Abraham went as a guest of Cook, and Anna later infiltrated the party while disguised as a prostitute. He died two years later, on 23 January 1826. Woodhull was a descendant of Richard Lawrence Woodhull, a wealthy settler of Setauket,[1] and was also related to New York militia Brigadier General Nathaniel Woodhull. 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. Woodhull offered to send some cabbage to them, but they said that their brigade was being shipped out for Trenton, New Jersey soon. 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. Abraham Woodhull was a farmer in the town of Setauket on Long Island's North Shore. Robert Townsend went into business with his brother Solomon, but the business failed, and Townsend never got back on his feet. If I am caught, I could be hanged as a traitor and a spy. Before Simcoe could fire back, Woodhull and Anna Strong arrived and ended the fight, with Anna telling Simcoe that the men were fighting for their honor, not hers, and telling them that they could both leave. 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. This trend lasted way beyond that period, too. In one incident, a Tory privateer named John Wolsey reported a rumor that Woodhull was spying for the Continental Army. Abraham Woodhull (7 October 1750 23 January 1826) was the leader of the Culper Ringnetwork under the aliasSamuel Culper, Sr. during theAmerican Revolutionary War. And dont worry well be discussing plenty of military details here on the blog soon enough. Throughout history once the conflict is over, the perceived value of infantrymen and intelligence agents are always called into question. 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. Hewlett allowed him to do so, so the British guard would have to keep a distance from him in order for him to carry out his act. Woodhull, in turn, promptly involved Townsend, who reinforced his cover by writing pro-Tory articles for the Royal Gazette. [10] Tallmadge to Washington, November 19, 1778, GW Papers, accessed January 26, 2014, via http://memory.loc.gov. and Mary Anna (Smith) Woodhull. 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. He died in 1826 in Setauket. We work with various museums, historical societies and media outlets around the world. 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. Upon hearing of Woodhulls rumored espionage, Simcoe marched his Rangers into Setauket and proceeded to raid the Woodhull household. Unfortunately, Ensign Baker entered the room with his musket, and he heard the whole conversation. Washington sent another vial of ink.[12]. Abraham Woodhull/Parents Background. 9. Woodhull had a problem to face, however, as he had to give Major Hewlett a final report on New York. I fight this fight for you. 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. The house was burned to the ground, and the family moved into Whitehall. They continued their march across the Sound, spilling over onto Long Island and into Setauket. Abraham Woodhull/Parents If so, how did this myth get created? A young man who I have known since I was only a few years older than you are now. The war finally ended in 1783, with the Continental Army victorious thanks to assistance from the French. From Brewster, the intelligence would be passed on to Major Tallmadge, then to General Washingtons desk. The British knew the exact strength of the French fleet, and were going to wait for them to make harbor and ambush them. 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. (Hes not even a year old and hes already turning Setauket into the Brooklyn of the 18th century!). 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. 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. In return, Tallmadge proposed to Woodhull that he start spying for the Continental Army; Woodhull agreed, and Tallmadge received approval from Washington. Bantam, 2014. 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. Now that York City is dark to the rebel army, they need a man who can get inside and gather information. Even if they decide to spare my life and send me to a prison ship, I would still leave you, your mother, my father, and our entire family disgraced. Makes me feel resentful, though, at our Long Island schools. What struck me is the summary of the June 1777, I agree, and checked my source before submitting. [6] Culper to Tallmadge, February 26, 1779, GW Papers, accessed January 26, 2014, via http://memory.loc.gov. He was recruited by Benjamin Tallmadge and served the Continental Army for many years. Abraham Woodhull performed Patriotic Service in New York in the American Revolution. He was killed by a Queen's Ranger during an exchange trading himself and Abe for Caleb Brewster. 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. Did Abraham Woodhull have a son named Thomas? I hope that one day, the Lord willing, you will grow up to be a man. Journal of the American Revolution is the leading source of knowledge about the American Revolution and Founding Era. He had an older brother, Thomas.In his youth, Abe made friends with Caleb Brewster and Benjamin Tallmadge. Application of another solution developed the ink to reappear. 