 |
| Filming season 4 |
~ (Updated) ~
"Turn: Washington's Spies" has been my favorite show on TV, and is easily near or at the top of my list of all-time favorite television shows.No foolin'.
It is so well done in nearly every way: from the script to the clothing, the amazing sets, and, of course, the story line.
And the fact that it is based in American history - the Revolutionary War! - makes it that much better!
However, for all the good, it's not perfect.
And, I suppose, we would be hard-pressed to expect it to be, given the track record of the way history has been presented on TV and in the movies. Yeah..."Turn" does like to fabricate the truth a bit as well. But, as I began doing some lite research on the Culper Spy Ring, I found that there has been a lot more real history thrown into the show than I originally realized. This was a very pleasant surprise for me. And as I read the interesting biography bits on our heroes - the real stories about Abraham, Benjamin, Caleb, and some of the others - I was surprised at how many of the TV show's ideas came directly from their actual operations.
This, of course, leads directly into this week's posting....
As in some of my other historical accounts, much of what you are about to read is a sort of Reader's Digest collection of notes and information that were taken from a variety of sources. I did, however, make the effort to change some of the style into my own by adding a few additional phrases here and there.
Some of the photos herein were taken from stills of earlier seasons, but the few you see of season 4 were scammed off of a couple of TURN Facebook pages (click Here, Here, and Here). Some were even taken by 'amateur photographers' who happened to be lucky enough to be around during the filming of this much anticipated final season. I figured they might be fun to look at while reading of the actual historical Culper participants. A sort of oxymoron in a way, I suppose.
So, to begin with, let's look at the spy ring itself - - -
~The Culper Spy Ring:
 |
| Filming season 4 |
Some credit Nathan Hale’s capture
and execution with having launched the Culper Spy Ring. Hale, a young
Patriot, volunteered for an intelligence-gathering mission to the city, but the
British - Robert Rogers, in fact - captured Hale carrying drawings of their fortifications in his shoe and
hanged him on September 22, 1776.
If I may, I'd like to include here a very well-written narrative by Michael Schellhammer from Journal of the American Revolution on the death of Nathan Hale, for the words herein eloquently give us an up-close and personal vision of what occurred:
 |
| Think for a moment about the tragic thoughts that ran through Hale’s mind... |
Think for a moment about the tragic
thoughts that ran through Hale’s mind as he saw his early, ignoble death as a
spy slowly approaching. He may have replayed the events of his capture
over and over in his head, wishing he had made different choices. As a
devoted Congregationalist, he may have felt comfort at going to meet his maker
on a Sunday. But he probably knew that whereas a proper noose snapped a
man’s vertebrae for an instant death when tied correctly and placed under the
victim’s chin – an improper noose merely tightened around the neck, and slowly
strangled a person to death.
There is no trustworthy record of
Hale’s exact last words. The accounts with his “I only regret . . ..”
line were published much later, and some historians question their validity.
If Hale actually said those words, he was probably paraphrasing “What pity is
it that we can die but once to serve our country,” from Cato, by Joseph
Addison; one of his favorite plays.Possibly the most reliable account of Hale’s death comes from Lt. Frederick MacKenzie, a British officer who witnessed the execution and noted in his diary that Hale “behaved with great composure and resolution, saying he thought it the duty of every good officer, to obey any orders given him by his Commander-in-Chief; and desired the Spectators to be at all times prepared to meet death in whatever shape it might appear.” That alone ought to cinch Hale an honorable place in the history books.
With Hale’s last words, soldiers kicked the ladder away. The hangman was a recently escaped slave, inexpert in the trade, and Hale probably suffered an agonizing death. His body was left swinging for a few days as an example, and some soldiers hung a board on the corpse with “General Washington” written on it.
Hale’s death
illustrated the grave dangers inherent in spying for the Patriots.
 |
| The Setauket Culper Spy Ring: Brewster, Woodhull, Strong, and Tallmadge. Alas, poor Robert Townsend was not yet in the picture... |
The name of their spy ring was
derived from the aliases taken by two of its main members: Samuel Culper Sr. (Woodhull) and Samuel Culper Jr. (Townsend). They operated
mostly in New York City, Long Island, and Connecticut, and conducted covert
operations until after the end of the Revolutionary War, but its heyday was
between 1778 and 1781.
Robert Townsend, a merchant in New
York City, agreed to supply much of the information. He was a Patriot
pretending to be a Loyalist, and his acquaintances believed
he wanted the British to win the war. Townsend also wrote for a loyalist
newspaper, so people freely gave him information, including British officers, which he passed along to Austin Roe.
