compelled to find another way to continue spying. Robert Townsend. Abraham Woodhull was born in 1750 in Setauket, a town on Long Island, New York. Templeton & Stewart catered to the working-class residents of this district. When George Washington learned of the British plans through the Culper Spy Ring he was able to successfully bluff the British forces into believing an attack was planned on New York City. [5], A number of factors led Townsend to the Culper Spy Ring, including the influence of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, the British harassment of his family, and his relationship with Woodhull. To enquire whether they have dug pits within and in front of the lines and works in general, three or four feet deep, in which sharp pointed stakes are pointed. James’ cover story was that he was a Tory visiting family in rebel-controlled territory and was seeking to recruit men for the British army. He created this website to share his passion of the American Revolution with anyone interested in this unique period of time. Questions remain about whether Robert, Jr. was indeed Townsend’s son. James Armistead was an enslaved African American, best known for his work as a spy during the American Revolution. After collecting the messages, Woodhull waited for signals from his neighbor and fellow conspirator, Anna Strong, who communicated by hanging specific laundry out on her line.

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