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. However, the British quickly suspected him of spying; they even went to Setauket to arrest him in June 1779, although he avoided trouble since he wasn't at home. with his son William Tallmadge. General Sir Henry Clinton, the commander of the British armies in Philadelphia, was ordered to leave the city and take his soldiers to New York to bolster defenses against a possible American and French attack. 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. Abraham had Baker reload his gun, but he was convinced to leave the duel with honor. Then he wrote down his observations and hid them at a secluded cove near 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. memorial page for Abraham Woodhull (7 Oct 1750-23 Jan 1826), Find a Grave . Abraham Woodhull, spy for General George Washington, nearly got himself hanged on one of his first missions. 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. The intelligence would then be retrieved by a certain boatman named Caleb Brewster, who was a lieutenant in the Continental Army. Unfortunately, several British officers decided to billet at Woodhulls farm at the same time and a violent storm prevented Brewster from retrieving Tallmadge. In Manhattan, he collected information from various sources, including British officers staying at the Underhill boarding house and then return to Setauket, where he passed the information to the Continental Army lieutenant and whaleboat operator Caleb Brewster to take across Long Island Sound to Tallmadge. [5] According to some reports, he had been deprived of medical care and food and suffered an agonizing death on September 20, 1776,[2] and Abraham Woodhull was inflamed against the British by that event. Creator: Thomas R. Bayles Identifier: aql:14389 trb-000045 trb-000045.tif. He died a lonely man in 1838. The Culper intelligence allowed Washington to arrange countermoves, and the episode was one of the Rings greatest successes. Caleb escaped, and Abraham decided to continue passing information to the patriots. But how do you read the non-transcribed Samuel Culper John Bolton GW Papers via http://memory.loc.gov? Richard Woodhull (died 1780) was the father of Culper Ring spy and farmer Abraham Woodhull. [2] Alexander Rose, Washingtons Spies: the Story of Americas first Spy Ring (New York: Bantam Dell, 2006), 74, 84-87. Thankfully, no actual spies were arrested, and the Ring was able to continue its work, although Woodhull and Townsend were again understandably anxious. Woodhull served as a lieutenant in the Suffolk County, New York, militia in the fall of 1775 but resigned after a few months. 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. The Culper Ring had not seen the last of Benedict Arnold, though. Woodhull was thereby able to locate and relay messages to whale boat captain Caleb Brewster, who then delivered them to Tallmadge. The war is raging now, and General Washington has been driven out of York City and the Royal Army has taken over there. Abraham Woodhull, Esq. . Together, they had 11 children. Documents answer this question positively without doubt. You put your tiny little hand on my leg and tried to take your first shaky steps. Woodhull gave reports to the Continentals from inside the city, noting that Howe's flagship HMSEagle and other Royal Navy ships remained in the harbor as British troop numbers decreased, and when he entered Robert Townsend's boarding inn for some breakfast, Woodhull took note of the people feeling on edge, saying that an assault by 5,000 men could probably take the city. 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. 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 and Anna spending time together in Anna's barn. Astrological Sign: Libra, Death Year: 1826, Death date: January 23, 1826, Death State: New York, Death City: Setauket, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Abraham Woodhull Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/political-figure/abraham-woodhull, Publisher: A&E Television Networks, Last Updated: July 7, 2020, Original Published Date: May 18, 2015. [19], But on the heels of this victory came a threat to their security. In the encounter, Woodhull won a coin toss and was allowed to draw first blood, but his shot missed Simcoe. Im no expert on deciphering such documents, but have found that understanding the language of the time and subject matter is helpful. [18] John Bolton to Washington, May 8, 1780, GW Papers, accessed April 19, 2014, via http://memory.loc.gov. As depicted in the show, Abraham Woodhull was a cabbage farmer. 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. If you are interested in working with us or have a great story, please get in touch. Both of those can help give you the context to figure out words and phrases that seem unintelligable. 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. 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. The correspondence between the general and Tallmadge shows that Washington often relied heavily on Culper Ring information during times of crisis. 