Austin Roe, a 29-year-old Setauket
tavern owner, rode the 110-mile round trip to New York City every week to order
supplies for his tavern, which was an excellent cover. The road was heavily
traveled by British and Tory troops and by highwaymen. He made many of these
trips and was never discovered. While there he retrieved secret messages from
Townsend, usually in a bundle of notepaper, which he carried back to Setauket
and hid in a drop box for Abraham Woodhull.
The Culper Spy Ring operated successfully in and around New York for five years, during which time no spy was ever found out, though suspicions were raised. But even Washington was unaware of the spies' actual identities.
The Culper Spy Ring operated successfully in and around New York for five years, during which time no spy was ever found out, though suspicions were raised. But even Washington was unaware of the spies' actual identities.
~Benjamin Tallmadge
 |
| Ben Tallmadge (Seth Numrich) |
He was born in Setauket in 1754, spending his early years there, and eventually attended Yale where he graduated in 1773. He entered the army shortly after the battles of Lexington & Concord and Bunker (Breed's) Hill, and was commissioned as a Lieutenant in 1776. Later that same year he was engaged in the battle of Long Island, and then the following December, he was promoted to Captain of the 1st Troop of the Second Dragoons. Shortly after he was promoted to the rank of Major. Following this promotion, he fought in the battles of White Plains, Brandywine, Monmouth, Germantown, and White Marsh.
In 1778, he was instrumental in organizing a spy ring to relay information to George Washington and keep him informed of the British activities around New York City and Long Island.
As mentioned earlier, George Washington appointed Tallmadge as director
of military intelligence and put him in charge of creating what we now know as the Culper Spy Ring.
The
spy ring played an important role in the Revolutionary War. For instance, in
1780 the group learned that the British under the command of General Henry
Clinton were about to launch an expedition in Rhode Island. Tallmadge contacted
Washington who immediately ordered his army into an offensive position causing
Clinton to cancel the attack. The group was also responsible for the
apprehension of the British spy Major John Andre.
In fact, let's read about the infamous capture, trial, and punishment of Andre in Tallmadge's own words from his memoirs:
His Excellency Gen. Washington had made
an appointment to meet the Count Rochambeau (who commanded the French army then
at Newport, R.I.,) at Hartford, in Connecticut, about the 18th or 20th of
September, and was on his return to the army at the time of Anderson's capture. When I reached Lieut.-Col. Jameson's quarters, late in the evening of the 23rd, and learned the circumstances of the capture of the prisoner, I was very much
surprised to find that he had been sent by Lieut.-Col. Jameson to Arnold's
head-quarters at West Point, accompanied by a letter of information respecting
his capture. At the same time he dispatched an express with the papers found on
John Anderson, to meet Gen. Washington, then on his way to West Point. I did
not fail to state the glaring inconsistency of this conduct to Lieut.-Col. Jameson, in a private and most friendly manner. He appeared greatly agitated when
I suggested to him a measure which I wished to adopt, offering to take the
whole responsibility upon myself, and which he deemed too perilous to permit. I
will not further disclose. I finally obtained his reluctant consent to have the
prisoner brought back to our head-quarters. When the order was about to be
dispatched to the officer to bring the prisoner back, strange as it may seem, Lieut.-Col. Jameson would persist in his purpose of letting his letter go on to
Gen. Arnold. The letter did go on, and the prisoner returned before the next
morning.
Major Andre, having received his
regimentals from New York, appeared in the complete uniform of a British
officer, and in truth, he was a most elegant and accomplished gentleman. After
he was informed of his sentence, he showed no signs of perturbed emotions, but
wrote a most touching and finished letter to Gen. Washington, requesting that
the mode of his death might be adapted to the feelings of a man of honor. The universal
usage of nations having affixed to the crime of a spy, death by the gibbet, his
request could not be granted. As I was with him most of the time from his
capture, and walked with him as he went to the place of execution, I never discovered
any emotions of fear respecting his future destiny before I reached Tappan, nor
of emotion when his sentence was made known to him. When he came within sight
of the gibbet, he appeared to be startled, and inquired with some emotion
whether he was not to be shot. Being informed that the mode first appointed for
his death could not consistently be altered, he exclaimed, "How hard is my
fate!'' but immediately added, "it will soon be over.'' I then shook hands
with him under the gallows and retired.
My personal opinion is that Turn depicted this particular scene very well.
