George Washington's Long Island Spy Ring by Bill Bleyer

Author:Bill Bleyer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing Inc.
Published: 2021-05-14T16:00:00+00:00

Washington added that if Townsend could not come up with trustworthy people to shorten the loop, “I think I can name one or two men to him who will receive and convey to me through others such intelligence as he may think important.”284

Phillips Roe House in Port Jefferson, home of a member of the Culper Spy Ring. Photo by Audrey C. Tiernan, copyright 2020.

While relaying the usual information about enemy activity and telling Washington about a meeting with Townsend in New York City, Woodhull wrote at the end of February about the condition of prisoners on the Jersey and other British prison hulks anchored along the Brooklyn shore. “Our prisoners on board of ships hath suffered much this winter, and to complete the total destruction of the sick, the hospital ship on Thursday last about 4 o’clock took fire in the stern, said by means of a stove, and was immediately consumed. How many perished I cannot say. Reports are from 3 to 50.”285

Woodhull was never reticent about offering military advice to the commander in chief. In a postscript to a letter from March 13, 1780, Culper Senior wrote,

I have just heard that the enemy hath made a demand from Smith Town of a thousand cords of wood and that all the wood lying near our harbor is to be cut for them—and two regts.[regiments] is to be stationed in this Town[Brookhaven]. If it should take place it will I fear entirely ruin our correspondence. To prevent which I shall give you early intelligence of their motions from time to time, that you may be prepared to give them a fatal blow at the beginning, or we shall be totally ruined.286

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