and Mary Anna (Smith) Woodhull. I have a family photo of my grandmother and her siblings in the early 20th century, and her youngest brother is in a gown. Application of another solution developed the ink to reappear. He also never had a son named Thomas; Mary would give birth to two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary, and a son named Jesse. Abraham mentions that his son is "almost a year old" as he eggs him on to start walking on his own. [19], But on the heels of this victory came a threat to their security. Woodhull wrote, I received their threats for coming there that made me almost tremble knowing my situation and business.[1] His statement only hinted at what he inwardly knew; that if the soldiers discovered his espionage mission, they would have hanged him without compunction. 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. Sometimes historians give the Culper Ring credit for discovering Benedict Arnold was a traitor. Washington planned a naval attack on New York City and pressed Tallmadge for Woodhull to at all times keep his attention on changes of situation, or the new positions which may be taken by the enemy. He died a lonely man in 1838. Anna decided to cover up the whole event by burning down the house, saying that Baker had been killed by retreating patriots while defending the house as they looted it, and that the family would move into Whitehall with Judge Woodhull like they should have long before. Certainly they had an emotional reunion and talked about the rebellion. Abraham Woodhull was born on October 7th 1750 in Setauket, New York, on Long Island. 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. I knew I had to do this for our family. 16, accessed April 19 2014 via http://etext.virginia.edu. Washingtons Spies: The Story of Americas First Spy Ring. Poor quality print. . 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. Startled, Woodhull sprang to his feet and snatched up his writing paper, breaking the vial of special ink on the floor. See Todd Andrliks James Rivington: Kings Printer and Patriot Spy? Woodhull adopts the alias Samuel Culper, and begins his espionage, making trips to New York to scope out British military strength and eavesdrop on important conversations. His role in the ambush led to him being involved in the revolutioanry cause, although he only did it because Simcoe had been harassing Anna Strong while was quartered at her house. Woodhull, the son of the loyalist magistrate Richard Woodhull, decided to volunteer his services to the Continental Army as the leader of a spy ring in New York City after 1777, assisting George Washington in collecting information on the British Army's activities. ; on back: Old Abraham Woodhull home Seatuket. Father of Richard Lawrence Woodhull and Fred Woodhull. Abraham Woodhull (7 October 1750 23 January 1826) was the leader of the Culper Ringnetwork under the aliasSamuel Culper, Sr. during theAmerican Revolutionary War. He was the son of a prominent judge who supported colonial independence. The British responded to this by disarming all of the citizens, and when Benjamin Tallmadge's father Benjamin Tallmadge, Sr. greeted the British as a hostile person when turning in his gun, he was suspected. This is a 1790 portrait by American painter Ralph Earl . 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 and Strong must accomplish this right underneath the noses of the British soldiers occupying their hometown, as well as Woodhulls Loyalist father. Abraham Woodhull - the 'Culper' of the Culper Ring. They likely discussed Woodhulls activities trading with the British. Woodhull was one of Washington's spies during the revolutionary war. Selah and Anna Strong lived out the rest of their lives quietly in Setauket. Ken, I absolutely agree with your outlook. Thanks for pointing this out!! [U.S.]died May 18, 1795, London, Eng. 2022-07-02. But Im a bit surprised by the []. Accessed 18 May 2016. https://allthingsliberty.com/2014/05/abraham-woodhull-the-spy-named-samuel-culper/. His wife Mary died in 1806, and in 1824, he remarried. In October of 1777, Woodhull announced to his father, Major Hewlett, his wife, Anna Strong, and other guests at a party commemorating Hewlett that he would be resuming his old studies at King's College to get a law degree, having regained an interest in law after the loss of his farm and his prosecution of the alleged patriots. He used the alias "Samuel Culper" (later "Samuel Culper Sr."), which was a play on Culpeper County, Virginia, and was suggested by George Washington. Woodhull encountered his childhood friend Caleb Brewster when he arrived in Connecticut, selling him his cabbage in exchange for some money and some silk. http://allthingsliberty.com/2014/03/james-rivington-kings-printer-patriot-spy/. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 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. On a somewhat more practical level I also adjust the contrast on the images, which makes the handwriting more clear. Abraham had Baker reload his gun, but he was convinced to leave the duel with honor. 