After marching, and counter-marching, skirmishing with the enemy, catching cow-boys, etc., etc., late in the month of
September, viz., on the evening of the 23rd, I returned from below to the
regiment, then near Northcastle. Soon after I halted, and disposed of my detachment, I was informed that a prisoner had been brought in that day by the name of John
Anderson. On inquiry, I found that three men by the names of John Paulding, David Willimas, and Isaac Van Vert, who had passed below our ordinary military
patrols, on the road from Tarrytown to Kingsbridge, had fallen in with this
John Anderson, on his way to New York. They took him aside for examination, and
discovering sundry papers upon him, which he had concealed in his boots, they
determined to detain him as a prisoner, notwithstanding Anderson's offers of
pecuniary satisfaction if they would permit him to proceed on his course. They determined
to bring him up to the head-quarters of our regiment, then on the advanced post
of our army, and near Northcastle. This they effected on the forenoon of the
23rd day of September, 1780, by delivering
said Anderson to Lieut.-Col. John Jameson, of the 2nd Regiment Light Dragoons, then the commanding officer of said post, Col. Sheldon being at old Salem, under arrest.
 |
| His Excellency Gen. Washington (played by Ian Kahn) |
As soon as I saw Anderson, and
especially after I saw him walk (as he did almost constantly) across the floor, I became impressed with the belief that he had been bred to arms. I communicated
my suspicion to Lieut. Col. Jameson, and requested him to notice his gait, especially
when he turned on his heel to retrace his course across the room. It was deemed
best to remove the prisoner to Salem, and I was to escort him. I was constantly
in the room with him, and he soon became very conversable and extremely
interesting. It was very manifest that his agitation and anxiety were great. After dinner on the 24th, perhaps by three o'clock P.M., he asked to be favored
with a pen, and ink, and paper, which I readily granted, and he wrote the
letter to Gen. Washington, dated "Salem, 24th September, 1780,'' which is
recorded in most of the histories of this eventful period. In this letter he
disclosed his true character to be "Major John Andre, Adjutant-General to the
British Army.''
When I received and read the letter (for he handed it to me as soon as he had written it), my agitation was
extreme, and my emotions wholly indescribable. If the letter of information had
not gone to Gen. Arnold, I should not have hesitated for a moment in my
purpose, but I knew it must reach him before I could possibly get to West
Point.
The express sent with the papers
found in Major Andre's boots, did not intercept Gen. Washington on his return
from Hartford, but passed him on the road, and kept on to West Point. On the
25th, while at breakfast with two of Gen. Washington's Aids, who had actually
arrived at his quarters, Arnold received the letter from Lieut.-Col. Jameson. Knowing that the Commander-
in-Chief would soon be there, he
immediately rode down to his boat, and was rowed down the North River to the
British sloop-of-war, Vulture, which then lay in Tappan Bay, below King's Ferry. This was the same vessel that brought up Major Andre from New York. Not long
after Arnold's abrupt and sudden departure from his quarters, at Robinson's
House, on the East side of the Hudson, opposite to West Point, the express delivered the despatches to Gen. Washington, who immediately
repaired to Arnold's quarters. By this time the plot was all discovered, and
the guilty traitor had escaped. I took on Major Andre, under a strong escort of
cavalry, to West point, and the next day I proceeded down the Hudson to King's
Ferry, and landed at Haverstraw, on the West side of the Hudson, where a large
escort of cavalry had been sent from the main army at Tappan, with which I
escorted the prisoner to Head-Quarters.
After we arrived at Head-Quarters, I
reported myself to Gen. Washington, who ordered a court consisting of fourteen
general officers, to sit and hear the case of Major Andre. On the 29th of September, the president of the court (Gen. Greene) reported to the Commander-in-Chief
that they had come to the conclusion, "that Major Andre, Adjutant-General to
the British Army, ought to be considered as a spy from the enemy, and that, agreeably to the law and usage of nations, it is their opinion that he ought to
suffer death.''
On the 30th of September, the
Commander-in-Chief, in general orders, approved of the aforesaid opinion, and
ordered that the execution should take place, the next day, at 5 o'clock P.M.
On the first of October, 1780, a
vast concourse of people assembled to witness the solemn and affecting scene, when the execution was postponed, in consequence of a flag having arrived from the
enemy. Gen. Greene was appointed to meet Gen. Robertson at Dobb's Ferry: but as
no satisfactory proposals were received from Gen. Robertson, Gen. Greene
returned to Head-Quarters and reported to Gen. Washington. The
Commander-in-Chief then ordered that the execution should take place on the 2nd
of October.
 |
| JJ Field as major John Andre being lead to the gibbet. |
Major Andre was executed in his
military uniform, in which, I think, he was laid in his coffin, but before he
was interred, I feel satisfied that his servant took off his coat, and perhaps
other outer garments.
