American History 101: The Culper Ring and the Revolution

Happy Almost End of Summer Readers!

As the summer draws to a close I am forced to look back and take stock at what I've accomplished this summer.  I have clearly not accomplished a lot of blogging, but I have made some serious headway on the Towering Pines Series.  In conjunction with Boojum Audio and Seth Williams, the audio book for Towering Pines Volume One: Room 509 has finally been released.  If you are an audiophile, like I am, be sure and pick it up!  Not into audiobooks?  That is OK because Towering Pines is also available in paperback, Amazon Kindle and Apple iBooks formats!  Something for everyone, indeed!

I bet you are wondering:  Does Towering Pines tie in with today's BLOG post?  You bet it does!  Today's BLOG centers on The Culper Ring.  And for those who have read Towering Pines Volume One, you know the story hinges on the fictional history of a military school that actually existed and was rooted in the real history of the United States and the Civil War.  Well, Towering Pines Volume Two is steeped in the rich history of the United States and reaches back into the American Revolution and how it lives on throughout the War of 1812, Civil War and even into World War II.  And so I give you today's topic: The Culper Ring.

Late in 1776 British forces occupied New York City and its surrounding territory.  General George Washington knew that if the colonists had any hope of winning the war, New York was the key.  And the key to controlling New York was intelligence.  In September of 1776, Washington began to form the basis for American intelligence gathering.  He sent the young and inexperienced but ambitious Nathan Hale into New York and Long Island to gather intelligence for the war effort.  Unfortunately, Hale was captured and publicly executed by the British on September 22, 1776.  When news of Hale's execution reached Washington he was sickened by it.  He lamented in a letter that the death of Hale was a "terrible waste of a young life."  The death of Hale soured Washington on the idea of spying for a number of reasons, not the least of which was that he did not feel that they were capable of building a spy effort that would not waste more lives with little to no benefit.

But as the ware continued to be a series of engagements in which Washington's best skill was falling back and living to fight another day, he knew more had to be done -- and that intelligence was at the heart of that need.  And as Washington retreated from Brandywine and impotent to do nothing to prevent the fall of Philadelphia, he knew something had to be done.  After a winter of licking his wounds at Valley Forge, securing the assistance of Baron von Steuben and a convincing stalemate at Monmouth Courthouse, Washington pushed once more for intelligence. 

Late in 1778, the British were preparing to leave Philadelphia when the General Clinton realized that they could not defend both Philadelphia and New York, he ordered British forces to leave Philadelphia and help reinforce New York.  This emboldened Washington after he received a letter from Lieutenant Caleb Brewster in Connecticut with an offer to spy on and report on enemy movements in the area.  by August of 1778, Washington was receiving useful information from Brewster including a report on British troops moving towards Newport, Rhode Island.  Washington was excited and invigorated by these reports from Brewster, and he assigned General Charles Scott to handle Brewster and find additional spies in the area.  This was also the point at which Washington recruited (then) Major Benjamimn Tallmadge.  Tallmadge began to deliver the bulk of the useful information to Washington and was quickly given the responsibility for building and managing the new spy network.

Tallmadge recruited Abraham Woodhull of Setauket on Long Island as a main contact for Brewster.  And in a dinner with Tallmadge and Washington on August 25, 1778, he was officially engaged as a spy.  It was at that dinner that the now infamous names were given to Woodhull and Tallmadge -- Samuel Culper, Sr. and Samuel Culper, Jr.  The names were given to recognize the need for anonymity within the ring, but also common enough to be recognized by other spies -- it was taken from Culpeper County in Virginia.  At this point, Scott was still involved but only as oversight.  However, by October of 1778 it became clear that he lacked the desire to run the spy ring and Tallmadge disagreed with how Scott operated.  After the loss of three spies, Tallmadge was given control of the spy ring - and the Culper Ring was officially born.

The ring operated successfully from late 1778 through 1783, and once it was established engaged six key spies: Abraham Woodhull, Robert Townsend, Caleb Brewster, Austin Row and the unknown female Agent 355.  The actual identity of Agent 355 remains unknown today, however it is thought that is might be Anna Strong, Sarah Horton Townsend or Elizabeth Burgin.  Is it also thought that Agent 355 was nothing more than a misreading of Woodhull's letters.  Either way, the "Secret Six", as they are sometimes referred to, were an integral part of the success of the American Revolution.  In addition to the six core members, it is known that Hercules Mulligan and Cato were key in spying efforts.  Mulligan, a friend of Alexander Hamilton and tailor to the British in New York, was key to delivering information from within the city since British soldiers became very chatty while being fitted for their uniforms.  And since soldiers did not think anything of slaves, Mulligan's slave assistant Cato was also useful in this role.  Because of the amount of useful information, and risks to his own well-being (and his family's) Mulligan is often referred to as a Culper sub-agent.