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. Both of those can help give you the context to figure out words and phrases that seem unintelligable. How do you stay on task while doing homework? (His very appearance is a bit of a chronological anomaly, but we'll discuss that later.) Still dedicated to his mission, in June Woodhull expanded the operation by recruiting 25 year-old Robert Townsend, a former lodger at the Underhill boarding house, as an additional agent. Eventually operating from Underhills boarding house, Woodhull so successfully played the part of a loyal but inquisitive farmer that he gained all of the information he needed, and more. In late August, Woodhull received an unexpectedly early release from jail by order of Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull. His parents were Judge Richard Woodhull and Mary Woodhull (ne Smith). In return, Tallmadge proposed to Woodhull that he start spying for the Continental Army; Woodhull agreed, and Tallmadge received approval from Washington. Abraham was forced to fire, shooting him in the stomach. At one point he neared an encampment of Loyalist soldiers commanded by General William Tryon. These agents reported on British activity from their homes in New York City, on Long Island, New York, and in Connecticut. He traveled regularly from Setauket to Manhattan, ostensibly to visit his sister. Upon hearing of Woodhulls rumored espionage, Simcoe marched his Rangers into Setauket and proceeded to raid the Woodhull household. [21], In 1781 British and Loyalist units still patrolled Long Island and though Woodhull continued reporting, he remained concerned about his safety. 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. An ancillary benefit of reading the non-transcribed document, at least with some writers, is the unbelievable penmanship of some. 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. Townsend then decided he was through with espionage. 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. He was killed by a Queen's Ranger during an exchange trading himself and Abe for Caleb Brewster. Who was Abraham Woodhall? After the United States gained independence, Woodhull served as a magistrate, as had his father before him, and served as a judge in Suffolk County, New York. 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 . . In one incident, a Tory privateer named John Wolsey reported a rumor that Woodhull was spying for the Continental Army. After her death in 1806, Woodhull remarried in 1824. 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. In the encounter, Woodhull won a coin toss and was allowed to draw first blood, but his shot missed Simcoe. 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. 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. His wife knew that he was only saying this so that he could continue spying in New York, so she decided to intervene, and Major Hewlett settled the argument by granting Woodhull an armed escort into the city at all times. Was Abraham Woodhulls father a loyalist? Whatever tactic the major used, Woodhull accepted the offer. 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. However, he was arrested by British troops and thrown in prison by Inspector-General Joseph Innes, who believed that he was spying for the rebels. 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. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Poster: Abraham Lincoln, With His Son Tad (Thomas) Leaning On A Table, 1865 at the best online prices at eBay! Breeches and a linen shirt, like the little colonial man he is! 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). It was an extraordinary and risky offer both men knew that spying could be a short path to a hanging. 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. While there, he had a conversation with two Hessians making sauerkraut at their campfire, and they let him try their food. 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. The court case fell apart, leading to uproar. List of American Revolutionary War battles, Turn: Washington's Spies official site entries. Abraham Woodhull was a member of the Culper Spy Ring, which provided information to George Washington during the American Revolution. In the summer of 1778, the need arose for a Rebel spy network in New York City, the site of the British Armys continental headquarters. Abraham Woodhull, spy for General George Washington, nearly got himself hanged on one of his first missions. 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. Woodhull told Anna to raise a black petticoat on her clothing line to signal Tallmadge's courier, and it turned out to be Caleb Brewster. 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. 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 enlisted Robert Townsend, a merchant who conducted business in Manhattan, to gather intelligence about British military plans. Abraham Woodhull/Parents Background. Normally Woodhull was a farmer in the town of Setauket on Long Islands north shore where he cared for his elderly parents. 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! But he probably never forgot that day in 1778 when he came very close to being hanged. 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. 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. Woodhull turned out to be a very effective spy, and his reports were uncannily accurate. [5] Culper to Maj. Benjamin Tallmadge, November 23, 1778, GW Papers, accessed January 26, 2014, via http://memory.loc.gov. [2], Woodhull was to be a new type of American spy. Woodhull was probably preparing to make careful mental notes of Tryons camp when he unluckily stumbled upon a group of soldiers who immediately detained him and demanded to know why he was wandering around. Washington sent another vial of ink.[12]. Together, they had 11 children. 2022-07-02. Turn: Washington's Spies. [7] Culper to Tallmadge, March 17, 1779, GW Papers, accessed January 26, 2014, via http://memory.loc.gov. Are there transcriptions at any other accessible digital websites? Where you can stand on your own two feet. Members of the 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. Was is from Morton Pennypacker? 