I will, however, remark, that for the
few days of intimate intercourse I had with him, which was from the time of his
being brought back to our head-quarters to the day of his execution, I became
so deeply attached to Major Andre, that I can remember no instance where my
affections were so fully absorbed in any man. When I saw him swinging under the
gibbet, it seemed for a time as if I could not support it.
All the spectators seemed to be
overwhelmed by the affecting spectacle, and many were suffused in tears. There
did not appear to be one hardened or indifferent spectator in all the
multitude.
When the Revolutionary War ended after the Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1783, it's said that Tallmadge was able to enter New York and ride down Broadway in his American uniform escorted by a few of his dragoons.
Major Benjamin Tallmadge retired from the army at the rank of Colonel. And, on March 16, 1784, he married Mary Floyd, daughter of William Floyd, a Signer
of the Declaration of Independence. Tallmadge's father officiated at the
ceremony.
He and his wife settled in Litchfield, Connecticut
and became a wealthy man through several investments. Also, in 1801, he was elected
to Congress on the Federalist ticket, as he was known to challenge Presidents Jefferson
and Madison. He retired in 1817 and devoted himself to
establishing a training school for Native American and Asian missionaries. He
died, at age 81, on March 7, 1835. To the end, he praised the efforts of those "untrumpeted and unknown" members of his spy ring who helped secure
victory against the British.Sources:
Here and Here
~Abraham Woodhull
 |
| Jamie Bell as Abraham Woodhull ~season 4~ |
Woodhull lived in constant anxiety of being discovered.
Born in 1750 in Setauket, Abraham Woodhull was the son of a prominent judge - a judge who, unlike what's shown on Turn, supported colonial independence.
Woodhull began spying for the
Continental Army in late 1778 as part of the Culper Spy Ring. Operating under the
code name "Samuel Culper," Woodhull was directed by Benjamin Tallmadge, who, besides being a childhood friend, but was also General George
Washington’s director of military intelligence. Woodhull traveled regularly from Setauket to New York, pretending to visit his sister, but the British suspected him of spying, and in June 1779 they even went to Setauket to arrest him, though he was not there. The idea of nearly being caught left him weary, but he continued as a spy. To help ensure not being caught, he enlisted the aid of Robert Townsend, a
merchant he met in New York. Townsend went under the alias "Samuel Culper Jr.," and
sent information by courier to Woodhull’s farm in Setauket.
After collecting the messages, Woodhull would wait for signals from his neighbor and fellow conspirator, Anna Strong, who communicated by hanging specific laundry out on her line. Woodhull was thereby able to locate and relay messages to whale boat captain Caleb Brewster, who then delivered them to Tallmadge.
Just like in the "TV Turn"!
After collecting the messages, Woodhull would wait for signals from his neighbor and fellow conspirator, Anna Strong, who communicated by hanging specific laundry out on her line. Woodhull was thereby able to locate and relay messages to whale boat captain Caleb Brewster, who then delivered them to Tallmadge.
Just like in the "TV Turn"!
In
addition to
uncovering Benedict Arnold’s treason, leading to the capture of British Major
John Andre, the Culper Ring likely helped prevent a British attack against French
forces that had arrived in Rhode Island to assist the colonists. It was probably
Washington’s most successful spy operation, and continued until the war's official end in 1783.
As in Turn, Abraham Woodhull married Mary
Smith, though, unlike the show, the wedding took place in 1784 - after the Revolutionary War had ended.
Abe and Mary had three children.
Woodhull married a second time after Mary's 1806 death.
Abraham 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. He died in 1826 in Setauket.
Sources for Abraham Woodhull: Here
Abe and Mary had three children.
Woodhull married a second time after Mary's 1806 death.
Abraham 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. He died in 1826 in Setauket.
Sources for Abraham Woodhull: Here
~Robert Townsend
A number of factors led Robert Townsend, who was born in 1753, to
the Culper Spy Ring, including the influence of Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense, the harassment of his
family by the British, and his relationship with Woodhull.
 |
| Nick Westrate as Robert Townsend |
Townsend was a Quaker, also known as the Society of Friends, and held a strict Quaker philosophy that called for an adherence to pacifism and non-violence. Townsend's Quaker upbringing placed
him at odds with the thought of fighting the British forces then occupying America.
However, during the 1750s, Pennsylvania experienced a break between "political" Quakers and "religious" Quakers, which caused the former to break with traditional values and fight for what they believed. Thus, the "obedient" religious Quakers pledged to embrace non-violence and to never revolt against a legal government. This meant that they were supporters of British rule.
(On a personal note, this was exactly what occurred with my own Quaker ancestors: my 5th great grandfather, Jonathan Heacock, was kicked out of the Society of Friends for drilling with the militia. It took nearly two years for he and his family to get back into the sect.)