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. 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. Fall River Press, 2014. [13] Culper to John Bolton, June 5, 1779, GW Papers, accessed March 29, 2014 via http://memory.loc.gov; Rose, Washingtons Spies, 129. [15] Tallmadge assigned Townsend the alias Samuel Culper Junior.. In the ensuing encounter, Woodhull was rescued by the redcoats, who killed Cyrus. It's possible it was incorrectly annotated. While I am caught in the middle of a war I hope will be over soon, I can only hope we are on the side of right and good. We feature smart, groundbreaking research and well-written narratives from expert writers. As I write this letter you are upstairs in your mothers arms, sleeping peacefully. Was Abraham Woodhulls father a loyalist? I was just wondering. He was the son of a prominent judge who supported colonial independence. 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. Woodhull began spying for the Continental Army in late 1778, as part of the Culper Spy Ring. Click on the title of a post to view the comments and join the conversation! Tallmadge and his commander, Brig. Thanks for reading and commenting, and enjoy researching! [7] Tallmadge added two couriers to the operation to speed the reports from New York City to Setauket. Abraham Woodhull - Abraham was a key member of the Culper Spy Ring. 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. Austin Roe became the main courier for the ring later after Woodhull stopped going to New York City to gather intelligence personally. 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. Who was Abraham Woodhall? Perhaps Sprouts wealthy grandfather has servants churning out breeches for his grandchildren! While there, he had a conversation with two Hessians making sauerkraut at their campfire, and they let him try their food. 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. Tallmadge wrote Washington on October 11, 1780 that Arnold knew not a single link in the chain of my correspondence, but that the Culper operatives were too apprehensive of danger to give their immediate usual intelligence.[20] Woodhull and Townsend laid low but returned to providing information. Presbyterian Church-Setauket, Setauket- East Setauket, NYAbraham Woodhull / Place of burialSetauket Presbyterian Church and Burial Ground, also known as First Presbyterian Church of Brookhaven, is a historic Presbyterian church and cemetery at 5 Caroline Avenue in the hamlet of Setauket, Suffolk County, New York. In addition, Abrahams cousin, Nathaniel Woodhull, a general in the Continental Army, had perished in the Battle of Long Island in 1776. Woodhull and Strong must accomplish this right underneath the noses of the British soldiers occupying their hometown, as well as Woodhulls Loyalist father. Working together, Woodhull and Townsend warned Washington about British activities as the 1779 campaign developed and they discovered British plans to wreck American finances by counterfeiting Continental currency. Now there are redcoats everywhere, swathed in every nook of our hometown. Son: Thomas 'Sprout' Woodhull: General Information. Interesting notes. She then passed on the information to American soldiers. Even after resigning he sent seven more letters about British activities. In June, the British had been forced to evacuate Philadelphia after the city became untenable due to vulnerability and stretched supply lines. 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. Brother of Mary (Woodhull) Arthur and . 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. Woodhull began spying for the. Benjamin Tallmadge became a wealthy investor, and in 1801 was elected to Congress. Woodhull somehow successfully answered the soldiers questions but the encounter still shook him to his bones. Your email address will not be published. The Life Summary of Abraham When Abraham Woodhull was born on 7 October 1750, in Setauket, Suffolk, New York Colony, British Colonial America, his father, Hon Richard Woodhull IV, was 38 and his mother, Margaret Smith, was 36. Craft's comments since in the first sentence, he refers to the "peace, security and national, JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 2018. When you are that man, I want nothing more than a future for you where you are able to live, love and be free. 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. But Im a bit surprised by the []. Woodhull became involved in the revolution around the same time, with Anna convincing him that he should side with the patriots against the British. 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. Woodhull and Cyrus fought, but Cyrus later heard British troops approaching him after they found out that Woodhull had been ambushed. Woodhull decided to attend Andre's ball for his officers, and Anna told him that she would go there as well to help him, although Abraham told Anna that she should not go in her sad condition, as she would reveal her purpose. 