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. From Brewster, the intelligence would be passed on to Major Tallmadge, then to General Washingtons desk. [11] He held a few minor political appointments, including magistrate in Suffolk County, New York, from 1799 to 1810. Woodhull somehow successfully answered the soldiers questions but the encounter still shook him to his bones. 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. Woodhull became one of Washingtons best spies, knowing all the while that he was one step away from a noose. [11], He died in Setauket on January 23, 1826, and is buried in the Setauket Presbyterian Church and Burial Ground. 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. 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. Abraham Woodhull - Abraham was a key member of the Culper Spy Ring. . 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. The intelligence provided by the Culper Ring prevented what might have been a terrible disaster, and was one of its most important triumphs. [3] Washington to Brig. Best Known For: Abraham Woodhull was a member of the Culper Spy Ring, which provided information to George Washington during the American Revolution. Simcoe arrested him after he gave a pro-patriot sermon to people at a tavern, and he was accused of being the shooter. Unfortunately, several British officers decided to billet at Woodhulls farm at the same time and a violent storm prevented Brewster from retrieving Tallmadge. (LogOut/ [2] His parents were Judge Richard Woodhull and Mary Woodhull (ne Smith).[3]. The rumor fell upon the ears of a certain Queens Rangers captain by the name of John Graves Simcoe. Tallmadge told Woodhull that George Washington wanted him to work with the patriots as a spy during the American Revolutionary War, and he refused. 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 decided to do so, as his father was in the church as well. Richard Woodhull War History Online welcomes many guest authors who share their knowledge of the history on our pages. He said the man who placed the Phrygian cap on the Liberty Pole at King's College back in 1773 (referring to himself), as his actions lead to his brother's death; this was his way of telling Anna about what happened that led to their engagement being broken. [9] Culper to Scott, October 31, 1778, GW Papers, accessed January 26, 2014, via http://memory.loc.gov. [14] Culper to Bolton, June 5, 1779, GW Papers, accessed March 29, 2014 via http://memory.loc.gov (second letter dated June 5). [15][16] Other people from Woodhull's life are portrayed in the show as well. Change). Woodhull held several important local positions in his later years, including magistrate of Setauket, judge of the Court of Common Pleas and first judge of Suffolk County. It is likely that the hidden letters, became brittle and fell off. 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. [15] Tallmadge assigned Townsend the alias Samuel Culper Junior.. In 1781, Woodhull resigned from his duties. Does beard oil expire? Woodhull prefaced the information with the admonishment that the intelligence contained news of the greatest consequence perhaps that ever happened to your country.. Woodhull never spoke of his spying activities to anyone. [12] Tallmadge to Washington, April 21, 1779, GW Papers, accessed March 29, 2014 via http://memory.loc.gov; Rose, Washingtons Spies, 128. Two of his children, Elizabeth and Jesse, married into the Brewster family. 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. 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. Woodhull continued to report on the location of British ships and troops, but Townsend eventually took note of the fact that Woodhull was writing secret messages on the brown eggs and not white ones. [17] Washington to Tallmadge, September 22 1779, Writings of George Washington, Vol. . It is easy to see why AMC would choose such a spy ring as the subject of a television show. 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. Those knickers were adorable, I want the sewing pattern for them anyone have any ideas where / how I can get one? And the different writing styles of the Culper agents becomes apparant after reading a lot of the correspondence. Abraham negotiated that his father could sell his hogs for 7 pounds each, saying that Cook could make an extra profit by giving the quartermaster the required 20 hogs and some more hogs to other merchants, which would benefit Cook. Little Thomas Woodhull, whom Abraham fondly calls "Sprout," steals the spotlight at the beginning and end of the TURN pilot episode. Caleb succeeded in doing this while Abraham was away, as Robert witnessed Simcoe's rangers beat up his father and burn down his stables when he asked for money in exchange for giving his cavalry to the rangers. What struck me is the summary of the June 1777, I agree, and checked my source before submitting. John Graves Simcoe, (born February 25, 1752, Cotterstock, Northamptonshire, Englanddied October 26, 1806, Exeter, Devonshire), British soldier and statesman who became the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada (present-day Ontario). Gen. Charles Scott, added their own comments and couriers then sped the messages to Washington at Continental Army headquarters in New Jersey. Woodhull served as a lieutenant in the Suffolk County, New York, militia in the fall of 1775 but resigned after a few months. Granted, this particular anachronism is a small detail that is (like little Thomas baby couture) not hugely integral to the larger storyline of TURN.