However, during the 1750s, Pennsylvania experienced a break between "political" Quakers and "religious" Quakers, which caused the former to break with traditional values and fight for what they believed. Thus, the "obedient" religious Quakers pledged to embrace non-violence and to never revolt against a legal government. This meant that they were supporters of British rule.
(On a personal note, this was exactly what occurred with my own Quaker ancestors: my 5th great grandfather, Jonathan Heacock, was kicked out of the Society of Friends for drilling with the militia. It took nearly two years for he and his family to get back into the sect.)
Townsend was torn but ultimately
turned his back on pacifism. Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common
Sense had quite an influence on him, especially knowing that Paine had also been brought up in the Quaker tradition. Though in Common Sense Paine
advocated the early Quaker views of struggling against
corruption and self-centeredness, he also advocated for resistance as the
means to achieve those goals, putting him directly against the newly
reformed Quaker movement. He argued that the pacifists-at-any-price were not
authentic Quakers, and because of this his pamphlet inspired a small number of Quakers to join the
struggle against Britain, including Robert Townsend. Thus, a few months after Paine's
pamphlet was published, Townsend volunteered for a logistics post in the Continental
Army, which would not require him to kill.
(here is a skit about Thomas Paine's Common Sense)
Another factor that led to Townsend
joining the fight against British rule was the treatment of his family by
British soldiers in Oyster Bay. A number of the officers thought that
anti-British sentiment had been ingrained into the colonists' spirit, and they
believed that "it should be thrash'd out of them [because] New England has
poyson'd the whole." This led to numerous
incidents of violence and pillage directed at colonists. On November 19, 1778,
one such instance drove Townsend to the Patriot cause. Colonel John Graves
Simcoe of the Queen’s Rangers and roughly 300 of his men were stationed in
Oyster Bay during the winter months. Simcoe took the Townsend home as his
headquarters, and he and his men utilized it when and however they wanted.
Townsend's father Samuel was distraught after his prized apple orchard was torn
down by Simcoe's men. Adding to the insult, the Townsends were forced to swear
allegiance to the King or go to prison.
A final factor was Townsend's
relationship with Abraham Woodhull.
Woodhull knew Townsend as a result
of their both lodging at a boarding house run by Woodhull's brother-in-law. Woodhull
may have known about Townsend's father's Whiggish political beliefs, as he was
well known throughout Long Island. Woodhull as a recruiter, and Townsend as the
recruited, knew and trusted each other well enough by June 1779, that Townsend
eagerly accepted when Woodhull made his pitch to Townsend to join a new spy
ring for Washington.
One of Townsend's most valuable and
memorable discoveries concerned a plot by the British to ruin the American
economy by flooding the country with counterfeit dollars. American political
and military leaders were well aware of these intentions and understood the
potential ramifications of a worthless dollar. In early 1780, Townsend received
some intelligence about the British belief that the war would not last much
longer as a result of a disastrous depreciation of the dollar.
The most crucial part of Townsend's
report was that the British had procured "several reams of paper made for
the last emission struck by Congress." This was terrible news for American
leaders: the British had previously been forced to counterfeit money on paper
that was similar to the official paper, but now they had the authentic paper.
Thus, distinguishing between real and fake money would be virtually impossible.
As a result, Congress was forced to recall all its bills in circulation—a major
ordeal, but one that saved the war-effort by not allowing counterfeit money to
flood the market.
As the end of the war drew near, the
Culper Ring became less significant for Washington.
After the war, Townsend ended his
business connections in New York and moved back to Oyster Bay. Townsend never
married, sharing his family's home and growing old with his sister Sally.
Source (taken almost word for word): Here
~Anna Smith Strong
 |
| Selah Strong (Robert Bietzel with wife Anna (Heather Lind) |
In 1778, Judge Strong was arrested and confined on the British prison ship Jersey in New York
harbor for “surreptitious correspondence with the enemy.” The conditions on
those ships were terrible, and, though it took a struggle, Anna finally received permission to bring her husband food,
which, it's said, probably saved his life. I find it interesting that Anna’s wealthy Tory relatives (British
supporters) helped her bribe British officials to parole her husband to
Connecticut, where he stayed for the remainder of the war, taking their
children with him.
Because of this, Anna was alone on
Strong’s Neck throughout the rest of the war. She stayed behind to take care of
the family home because empty homes were subject to greater destruction and
abuse. Many women did this during the Revolution because they were seen as
non-combatants.
That being said, Abraham Woodhull needed Anna to advise him of Caleb Brewster’s location.
That being said, Abraham Woodhull needed Anna to advise him of Caleb Brewster’s location.