The key to the Culper Ring's successes during the war was its devotion not only to secrecy, but to continuing to develop new methods of cloaking their activities.  The ring was so devoted to secrecy that Washington himself did not know the identities of the individuals in the spy ring outside of Tallmadge and Woodhull during the war.  Each operative, including Washington, was given a code number.  And various activities and locations were given code numbers, as well.  The spy ring would publish encoded articles in newspapers and write their letters to one another using this code and information in between the lines of the letters with their "sympathetic stain."   The "sympathetic stain" was an invisible ink that the Culper Ring developed, and letters that contained the ink would always have the letters "ST" scrawled at the bottom.  Another method devised to ensure the safety of his spies, Washington ordered that all letters be delivered using a dead-drop when at all possible.  This was a system of locations and times that letters would be left by one operative and then picked up by another.  The death of Nathan Hale is partially responsible for Washington's dedication to secrecy and safety.

Learn More about The Culper Ring

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Bruce holds a degree in Computer Science from Temple University, a Graduate Certificate in Biblical History from Liberty University, a Masters Degree in American History at American Public University and is a member of the Historical Studies Honor Society.    He has worked in educational and technology for over 18 years, specializes in building infrastructures for schools that work to support the mission of technology in education in the classroom.  He also has served as a classroom teacher in Computer Science, History and English classes.  

Be on the lookout for Towering Pines Volume Two: The Sound and the Fury which is currently a work in progress.

Bruce is the author of five books: Sands of Time, Towering Pines Volume One:Room 509, The Star of Christmas, Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel and The Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel

American History 101: The Court Martial of Paul Revere

"The British are coming!  The British are coming!"

Four words ingrained in every American school student as they study the American Revolution.  Legend has it that

on April 18. 1775 Paul Revere rode his horse gallantly from town to town warning the residents that the British were bringing troops to bear.  In reality, Revere did ride his horse to warn people but he did not shout these famous words as he did so.  Most historians agree that since the people in the towns were British and British troops were hidden all over the countryside, plus that the people he was trying to alert would need to remain hidden, the message was conveyed much more discreetly than our history books have taught us.  But this is how most Americans are introduced to Mr. Revere who was a silversmith, engraver, watchmaker and (shudder) amateur dentist.  In fact, the Revere Silver company is still rooted to Paul's original shops.  He is also known for fighting bravely for America's independence in the Revolutionary War.  What most people do not know is that he served in the Massachusetts Militia after the war, and that he stood for a court martial!

In June of 1779, the British seized the village of Castine in Maine just off the shores of Penobscot Bay.  It was clear to the Americans that this would be a keen spot to establish a naval base to launch attacks on New York and Halifax.  The Massachusetts legislature ordered a military expedition to head north and push the British out.  Lieutenant Colonel Paul Revere was among the leaders of this expedition.  Revere was leading a rag-tag bunch of boys and old men, according to his own assessment, into battle alongside the impressive Continental Naval Force of over 40 vessels.

When the American flotilla hit Penobscot Bay on July 25, 1779, they launched a strong amphibious assault.  It wasn't long before Revere and his 600 men found themselves within striking distance of the British fort.  It was at this time that the American land and naval forces began to bicker about the offensive strategy.  Commanding General Lovell refused to storm the fort without naval support from Commander Saltonstall's ships, and Saltonstall refused to attack the British ships until the fort was taken.  This stalemate went on for two weeks until the British reinforcements arrived and pinned down the Americans on August 13th.  The American forces fought valiantly to run away up the Penobscot River, burning their entire flotilla to avoid being captured by the British.  Revere' and his men ran into the Maine wilderness to escape, and were left to their own devices to find their way back to Boston.  With the attack a dismal failure, and hundreds captured or killed, it was one of the worst fiascos attached to the Revolutionary War effort.

Someone had to be blamed.  That someone was Lieutenant Colonel Paul Revere.  He was terribly unpopular among the troops because of his rough and aggressive style of command, and his fellow officers found him troubling and difficult to deal with.  The charged him with insubordination, neglect of duty and cowardice.  General Wadsworth claimed that Revere disobeyed his direct order to relinquish his ordnance, and instead evacuated his own troops.  Revere claimed the boat that Wadsworth wanted to use was his own, and that Wadsworth had no standing to command him to do anything.  In addition, Major Todd said that Revere refused the order to bring a cannon from one of islands in the bay for his use.  Revere said he initially ignored the order, but then followed it.

When he returned to Boston, Revere found himself under house-arrest while the failed operation was investigated.  Revere wasn't the only one on the hot-seat, as Saltonstall was court-martialed and dismissed from the Continental Navy.  However, in the end nothing was said about Revere's responsibility in the mess and the chatter about his inability to lead and lack of bravery continued.  After the report came out, Revere pushed for his own court martial in order to clear his name.

Revere's day in court would come two years later, after the British has surrendered Yorktown.  Within the court martial, the charges were that he refused to deliver his boat to Wadsworth and then fled Penobscot Bay without orders to do so.  Revere argued that after the bumbling of the military leadership, he did everything necessary to evacuate his men safely.  The military court agreed with Revere and cleared him on all charges, stating that in such a confused state regular orders could not have been given by Wadsworth.


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Bruce holds a degree in Computer Science from Temple University, a Graduate Certificate in Biblical History from Liberty University and is working towards a Masters Degree in American History at American Public University.  He has worked in educational and technology for over 18 years, specializes in building infrastructures for schools that work to support the mission of technology in education in the classroom.  He also has served as a classroom teacher in Computer Science, History and English classes.  

