While in the city, he was able to observe naval strength, troop numbers, and glean potentially important information by eavesdropping on the conversations of British soldiers. 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). Abraham Woodhull, spy for General George Washington, nearly got himself hanged on one of his first missions. JMS you are correct as with any untranscribed 18th century documents, reading and understading the Culper letters is a tough task. Father of Richard Lawrence Woodhull and Fred Woodhull. It was then that I knew I could no longer remain idle in this war. [2] Alexander Rose, Washingtons Spies: the Story of Americas first Spy Ring (New York: Bantam Dell, 2006), 74, 84-87. [11], He died in Setauket on January 23, 1826, and is buried in the Setauket Presbyterian Church and Burial Ground. Woodhull turned out to be a very effective spy, and his reports were uncannily accurate. Under the alias "Samuel Culper Jr.," Townsend sent information by courier to Woodhulls farm in Setauket. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Normally Woodhull was a farmer in the town of Setauket on Long Islands north shore where he cared for his elderly parents. So little Thomas Sprout Woodhull appears to be quite the little hipster baby wearing breeches before they were cool. To appear as a devoted subject of King George III he publically took an oath of loyalty in Setauket. It was Brewsters job to sail across the Sound, retrieve Woodhulls communications from their hiding spot, and return the missives to Tallmadge in Rebel-held Connecticut. Son: Thomas 'Sprout' Woodhull: General Information. We work with various museums, historical societies and media outlets around the world. The exact circumstances of Nathaniels death remain elusive but stories popular at the time held that he was wounded in action, captured, maltreated, and died miserably. [14] Culper to Bolton, June 5, 1779, GW Papers, accessed March 29, 2014 via http://memory.loc.gov (second letter dated June 5). Wikipedia. Anna married a wealthy patriot named Selah Strong, an especially unlucky choice once Selah was sent to . As you know, after the war Washington actually questioned whether the funds used for this operation had been worth the results. P.S. Woodhull was portrayed from 2014 to 2017 by Jamie Bell in AMC's spy thriller and historical drama series Turn: Washington's Spies, which was based on Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring (2007) by Alexander Rose. Despite his success, the espionage business wore Woodhull out physically as well as mentally. Caleb escaped, and Abraham decided to continue passing information to the patriots. 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. 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. 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. He also never had a son named Thomas; Mary would give birth to two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary, and a son named Jesse. [22] Culper to Tallmadge, June 4, 1781, GW Papers, accessed January 26, 2014 via http://memory.loc.gov. ), Spy Chat in Fairfield: Revolutionary Spies in CT (Featuring Caleb Brewster and the WhaleboatWars), New Scholarly Roundtable on Historical Accuracy vs. Truth inTURN. A Letter From Abraham Woodhull to His Son Thomas - Turn Wiki The tactic was sometimes effective but the information often lacked the detail, accuracy and timeliness that Washington needed. See Todd Andrliks James Rivington: Kings Printer and Patriot Spy? The couple had three children. Margaret Smith A Long Island farmer bands together a group of childhood friends to form an unlikely group of spies who turn the tide in America's fight for independence. In 1781, Woodhull married Mary Smith. I knew I had to do this for our family. Woodhull privately conferred with Major Hewlett and told him that he wanted to enter King's College and spy on the Sons of Liberty for him, as his prior connection to them might allow him to bust suspected patriot sympathizers in the college. 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.. Did Abraham Woodhull have a son named Thomas? - Firstlawcomic Abraham Woodhull: The Spy Named Samuel Culper Abraham Woodhull was born on October 7th 1750 in Setauket, New York, on Long Island. Woodhull returned to New York, defeated. 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. Crazy Facts About George Washington's Long Island Spies I am wondering, however, about the timing of Mr. 