Caleb Brewster came periodically
across the Devil’s Belt (Long Island Sound) to deliver or retrieve the Spy
Ring’s messages. Brewster, one of the most daring of the group, was also the
only member whom the British had definitely identified as a spy. Brewster and
his crew rowed his whaleboat across the Long Island Sound to and from
Connecticut. They were in constant danger because there were British frigates
constantly patrolling the Sound, so he hid his boat in the willows of the bay.
With the code name "Nancy," Anna’s assignment in
the Culper Ring was to signal Brewster’s arrival to Abraham Woodhull. She did
this by hanging laundry on her clothesline in pre-arranged configurations, a
system that fooled all by the wisdom of its simplicity. If she hung up a black
petticoat, it meant that Brewster was in town. And by counting the number of white
handkerchiefs scattered through her wash, Woodhull knew in which of six coves
Brewster hid his boat. Under cover of darkness, Woodhull could then rendezvous with
Brewster and pass along the secret messages. Brewster and his men then
would crossed Long Island Sound to Connecticut and pass the information to
Tallmadge, who passed it on to Washington’s headquarters in Westchester County,
New York.
Simple! Ha!
Simple! Ha!
To help in other ways, Anna would order expensive goods to be bought in New York, giving Culper member Austin Roe an excuse to go to the city and gather information for George Washington. Records show that Anna herself had also traveled to New York to purchase "yards and yards of tablecloths and other expensive things (that) were ordered in haste. And those trips to town brought back information as well as drygoods." This comes from an old account book at one time in possession of her great great granddaughter, Kate W. Strong.
Anna Strong is not referred to in the
dispatches, although there are several references to her property and the
British movements around her home. Later, when British officers occupied the
Manor House, she lived in a small cottage across the Bay from Woodhull’s farm
to keep an eye on the farm and main house.
The above came mostly from THIS site (with additional information from Here and Here)
After the war, Selah and Anna were
reunited, and they had another child named George Washington Strong. Their home
survived the war safely, and the Strong Family remained there.
Anna died August 12, 1812, and Selah Strong in 1815. They are buried in the Smith-Strong family graveyard along Cemetery Road on Strong’s Neck. The house no longer stands, but around 1845 a new house was built on the same site.
Anna died August 12, 1812, and Selah Strong in 1815. They are buried in the Smith-Strong family graveyard along Cemetery Road on Strong’s Neck. The house no longer stands, but around 1845 a new house was built on the same site.
~Caleb Brewster
 |
| Caleb Brewster (left played by Daniel Henshall) with Ben Tallmadge |
A descendant of Mayflower passenger William Brewster, Caleb was born in Setauket in 1747 and signed on to a whaling boat as a young man. By the time hostilities between colonial revolutionaries and the British Crown escalated in 1775, he was an expert seaman. He was especially familiar with the northern Long Island coastline, as well as the 18-mile stretch north to Connecticut, particularly Fairfield and what is now Bridgeport.
In 1776, Brewster
accepted a commission as an ensign in the 4th New York Regiment. He was
appointed as a first lieutenant in the 2nd Continental Artillery in January
1777 and was involved in every raiding party that ever took place on Long Island.
Among
Brewster’s acquaintances when he was a young man were members of the Tallmadge
family, also of Setauket. As you read above, Benjamin Tallmadge was a graduate of Yale who became
General George Washington’s chief intelligence officer and eventually rose to
the rank of colonel. And, yes, Tallmadge helped organize the Culper Spy Ring.Brewster’s friendship with the Tallmadges and his expertise as a seaman made him a natural for recruitment to the Culper Ring.
Despite all the precautions taken, some of those involved in the Culper Ring fell under British suspicion. In Brewster’s case, the British knew his name, they knew he lived and operated in and around Setauket, and some accounts indicate they knew he was the primary courier between Long Island and Connecticut. The British never captured him, though. Brewster had a reputation for being extremely brave and some accounts indicate several occasions where he effectively battled British ships far larger than his whaling boat. Of equal importance were his resourcefulness and his familiarity with every cove on both sides of the sound. In combination, these enabled him to carry out his work aiding the revolutionary cause.
After the Revolutionary War, Brewster settled in Connecticut and became a blacksmith and a farmer. He was also, for many years, an officer in the United States Revenue Cutter Service, forerunner of the Coast Guard. He died in 1827 at the age of 79 in a section of Fairfield that is now part of Bridgeport. There is a street named after him in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport near where he lived.
