Anna remained alone on the family farm during the American Revolution, where she assisted with General Washington's Culper Spy Ring. As depicted in the show, Abraham Woodhull was a cabbage farmer. Except what he should be wearing at that tender age is a gown. Click on the title of a post to view the comments and join the conversation! Abraham Woodhull, Esq. 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. [11] Culper to Tallmadge, April 101779, GW Papers, accessed January 26, 2014, via http://memory.loc.gov. In mid-1778 he began sailing across Long Island Sound to British-held New York to sell his farms produce for hard currency. Arnold had defected to the British side after he became increasingly ticked off at the Patriots for not properly recognizing his achievements on the battlefield. 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). In late August, Woodhull received an unexpectedly early release from jail by order of Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull. Bantam, 2014. The two often went to New York together masquerading as husband and wife, and the trick was effective, despite Strong being ten years older than Woodhull. Abraham went as a guest of Cook, and Anna later infiltrated the party while disguised as a prostitute. I know versions of his diary exist elsewhere, but the war time entries can be found, Thank you for sharing that, Adam. Upon hearing of Woodhulls rumored espionage, Simcoe marched his Rangers into Setauket and proceeded to raid the Woodhull household. Im glad that you all enjoyed the article, and great points from SPM and Ken. This is a 1790 portrait by American painter Ralph Earl . And the different writing styles of the Culper agents becomes apparant after reading a lot of the correspondence. Thomas "Sprout" Woodhull (died August 24, 1814) was the son of Culper Ring spy and farmer Abraham Woodhull . [22] Culper to Tallmadge, June 4, 1781, GW Papers, accessed January 26, 2014 via http://memory.loc.gov. Later in their encounter, Simcoe challenged him to a duel, and Woodhull decided to accept before Ensign Baker arrived and rescued him from Simcoe and his men. Interestingly enough, Woodhull, Strong, Brewster and Tallmadge existed in real life, as did almost all of the other main characters of the show. 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. Excellent sketch of the Culper Rings two Principal Agents Mike. His parents were Judge Richard Woodhull and Mary Woodhull (ne Smith). Son: Thomas 'Sprout' Woodhull: General Information. Abrahams own family is also quite fictionalized in the show; he was unmarried during most of the war, and did not wed Mary Smith until 1781. Journal of the American Revolution is the leading source of knowledge about the American Revolution and Founding Era. This is a dangerous endeavor. Washington had enjoyed an effective spy network operating in Philadelphia, but with the British gone from there and New York crawling with redcoats, his focus now shifted towards starting an effective intelligence network around the British headquarters. Under the alias "Samuel Culper Jr.," Townsend sent information by courier to Woodhulls farm in Setauket. The task fell to his intelligence aide, Major Benjamin Tallmadge, to begin recruiting spies. While in the city, he was able to observe naval strength, troop numbers, and glean potentially important information by eavesdropping on the conversations of British soldiers. Abraham pulled his gun and asked Baker not to arrest him, but Baker said that he would not be a traitor like Abraham. I knew I had to do this for our family. Father of Richard Lawrence Woodhull and Fred Woodhull. 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. memorial page for Abraham Woodhull (7 Oct 1750-23 Jan 1826), Find a Grave . 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. 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. Woodhull and Strong must accomplish this right underneath the noses of the British soldiers occupying their hometown, as well as Woodhulls Loyalist father. With Jamie Bell, Seth Numrich, Daniel Henshall, Meegan Warner. 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. In addition, the Culper Ring likely helped prevent a British attack against French forces that had arrived in Rhode Island to assist the colonists. Woodhull never spoke of his spying activities to anyone. Now that York City is dark to the rebel army, they need a man who can get inside and gather information. network. Little Thomas Woodhull, whom Abraham fondly calls Sprout, steals the spotlight at the beginning and end of the TURN pilot episode. Suddenly the door to his room flung open and two people burst into his room. [23] Woodhulls expense report submitted in July was the final curtain on his clandestine service.[24]. Tallmadge told Woodhull that George Washington wanted him to work with the patriots as a spy during the American Revolutionary War, and he refused. Following the directions of Benjamin Tallmadge, his childhood friend and General George Washingtons director of military intelligence, Woodhull operated under the code name "Samuel Culper." Abraham Woodhull Courier route to and from General Washington's Headquarters Courier route across Long Island Sound Courier route from New York City to Setauket Route used by Culper Ring members to send intelligence from New York City to General Washington's headquarters in downstate New York and New Jersey. When you are that man, I want nothing more than a future for you where you are able to live, love and be free. 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. 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. Over time, he began to fear for his safety, and Benjamin Tallmadges reports to Washington reflect Woodhulls growing timidity. Woodhull immediately set to work attempting to collect the money due him for his services. You put your tiny little hand on my leg and tried to take your first shaky steps. 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 return, Tallmadge proposed to Woodhull that he start spying for the Continental Army; Woodhull agreed, and Tallmadge received approval from Washington. [16] Washington to Tallmadge, October 6 1779, Writings of George Washington, Vol. Before he left Connecticut, Woodhull was probably stunned when he received a visit from Benjamin Tallmadge, who he knew as a fellow Setauket native. