Washington sent another vial of ink.[12]. Thomas "Sprout" Woodhull (died August 24, 1814) was the son of Culper Ring spy and farmer Abraham Woodhull . Woodhull encountered his childhood friend Caleb Brewster when he arrived in Connecticut, selling him his cabbage in exchange for some money and some silk. [8], Yet for all of his success, the pressure of spying and leading a double life severely strained Woodhull. I hope that one day, the Lord willing, you will grow up to be a man. TURN: Washington's Spies (TV Series 2014-2017) - IMDb 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. In early May 1779 Woodhulls worst fears almost came true. Abraham Woodhull followed his fathers footsteps and became a magistrate, and was appointed First Judge of Suffolk County in 1799. 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. Basing his operation in his British-occupied hometown of Setauket, New York, Woodhull enlists the aid of local tavern keeper Anna Strong to ferry crucial intelligence to their friends in the Continental Army, Caleb Brewster and Benjamin Tallmadge, who in turn bring the intelligence to General George Washington himself. http://allthingsliberty.com/2014/03/james-rivington-kings-printer-patriot-spy/. She found out when their son Thomas had moved a floorboard, revealing a book of words and code-numbers used to represent them, a book which Caleb had given to Abraham in order to communicate without the British knowing; Caleb also told Woodhull that his alias would be "Samuel Culpeper", with Woodhull shortening it to "Culper". Washingtons Spies: The Story of Americas First Spy Ring. 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. [23] Woodhulls expense report submitted in July was the final curtain on his clandestine service.[24]. Washington planned a naval attack on New York City and pressed Tallmadge for Woodhull to at all times keep his attention on changes of situation, or the new positions which may be taken by the enemy. [19] Culper to John Bolton, July 20, 1780, GW Papers, accessed April 20 2014 via http://memory.loc.gov; Rose, Washingtons Spies, 189-192. They have taken over everything, using brute force and the heels of their boots to make their presence known. While there, he had a conversation with two Hessians making sauerkraut at their campfire, and they let him try their food. For boys, this was often a celebrated childhood milestone. [5] Culper to Maj. Benjamin Tallmadge, November 23, 1778, GW Papers, accessed January 26, 2014, via http://memory.loc.gov. and Mary Anna (Smith) Woodhull. He was killed by a Queen's Ranger during an exchange trading himself and Abe for Caleb Brewster. As depicted in the show, Abraham Woodhull was a cabbage farmer. I know not exactly a hugely significant issue in the greater storyline of TURN (and definitely not as big of a sartorial gaffe as, say, the bizarre garb that the Queens Rangers are wearing), but I thought readers might enjoy a small and pleasant domestic diversion while I finish making sense of the premiere episodes Swiss-cheese timeline. Abraham "Abe" Woodhull, known also by his spy alias of Samuel Culpeper and Samuel Culper, his chosen version of the alias, is a New York farmer that went on to become a spy for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. What a fun anecdote thanks for sharing! Woodhull was tortured, being thrown in a cage with patriots; he did not disclose his true loyalties, and he was beaten and hated by the imprisoned patriots. Abraham Woodfull Facts - The Revolutions Great Spy Woodhull, in turn, promptly involved Townsend, who reinforced his cover by writing pro-Tory articles for the Royal Gazette. Woodhull decided to do so, as his father was in the church as well. Brother of Mary (Woodhull) Arthur and . Woodhull would copy what information he could gather onto paper, and on his way back home to Setauket, he would hide the information in a prearranged location, a hidden cove on Long Island Sound. 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. 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. Later, petition signer Moses Paine decided to turn in the petition, saying that he was drunk when he signed it, giving Hewlett a list of patriots; he proceeded to have those men rounded up and arrested along with Paine himself. 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. Woodhull and Strong must accomplish this right underneath the noses of the British soldiers occupying their hometown, as well as Woodhulls Loyalist father. 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. . He married Mary Townsend on December 6th, 1753 at St. Georges Church. Nevertheless, he continued to send letters to Washington, informing of anything of importance he came across. Accessed 18 May 2016. https://allthingsliberty.com/2014/05/abraham-woodhull-the-spy-named-samuel-culper/. Abraham was severely troubled by this, and there is no reason to assume his father did not feel likewise. 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. Simcoe arrested him after he gave a pro-patriot sermon to people at a tavern, and he was accused of being the shooter. Later that day, Abraham decided to head to King's College to visit the spot where his brother had been killed in a 1773 riot after Woodhull put a Phrygian cap on top of the Liberty Pole there. It is a choice that comes at a heavy price. 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. His father was a judge, and he was a cousin of Nathaniel Woodhull, leader of a New York Patriot . I had to help win this fight. Richard Woodhull | Historica Wiki | Fandom From Brewster, the intelligence would be passed on to Major Tallmadge, then to General Washingtons desk. However, because his friend Selah Strong was imprisoned after getting into a fight with British officer Charles Joyce with Woodhull in attendance, Woodhull was one of the suspects in Joyce's murder when he turned up dead with his throat slit in Lewis Field, as was Anna Strong, Selah's wife and Woodhull's former fiancee. That night, Abraham saw Anna at the fireplace burning his code book, and he got into a loud argument with her over his spying activities. 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). [7] Culper to Tallmadge, March 17, 1779, GW Papers, accessed January 26, 2014, via http://memory.loc.gov. [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. Abraham told Anna that he was fighting for freedom and confronted her about their true beliefs, and she told him that she wanted her husband. Soon after Benedict Arnold defected to the British, he directed the arrest of people in New York and Long Island that he suspected as American spies, based on his knowledge of Continental Army intelligence. 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. They were immigrants from the Ukraine. As the British departed the colonies, a celebration was thrown in Setauket. What better way to get back at the enemy, Tallmadge might have said, than by spying on the British under their own noses and helping the American cause? [15] Tallmadge assigned Townsend the alias Samuel Culper Junior.. The Culper Ring was probably Washingtons most successful spy operation. One of the facts he provided was that a spy ring was operating on Long Island, and before long suspected spies were being arrested throughout the area. Thomas "Sprout" Woodhull | Turn Wiki | Fandom A Loyalist named John Wolsey returned to Long Island after a stint in a Connecticut prison for privateering and reported a rumor that Woodhull was working for the Rebels. He hardly ever spoke of his work as a spy. 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. The Culper spy ring proved to be a vital part of General Washingtons intelligence network, keeping him informed of the British Armys intentions and operations throughout the Colonies. Yes, a gown, as in a dress. Sometimes boys even wore stays, too. Bantam, 2014. Woodhull adopts the alias Samuel Culper, and begins his espionage, making trips to New York to scope out British military strength and eavesdrop on important conversations. Abraham Woodhull was a noted hero of the American Revolution.