~The end of it all - - -
 |
| The Roe Tavern. This was built by the grandfather of the Selah who was associated with the Culper Spy Ring ~George Washington slept here~ |
According to Anna and Selah's grandson, Selah B. Strong, "It was very appropriate that Selah Strong should entertain the General [Washington] at Roe’s, as the house
was the former residence of his grandfather, the first Strong to bear the name
of Selah, who came to Setauket about 1700 and on March 23, 1703, bought the
land from Thomas Clark and built the house."
Grandson Strong had no idea at the time (1920s) that
his grandparents, Selah and Anna Smith Strong, had been a vital part of the
Setauket Spy Ring. And how could he know? For it wasn't until the late 1930s that the general public became aware of George Washington's spies. The identity of Robert Townsend (Culper
Jr.) was discovered in 1939, when a trunk of old letters was discovered in the
Townsend family home. Historian Morton Pennypacker noticed the resemblance in
the handwriting in these letters to the letters written by Robert Townsend in
George Washington’s letter collection. Pennypacker then discovered the identity
of the other spies in Setauket and New York City and published his findings in
a book, General Washington’s Spies on Long Island and in New York, in 1939.
And so it is most likely that when President Washington visited the
Roe Tavern in 1790, he did so to acknowledge and thank the people of Setauket who risked their
lives to aid the patriot cause during the American Revolution: Selah and Anna
Smith Strong, Abraham Woodhull, Austin Roe and Caleb Brewster.
 |
| A toast from Gen'l Washington to the Culper Spy Ring |
Despite some strained relations
within the group and constant pressure from Washington to send more
information, the Culper Spy Ring achieved more than any other American or
British intelligence network during the war. The information collected and
passed on by the ring from 1778 to war’s end in 1783 concerned key British
troop movements, fortifications and plans in New York and the surrounding
region.
It certainly played a key role in America's winning the Revolutionary War and, thus, its Independence.
And now the television show "Turn: Washington's Spies" has turned a large group of followers into Revolutionary War researchers and historians.
And that's a good thing, don't you think?
It certainly played a key role in America's winning the Revolutionary War and, thus, its Independence.
And now the television show "Turn: Washington's Spies" has turned a large group of followers into Revolutionary War researchers and historians.
And that's a good thing, don't you think?
~ ~ ~
 |
| Filming season 4 at Colonial Williamsburg |
That is, until the television series "Turn: Washington's Spies" came on AMC a few years back. That high-quality show piqued my interest in this hidden side of the American Revolutionary War. And now, I own all the DVDs available and watch them frequently. Not only that but my wife and my oldest sons watch each episode with me.
In fact, there are a whole slew of us "Turniacs" across the country!
Ha! When AMC hinted that the Turn series might not be renewed for a 4th season, countless numbers, myself included, wrote the station pleading the case to allow for another season.
This is what I wrote:
June 2016
To Whom It May Concern -
This is a note to let you know how much my wife, our son, and I all enjoy watching "Turn: Washington's Spies" every Monday night on AMC.
There are so few quality shows anymore on television that "Turn" is like a breath of fresh air.
And it's historical, too!
This is a note to let you know how much my wife, our son, and I all enjoy watching "Turn: Washington's Spies" every Monday night on AMC.
There are so few quality shows anymore on television that "Turn" is like a breath of fresh air.
And it's historical, too!
As
I've written on numerous "Turn" fan pages, each season - and each
episode per season - seems to get better and better. That's a rarity, for good
shows tend to slide downhill after the first couple of years and forego
quality.
But not "Turn."
But not "Turn."
I have heard rumblings and
rumors that season 3 may be the last due to lower ratings.
I certainly hope not, for, as stated above, there are so few really good quality shows on TV, and to have one set in America's Revolutionary War period is like icing on the proverbial cake! (You do realize this year marks the 240th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, right? It's a great time to celebrate!).
Please consider renewing "Turn" for a season 4 - give it the chance, the promotion, and the time slot it deserves.
Thank you for your time.
I certainly hope not, for, as stated above, there are so few really good quality shows on TV, and to have one set in America's Revolutionary War period is like icing on the proverbial cake! (You do realize this year marks the 240th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, right? It's a great time to celebrate!).
Please consider renewing "Turn" for a season 4 - give it the chance, the promotion, and the time slot it deserves.
Thank you for your time.
Guess what?
It worked!
Oh, not just my letter/e-mail. But
the thousands of others who sent similar pleas to AMC. And I am willing to bet that most, if not all letters/e-mails, were
spear-headed from the various Facebook pages.