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. Certainly they had an emotional reunion and talked about the rebellion. 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). On a somewhat more practical level I also adjust the contrast on the images, which makes the handwriting more clear. Townsend then decided he was through with espionage. 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. Before he left Connecticut, Woodhull was probably stunned when he received a visit from Benjamin Tallmadge, who he knew as a fellow Setauket native. 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. Abraham Woodhull (October 7, 1750 - January 23, 1826) was a leading member of the Culper Spy Ring in New York City and Setauket, New York, during the American Revolutionary War. Additionally, you can browse through a slideshow of primary source images concerning children and babies over at the 18th Century Material Culture Resource Center. A Letter From Abraham Woodhull to His Son Thomas is an entry from the Turn: Washington's Spies official site. [5] In February 1779 he sent information on troop movements, supply problems, naval matters, the total strength of enemy forces around New York, the possibility of reinforcements, and other military plans; the report was seven pages long. Normally Woodhull was a farmer in the town of Setauket on Long Islands north shore where he cared for his elderly parents. Woodhull was beaten, and Cyrus offered to let Woodhull leave if he fought him. 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. He is most notable for leading the British side in the Battle of Setauket. Best Known For: Abraham Woodhull was a member of the Culper Spy Ring, which provided information to George Washington during the American Revolution. In 1778, he was . [11] He held a few minor political appointments, including magistrate in Suffolk County, New York, from 1799 to 1810. So little Thomas Sprout Woodhull appears to be quite the little hipster baby wearing breeches before they were cool. For five days Tallmadge hid in the woods while Woodhull sneaked him food. 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. 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. 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 . Ken, I absolutely agree with your outlook. Students deserve to know about their hometown heroes. His father, Richard, was unharmed, but Simcoe had plundered the house in the most shocking manner in order to obtain compensation for his troubles. The evacuating British were forced to make the trip to New York by land due to the threat of French naval attack, giving General Washington an opportunity to strike a crippling blow. Later that day, 22 August 1777, Benjamin Tallmadge raided Setauket to free his father and the other accused townspeople, taking over the town. He used the alias "Samuel Culper" (later "Samuel Culper Sr."), which was a play on Culpeper County, Virginia, and was suggested by George Washington . He rushed to the dying Baker and cried, having killed his first man. In early 1779 it took about a week for Woodhulls letters to reach Washington, which was a substantial improvement to the pre-Culper Ring espionage efforts in New York City. [16] Washington to Tallmadge, October 6 1779, Writings of George Washington, Vol. (His very appearance is a bit of a chronological anomaly, but well discuss that later.) [U.S.]died May 18, 1795, London, Eng. 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! The Culper Spy Ring was an organized network of agents working on behalf of the Continental Army that operated behind and just beyond enemy lines. Under the system that Tallmadge designed, Woodhull travelled to New York every few weeks on business, mixed with Crown soldiers, listened for news, and observed activities. Woodhull decided to have Baker as his second for the duel, and he met Simcoe on a small patch of land at a creek. 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. The incident struck fear into Townsends heart, as it demonstrated just how easy it was to be captured. Woodhull returned to New York, defeated. (Dont believe me? They have taken over everything, using brute force and the heels of their boots to make their presence known. 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. Neither man recorded the details of their meeting but we can make some inferences by the result. Posted on April 8, 2014 Updated on April 9, 2014. Robert Rogers, (born Nov. 7, 1731, Methuen, Mass. [19] Culper to John Bolton, July 20, 1780, GW Papers, accessed April 20 2014 via http://memory.loc.gov; Rose, Washingtons Spies, 189-192. Margaret Smith (LogOut/ See Todd Andrliks James Rivington: Kings Printer and Patriot Spy? Abraham Woodhull (October 7, 1750 January 23, 1826) was a leading member of the Culper Spy Ring in New York City and Setauket, New York, during the American Revolutionary War. He hardly ever spoke of his work as a spy. Now, he knew that 1,500 Hessian troops were going to be sent to Trenton, and he decided to pass this on to Caleb. 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.
