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. At one point he neared an encampment of Loyalist soldiers commanded by General William Tryon. 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. Abraham Woodhull was born on October 7th 1750 in Setauket, New York, on Long Island. Thankfully, no actual spies were arrested, and the Ring was able to continue its work, although Woodhull and Townsend were again understandably anxious. The Culper Ring had not seen the last of Benedict Arnold, though. His efforts as a spy were some of the most successful efforts in American History. He was the son of Richard Woodhull, a wealthy judge, and Margaret Smith Woodhull, who did not die when Abraham was young as portrayed in the show, but in fact died in 1803, fifteen years after Richard. He began providing information to the British in 1779, and started a correspondence with Major John Andre, the head of British intelligence. It's possible it was incorrectly annotated. 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. It was then that I knew I could no longer remain idle in this war. As I write this letter you are upstairs in your mothers arms, sleeping peacefully. This trend lasted way beyond that period, too. A Loyalist named John Wolsey returned to Long Island after a stint in a Connecticut prison for privateering and reported a rumor that Woodhull was working for the Rebels. Woodhull and Tallmadge deserve to be honored and taught. Abraham Woodhull (7 October 1750 23 January 1826) was the leader of the Culper Ringnetwork under the aliasSamuel Culper, Sr. during theAmerican Revolutionary War. Woodhull was beaten, and Cyrus offered to let Woodhull leave if he fought him. I know versions of his diary exist elsewhere, but the war time entries can be found, Thank you for sharing that, Adam. Is this just presumed to be legend or myth now? A little boy wearing a feminine gown would be confusing and strange to the average 21st-century viewer, and distracting enough to detract from the main storyline. 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. 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? The Culper intelligence allowed Washington to arrange countermoves, and the episode was one of the Rings greatest successes. He operated under the alias, Samuel Culper and his identity was not learned until the early 20th century. 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. He had recently married Mary Smith, and was afraid of putting his family at undue risk. . He died in 1835. I was quietly longing for the days when there was no fighting when something unexpected happened. He used the alias "Samuel Culper" (later "Samuel Culper Sr."), which was a play on Culpeper County, Virginia, and was suggested by George Washington . Letter Dear Thomas , As I write this letter you are upstairs in your mother 's arms, sleeping peacefully. [17] Washington to Tallmadge, September 22 1779, Writings of George Washington, Vol. Moments later he realized that the intruders were his nieces, playing a game to surprise their uncle, and successfully so. 2022-07-02. (His very appearance is a bit of a chronological anomaly, but well discuss that later.) Im sure you know that the value of intelligence is often intangible, and therefore not always apparant until viewed with the benefit of hindsight. 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! [9] Culper to Scott, October 31, 1778, GW Papers, accessed January 26, 2014, via http://memory.loc.gov. 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. Journal of the American Revolution also produces annual hardcover volumes, a branded book series, and the podcast, Dispatches. 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. He was killed by a Queen's Ranger during an exchange trading himself and Abe for Caleb Brewster. Excellent sketch of the Culper Rings two Principal Agents Mike. 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. Does Baylor Scott and White random drug test? All Rights Reserved. The task fell to his intelligence aide, Major Benjamin Tallmadge, to begin recruiting spies. Also, if you havent seen the preview for next Sundays episode yet, you can view it here. Abraham mentions that his son is "almost a year old" as he eggs him on to start walking on his own. Washington was annoyed; Woodhull had always made a fuss about payment during the war, but Washington saw fit to reward him for his invaluable service. In 1779, Simcoe found out that Abraham Woodhull was a spy and he travelled to Setauket to find him; . 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. Abraham pretended to have had sex with Anna, telling the officer that her "roll is already buttered." Caleb Brewster joined what is today the Coast Guard in 1793, retired in 1816, and died in 1827. Later that day, Abraham decided to head to King's College to visit the spot where his brother had been killed in a 1773 riot after Woodhull put a Phrygian cap on top of the Liberty Pole there. 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. Woodhulls marriage to Mary Smith in November may have reinforced his decision; as a family man, he had more to lose than his own life. Though, they must have been pre-made, as by the time they would have been finished, Sprout would have sprouted some more. On 28 June, his Continental Army engaged Clintons army at Monmouth, but thanks to incompetence on the part of his second-in-command, General Charles Lee, Clinton was able to make it to New York with little more than a bloody nose. 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. 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. Certainly they had an emotional reunion and talked about the rebellion. Woodhull was a descendant of Richard Lawrence Woodhull, a wealthy settler of Setauket, and was also related to New York militia Brigadier General Nathaniel Woodhull. That he has gone so far beyond his promise makes me rather uneasy on his account.