Here's the outcome:
(From the AMC website
summer 2016 - only about a month or so after the barrage of letters from fans
asking for another season)----  |
| Excitement abounded when Turn re-TURNed for a fourth and final season! |
"AMC
announced today that TURN: Washington’s Spies will be returning for a
fourth and final season with 10 episodes. Production of the final season will
begin this fall with new episodes airing in 2017."
 |
| Filming season 4 |
“TURN: Washington’s Spies has
always had a lofty goal — to tell the real story of the American Revolution
from the ground up. To capture the truth about the choice regular people had to
make to support what has become the United States of America. It frequently
involved turning against friends and family, and it always involved risking
everything. Craig Silverstein, Barry Josephson, and their incredible team
introduced us to the Culper Ring who have reminded us that without human
intelligence, the war may have had a very different outcome. We are excited to
see this story of betrayal and rebellion, and the sacrifices therein, through
to completion in a fourth season.”
 |
| Filming season 4 |
“I am so pleased to be able to
bring the story of the Culper Ring to its epic conclusion, at the point where
the revolutionary war ends and the great American experiment truly begins. This
series has been a joy to work on thanks to Barry Josephson, Alexander Rose, our
sexy writing staff, brilliant crew, and dream team cast. I am also thrilled to
continue to work with AMC, who had the passion and courage to put TURN:
Washington’s Spies on the air and support our effort. I eagerly look forward to
our future adventures together.”
From the AMC Turn website:
"Turn Season 4 will see the dramatic conclusion of the Culper Spy Ring and will presumably depict the final resolution of the American Revolution as the show’s deeply intriguing, pathos-heavy version of General George Washington (Ian Kahn) will be on the frontlines of a historic victory and become the father of a country consisting of free states where once stood colonies. The involvement of Woodhull and the Culper Spy Ring, notably its most historically-lauded member, Robert Townsend (Nick Westrate), and their sacrificial ordeals, will certainly pay off when the show comes to its end."
"Turn Season 4 will see the dramatic conclusion of the Culper Spy Ring and will presumably depict the final resolution of the American Revolution as the show’s deeply intriguing, pathos-heavy version of General George Washington (Ian Kahn) will be on the frontlines of a historic victory and become the father of a country consisting of free states where once stood colonies. The involvement of Woodhull and the Culper Spy Ring, notably its most historically-lauded member, Robert Townsend (Nick Westrate), and their sacrificial ordeals, will certainly pay off when the show comes to its end."
 |
| A break in filming at Colonial Williamsburg |
Yorktown?
You mean the Yorktown "where the revolutionary war ends and the great American experiment truly begins"?
Yup - - must be Turn's last season...
You mean the Yorktown "where the revolutionary war ends and the great American experiment truly begins"?
Yup - - must be Turn's last season...
These are certainly strong hints
about the final ten episodes, wouldn't you say?
I know it has been a sad time for all of us fans now that Turn has come to its end (and the final episode was very appropriately done, by the way). But I look at it this way: at least we've had it for four ten episode seasons. This means after the final DVD collection of season four is released, I will have nearly 40 hours of quality Rev War programming to watch any time I want.
Yeah...that is a good thing!
 |
| Abraham Woodhull, a Redcoat?? Hmmm....before I saw Season 4, I became curiouser and curiouser... |
Until next time, see you in time.
~ ~ ~
A special "thank you" to Marlene Di Via and the photographers on AMC's Turn & Rev War History Facebook page for supplying most of these wonderful pictures for me to use!
And then there is another Turn Facebook page I very much enjoy going to as well called A New Turn: We the People Revolt, and, thanks to administrator Jackie Lucia, I also was able to add wonderful images to the photos here as well.
And thanks must also go to Cynthia Hauer from the AMC's Turn and History Discussion Group page, for she, too, supplied some pretty awesome pictures (again, another awesome Turn page).
The Black Petticoat Society is a very good page that I will visit frequently as well.
All four are a wealth of not only Turn information, but 18th century American history in general.
Oh! And I can't forget Fred Blystone, who lives near Colonial Williamsburg, for supplying a few of the amazing photos he took during filming.
Just in case you were wondering, "Turn: Washington's Spies" was based on THIS book
And HERE is the original book that Morton Pennypacker wrote back in 1939 about his findings
Please click HERE to read my posting on why I think "Turn" is one of the best shows TV has ever had to offer.
And there are more Rev War-era postings I wrote:
To learn more about Paul Revere's ride, click HERE
To read more about the Revolutionary War through original artifacts, click HERE
To learn more about how our colonial ancestors lived, click HERE
To learn more about how our colonial ancestors traveled, click HERE
To learn more about how our colonial ancestors cooked and what they ate, click HERE
To learn more about researching the 18th century - Click HERE
To learn more about men's clothing, hair, and language of the 18th century, click HERE
~ ~ ~
No comments:
Post a Comment