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! Abraham Woodhull was born on October 7th 1750 in Setauket, New York, on Long Island. He died in 1835. If so, how did this myth get created? 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. 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. But Im a bit surprised by the []. 2022-07-02. What a fun anecdote thanks for sharing! Journal of the American Revolution also produces annual hardcover volumes, a branded book series, and the podcast, Dispatches. TURN: Washington's Spies: Created by Craig Silverstein. Woodhull was mildly supportive of the American cause but before 1778 the closest he came to the rebellion was an uneventful two-month stint in his county militia. The couple had three children. As you know, after the war Washington actually questioned whether the funds used for this operation had been worth the results. 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. Together, they had 11 children. ), Spy Chat in Fairfield: Revolutionary Spies in CT (Featuring Caleb Brewster and the WhaleboatWars), New Scholarly Roundtable on Historical Accuracy vs. Truth inTURN. Abraham Woodhull/Parents He attempted to stay out of the war, and he smuggled cabbage for his family after their harvest in the autumn of 1776 proved to be insufficient due to maggots eating up his crops. As the British departed the colonies, a celebration was thrown in Setauket. Im sure you know that the value of intelligence is often intangible, and therefore not always apparant until viewed with the benefit of hindsight. It was in October 1778, when Woodhull toured British-held New York City and its environs, observing Crown military activities. 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. 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. Also, his cousin, Continental Brigadier-General Nathaniel Woodhull, died at the battle of Long Island in 1776. The redcoats informed Woodhull that single persons could no longer travel to New York, stepping up security against patriot infiltrators. Thankfully, no actual spies were arrested, and the Ring was able to continue its work, although Woodhull and Townsend were again understandably anxious. Now there are redcoats everywhere, swathed in every nook of our hometown. In early May 1779 Woodhulls worst fears almost came true. That is why I am doing this, Sprout. However, his rowboat was pulled in by a ship at night while he was headed for New York, and he was told that he was being arrested by the Continental Congress for smuggling. Townsend may have dabbled in journalism himself, which gave him a perfect excuse to spend long hours picking up information. [4] In November he reported how Loyalist units were scouring local farms for wood and livestock. The war is raging now, and General Washington has been driven out of York City and the Royal Army has taken over there. Unfortunately, several British officers decided to billet at Woodhulls farm at the same time and a violent storm prevented Brewster from retrieving Tallmadge. Did Abraham Woodhull have a son named Thomas? Woodhull somehow successfully answered the soldiers questions but the encounter still shook him to his bones. The three would look out for each other and do many things together, including escorting Abe to secretly gain a kiss from Anna Strong. [7] Tallmadge then set up a spy network in New York, with Woodhull as the lead agent. The ink was a solution developed by John Jays brother, Sir James Jay. Vad beror finnar p olika stllen? Fall River Press, 2014. 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. 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. Was is from Morton Pennypacker? Since Woodhull was ill at the time, another spy named Austin Roe was sent to New York to get information from Robert Townsend, who sent a report back to Woodhull for forwarding to Washington. [10] Tallmadge to Washington, November 19, 1778, GW Papers, accessed January 26, 2014, via http://memory.loc.gov. Rose, Alexander. He was the son of a prominent judge who supported colonial independence. Thanks for reading and commenting, and enjoy researching! Woodhull later returned to his home, only to find his wife confronting him after she found out about his spy involvement. Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life 1.2 Death 2 Characters met He was a Presbyterian, occupying a "Pew of Authority" in the old church and doing much toward the building of the new church. General Washington had often been frustrated by the exaggerated figures that he had received from spies in the past, and expected more of the same from Woodhull. Does beard oil expire? 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. Linda Baumgarten of Colonial Williamsburg writes: The time when a little boy went from skirts to pants, which was called, breeching, occurred anytime from age three to seven and was symbolic of his first step toward becoming a little man.'. Yet, in my research, I have not discovered any documents linking them to him, other than their anxieties you mentioned. Look at the above painting and take a guess as to how much airtime would be needed to explain that boys outfit to a modern-day viewer.) He married Mary Smith on 24 November 1781, in New York County, New York, United States. [23] Culper to Tallmadge, February 21, 1783, GW Papers, accessed April 27 2014 via http://memory.loc.gov. Documents answer this question positively without doubt. [8] His plan was to travel to Manhattan, ostensibly to visit his married sister, Mary Underhill, and her husband, Amos, at their boarding house. For the first few years of the Revolution, Continental Army leaders preferred to sneak operatives into British territory where they skulked around for a few days, acquired information, and then slipped back out through the lines to report to American commanders. . Where you can stand on your own two feet. This led to Abraham being disappointed with his father, whose loyalist sympathies set the two of them apart. Caleb Brewster joined what is today the Coast Guard in 1793, retired in 1816, and died in 1827. Eventually, Major Hewlett escaped captivity and secured Woodhull's release, and Townsend agreed to work with Woodhull as "Samuel Culper, Jr."; he gave him information on a plot by Thomas Hickey and William Bradford to assassinate George Washington at his camp in Valley Forge.