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. The war is raging now, and General Washington has been driven out of York City and the Royal Army has taken over there. Little Thomas Woodhull, whom Abraham fondly calls "Sprout," steals the spotlight at the beginning and end of the TURN pilot episode. In addition, Abrahams cousin, Nathaniel Woodhull, a general in the Continental Army, had perished in the Battle of Long Island in 1776. Over time, he began to fear for his safety, and Benjamin Tallmadges reports to Washington reflect Woodhulls growing timidity. Abraham Woodhull Courier route to and from General Washington's Headquarters Courier route across Long Island Sound Courier route from New York City to Setauket Route used by Culper Ring members to send intelligence from New York City to General Washington's headquarters in downstate New York and New Jersey. These negotiations made Woodhull proud of his son, but Abraham was disappointed when his father and Colonel Cook began to discuss dividing Selah Strong's lands while he was in prison, with Colonel Cook being promised some cauliflower by Woodhull. (Dont believe me? In the spring of 1777, Woodhull trysted with Anna at her barn, and he told her that he could not stay there long. I believe it should be http://www.spycurious.tumblr.com, Many thanks for bringing that to my attention, Shea! Abraham Woodhull/Parents 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. War History Online welcomes many guest authors who share their knowledge of the history on our pages. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); "TURN to a Historian" is an independent blog for people searching for historically-accurate information and analysis about "TURN: Washington's Spies", AMC's fictionalized television drama about Revolutionary War spies. Woodhull decided to have Baker as his second for the duel, and he met Simcoe on a small patch of land at a creek. Son of Richard W. & Margaret Smith. ), American frontier soldier who raised and commanded a militia force, known as Rogerss Rangers, which won wide repute during the French and Indian War (175463). Cant find his name in the cast credits either odd. Simcoe arrested him after he gave a pro-patriot sermon to people at a tavern, and he was accused of being the shooter. The Rebels considered the practice trading with the enemy and those caught in the act faced a jail sentence. Thanks for reading and commenting, and enjoy researching! Abraham decided to help Caleb in escaping New York after their meeting, and Caleb was able to escape on a rowboat as Abraham and Anna distracted British guards by offering them some beer from the Strong tavern. If Woodhull and Townsend were exhausted they remained dedicated and efficient. Woodhull served as a lieutenant in the Suffolk County, New York, militia in the fall of 1775 but resigned after a few months. I dont have any little ones of my own, but it seems to me that infant gowns would make life as a busy parent a whole lot easier. [15] Tallmadge assigned Townsend the alias Samuel Culper Junior.. PDF Espionage During the Revolutionary War: Abraham Woodhull and the Culper If I am caught, I could be hanged as a traitor and a spy. With all due respect to Mary Woodhull, . 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. Yes, a gown, as in a dress. Sometimes boys even wore stays, too. Sensing the volatile mental state of both his top operatives, General Washington decided to halt the operations of the Culper Ring. 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. At one point he neared an encampment of Loyalist soldiers commanded by General William Tryon. This week I was reviewing Muster, Payrolls and List of Effectives for Capt Gross Scruggs company of the Fifth Virginia. At one point he neared an encampment of Loyalist soldiers commanded by General William Tryon. [1] Samuel Culper to Brig. One night Woodhull was drafting a report with the new ink while British officers were still in his house and Tallmadge hid in the woods. [U.S.]died May 18, 1795, London, Eng. 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. INTEL - Culper Spy Ring Abraham had Baker reload his gun, but he was convinced to leave the duel with honor. Whatever tactic the major used, Woodhull accepted the offer. He began providing information to the British in 1779, and started a correspondence with Major John Andre, the head of British intelligence. That may be true, but deep down inside it is you, Thomas, who fuels my passion. Woodhull was thereby able to locate and relay messages to whale boat captain Caleb Brewster, who then delivered them to Tallmadge. [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. 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 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. 'Turn' react: The secret link behind Abe's marriage and his brother's [4] He was motivated by the murder of his cousin Brigadier General Nathaniel Woodhull of the New York militia, who was wounded by sword and bayonet cuts after he had been captured on August 29, 1776. Immediate Family: Son of Capt. Woodhull and Tallmadge deserve to be honored and taught. Abraham Woodhull (1750-1826) - Find a Grave Memorial At the inn, he helped a Spanish man win at a game of checkers, and the man told him that some sailors were building ships at the west wharf, making life hard for merchants; Woodhull decided to investigate. ; on back: Old Abraham Woodhull home Seatuket. http://allthingsliberty.com/2014/03/james-rivington-kings-printer-patriot-spy/. network. 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.