[17] And the ever-frugal general often testily reminded his spies not to waste the expensive disappearing ink and to find ways to communicate their intelligence faster. Woodhull immediately set to work attempting to collect the money due him for his services. The court case fell apart, leading to uproar. Thomas Sprout Woodhull (died August 24, 1814) was the son of Culper Ring spy and farmer Abraham Woodhull. Yet, in my research, I have not discovered any documents linking them to him, other than their anxieties you mentioned. I am wondering, however, about the timing of Mr. network. Townsend then decided he was through with espionage. Change). He had an older brother, Thomas.In his youth, Abe made friends with Caleb Brewster and Benjamin Tallmadge. [11] He held a few minor political appointments, including magistrate in Suffolk County, New York, from 1799 to 1810. Benjamin Tallmadge became a wealthy investor, and in 1801 was elected to Congress. After the war ended in December 1783, Woodhull stayed in Setauket. It was in October 1778, when Woodhull toured British-held New York City and its environs, observing Crown military activities. The redcoats informed Woodhull that single persons could no longer travel to New York, stepping up security against patriot infiltrators. [13] Culper to John Bolton, June 5, 1779, GW Papers, accessed March 29, 2014 via http://memory.loc.gov; Rose, Washingtons Spies, 129. His father, Richard, was unharmed, but Simcoe had plundered the house in the most shocking manner in order to obtain compensation for his troubles. [23] Culper to Tallmadge, February 21, 1783, GW Papers, accessed April 27 2014 via http://memory.loc.gov. A number of close calls with British authorities had made both Woodhull and Robert Townsend jumpy. Woodhull began spying in October 1778 and sent his first "Samuel Culper" letter on October 29, 1778, after he had sworn an oath of loyalty to the Crown as cover. Benedict Arnold. Im glad that you all enjoyed the article, and great points from SPM and Ken. 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 was the son of a prominent judge who supported colonial independence. Abraham Woodhull is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor. It was an extraordinary and risky offer both men knew that spying could be a short path to a hanging. In the episode . [8], Yet for all of his success, the pressure of spying and leading a double life severely strained Woodhull. Rose, Alexander. . 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. He was later buried is Setauket, next to his wife, Rebecca and his son, Thomas . His position as a merchant in New York City put him in an excellent position to learn British plans from his Crown business contacts. A farmer and the son of a local Patriot judge, Abraham Woodhull joined the Culper ring in November of 1778. In 1778, he was . We work with various museums, historical societies and media outlets around the world. More on the way soon! Wikipedia. Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life 1.2 Death 2 Characters met Little Thomas Woodhull, whom Abraham fondly calls Sprout, steals the spotlight at the beginning and end of the TURN pilot episode. Anna Strong (Heather Lind) We know she lived in Setauket until her death at age 72 on Aug. 12, 1812 (coincidentally exactly 205 years before the Turn series finale). Sensing the volatile mental state of both his top operatives, General Washington decided to halt the operations of the Culper Ring. For more information, I highly recommend reading Linda Baumgartens primer on colonial childrens clothing (the source of the above quote). A French fleet was sailing into Rhode Island to attack British forces there, and Washington wanted information that could make the job of the French easier. Richard Woodhull (1712-1788) was the local magistrate of Setauket, New York under Great Britain during the American Revolution. Journal of the American Revolution is the leading source of knowledge about the American Revolution and Founding Era. 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 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. I fight this fight for you. Abraham Woodhull: The Spy Named Samuel Culper. Journal of the American Revolution, 19 May 2014. [] and visually busy spectacle. 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. Abraham pulled his gun and asked Baker not to arrest him, but Baker said that he would not be a traitor like Abraham. 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. His wife Mary died in 1806, and in 1824, he remarried. Bantam, 2014. Woodhull began spying for the Continental Army in late 1778, as part of the Culper Spy Ring. He was the son of Richard Woodhull, a wealthy judge, and Margaret Smith Woodhull, who did not die when Abraham was young as portrayed in the show, but in fact died in 1803, fifteen years after Richard. The two proceeded to strip down and have sex in Baker's bed, with Abraham telling Anna that he could do so because it was his house, and Anna responded by telling him to prove it. Schellhammer, Michael. He died two years later, on 23 January 1826. Woodhull enlisted Robert Townsend, a merchant who conducted business in Manhattan, to gather intelligence about British military plans. The TV show TURN took plenty of historical liberties; for instance, there is no evidence of a love affair between Abraham Woodhull and Anna Strong. [4] Culper to Scott, October 31, 1778, GW Papers, accessed January 26, 2014 via http://memory.loc.gov. ae 53 years and 1 day Abraham Thomas was the son of Nicholas Thomas (1753-1838) and his first wife, Lucy Somes (1759-1792). Continental Army Major Benjamin Tallmadge was Woodhull's neighbor in Setauket and approached Woodhull in August 1778 about gathering intelligence for the Patriot cause during the American Revolutionary War. Watching you fall and get up over and over again swelled my heart with pride and joy. This is a dangerous endeavor. [2] Alexander Rose, Washingtons Spies: the Story of Americas first Spy Ring (New York: Bantam Dell, 2006), 74, 84-87. 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. Yes, a gown, as in a dress. Sometimes boys even wore stays, too. To protect their identities Tallmadge assigned aliases for their correspondence; Tallmadge went by John Bolton and Woodhull used the name Samuel Culper. It was the beginning of what became known as the Culper Ring., Woodhull was good at the espionage business. Abraham Woodhull was born in 1750 in Setauket, a town on Long Island, New York. Background. Ironically, Woodhulls exploits could not be recognized after the war so its information like that presented in Mikes article that puts the things to right. Neither man recorded the details of their meeting but we can make some inferences by the result. 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. Your email address will not be published. It is likely that the hidden letters, became brittle and fell off. Did Abraham Woodhull have a son named Thomas? Townsend stole and cooked the two brown eggs, serving them to Woodhull when he returned to the inn after nearly leaving the city. . 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. Abraham Woodhull - the 'Culper' of the Culper Ring. Cant find his name in the cast credits either odd. http://allthingsliberty.com/2014/03/james-rivington-kings-printer-patriot-spy/.