Culper Ring

The Culper Ring was a spy organization to Benjamin Tallmadge (1754-1835) under the command of General George Washington, which was founded in the summer of 1778. The ring had the task to explore the British-controlled area of ​​New York City and to report on the military inclinations and intentions. The heyday of Culper ring was in the years 1778-1781.

Founding members and

After the Battle of Monmouth end in June 1778, British troops under General Sir Henry Clinton moved to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, back. From there, the shipment took place in New York City, which was occupied since the defeat of General Washington at the Battle of Fort Washington in September 1776 for almost two years by the British. Washington was aware of the need for good intelligence- aware and instructed one of his officers, Major Benjamin Tallmadge to recruit trustworthy personnel that could be concealed employed in New York.

Tallmadge enlisted Abraham Woodhull, it was a peasant from Setauket ( a village on the north shore of Long Iceland ), also Robert Townsend, a businessman from Manhattan; both provided the majority of information. A host named Austin Roe and a certain Jonas Hawkins acted as couriers of the organization.

The reports and messages from Robert Townsend from the British-occupied Setauket were transferred from the whalers Caleb Brewster and his men on the Long Iceland Sound of Tallmadge dragoons and funneled headquarters in General Washington. Brewster remained at the time when the British Nathan Hale captured with drawings of their fortifications and hanged him then, already in New York. Apparently influenced by death Hales, Washington came to the conclusion that the spies of the " Culper Ring" needed more support. Tallmadge she taught thereafter in dealing with secret codes, invisible ink, dead drops and aliases.

The farmer Woodhull was in the mission " Samuel Culper senior" called and Townsend called " Samuel Culper Junior". The secrecy developed in such a way that not even Washington himself knew the identities of all agents. The role of Townsend was in 1939 significantly after a handwriting analysis and has since been confirmed by other evidence. One of the assistants was known only by the code " 355 " in the group, this was the code for woman. These were a prisoner on board the British battleship The Jersey, the Robert Townsend gave birth to an illegitimate child.

Nathan Hale and Tallmadge were close friends at Yale. Tallmadge entry into the "secret world " was not accidental, as well as not creating the " Culper Ring" in 1778. Early 1777 Tallmadge acted as the contact person of the agent John Clark in Connecticut, when he stayed on Long Iceland. Prior Tallmadge worked for the spy chief Nathaniel Sackett.

References in the music and entertainment literature

  • In the comic book series Y - The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan an agent of a fictional modern Culper ring is one of the main characters. In a direct reference to the historical Culper ring the agent is known only by its code name 355. In the world of the Y Culper ring exists as a secret spy ring under the direct command of the president since the American Revolution. In the story, in 1977 a group of renegade agents to split from the Culper ring and called himself Setauket ring, according to the district in New York, where the historic Culper ring was originally formed. One of closest 355S employees in Culper ring is the agent 711 In response to a joke of Yorick Brown explains that 711 is the codename of George Washington 's historic Culper ring was. In modern ring is the number one sign of heroism.
  • In the BBC drama Spooks, series 2, episode 900 231, Tom Quinn assumes the identity of a student of the University of the West Midlands called John Culper.
  • Culper ring is the name of an experimental music project by Steve From Till, guitarist and singer of many years of experimental metal band Neurosis, which was moved from the American label Neurot Recordings.
  • The novel Shadow Patriots by Lucia St. Clair Robson tells the story of Culper ring and the spy 355
  • Culper ring was mentioned in episode 207 of the U.S. action series Chuck Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak in connection with possible espionage methods.
Monmouth County, New Jersey Fort Washington (Manhattan) John Clark (governor)
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