Bruce is the author of five books: Sands of Time, Towering Pines Volume One:Room 509, The Star of Christmas, Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel and The Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel -- with a new book, Learn the Basics: Digital Forensics, due soon. 

Follow Bruce's Novel releases by subscribing to his FREE newsletter!

Be sure to check out Bruce's Allentown Education Examiner Page, his Twitter and his Facebook! 

Learn More!

American History 101: Battle of Brandywine Creek 09/11/1777

Today September 11th has a specific and well-defined meaning to Americans, and even to many people around the world.  The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Flight 93 in Pennsylvania will go down in history as the horrific tragedy to ever occur on this date.  However, it is not the only tragedy that occurred on September 11th in American History.  In 1777 on September 11th in the beautiful Brandywine Valley of Southeaster Pennsylvania, not far from Delaware, General George Washington's army engaged with the British lead by General William Howe in a battle that -- if Howe and Cornwallis had any idea what as going on -- could have been the end of the American Revolution.  As it stood, Washington got luck and the American revolutionaries still lost control over the city of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Campaign of the war.

On September 11th, 1777 the British sailed into Elk Head (now Elkton, MD).  The British initially handled the little resistance they encountered on their march north from Elk Head to Philadelphia, and handled the ragtag Americans with ease.  General Washington had foritified his army just south of Chadds Ford, and the rest behind the Brandywine Creek near Kennet Square.  Washington expected the British to march headlong into the soldiers at Chadds Ford and would then use the soldiers at Brandywine as a second punch into the gut of Howe and his redcoats.  Unfortunately, Howe split his army.  He sent a portion of his army straight into Chadds Ford, just as Washington expected.  But he also sent a portion of the army north, having them cross the Brandywine and circle back towards the Americans on their left flank.  

Washington never saw them coming.

Washington, being a solid field general if not a great tactician at the time, reacted quickly and pushed three divisions to meet Howe's men at what is not the Old Kennett Meeting House and put up a nasty fight.  But even with intense resolve, after several hours Howe's men pushed through the American line and pushed Washington back on his heels.  At the same time the Hessian General Knyphausen sent his troops into Chadds Ford and overwhelmed the Americans who were already exhausted and fighting at a reduced force from successfully defending against Cornwallis' first charge.  As Knyphausen overran the Americans, Howe retreated and circled back to help Knyphausen and Cornwallis.  This would prove to be a fortuitous moment in American history.

This combination caused the main portion of the American Army to retreat northeast towards Philadelphia, leaving General Nathaneal Greene to stand fast and put up enough resistance to allow Washington's army to retreat out of

the fight -- and live to fight another day.  Greene's fortitude and defense, combined with Howe's decision proved to be the factors that saved the American Revolution.  

In the Battle of Brandywine Creek, the Americans lost 300, had 600 wounded and 400 captured.  These numbers were a significant blow to the American cause.  It reduced the efficacy of Washington's army to the point that it could not put up any defense of Philadelphia as the British marched north.  Washington sent couriers north ahead of his army to alert the city that the British were en route and he could not stop them.  At the time, Philadelphia was the capital of the United States -- but it was moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania for a short time and then to York, Pennsylvania.  

Historians agree that there is little question that had General Howe continued to push, and not circled back, that he could have defeated Washington and the Americans at Brandywine once and for all.  But Howe thought there were another 10,000 men at Brandywine and took his victory and marched north without trying to deliver a death blow.  And if General's Greene and Stirling did not put up a strong defense as Washington retreated, the capital itself might have been captured at this time.  The British took Philadelphia on September 26, 1777.


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Bruce holds a degree in Computer Science from Temple University, a Graduate Certificate in Biblical History from Liberty University and is working towards a Masters Degree in American History at American Public University.  He has worked in educational and technology for over 18 years, specializes in building infrastructures for schools that work to support the mission of technology in education in the classroom.  He also has served as a classroom teacher in Computer Science, History and English classes.  

Bruce is the author of five books: Sands of Time, Towering Pines Volume One:Room 509, The Star of Christmas, Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel and The Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel -- with a new book, Learn the Basics: Digital Forensics, due soon. 

Follow Bruce's Novel releases by subscribing to his FREE newsletter!

Be sure to check out Bruce's Allentown Education Examiner Page, his Twitter and his Facebook! 

Learn More!

American History 101: Washington Square Park in Philadelphia

Philadelphia has been much in the news lately, and not for a good reason... sorry HitchBOT.  But no matter what the City of Brotherly Love does to hitchhiking robots, it is certainly one of the most historic cities in the United States.  Everyone knows about Benjamin Franklin, Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell... but what about the city itself?  The architecture and design?  These are very historic -- and they have a story!  

In 1682, Philadelphia was founded by William Penn as the capital of the Pennsylvania Colony.  It was initially designed to be a city that was easy to traverse, with roads that travel in a straight pattern from north to south and east to west.  It was designed with the idea that residents would be separated by open space that would increase their quality of life, and help prevent the spread of fires.  The early plans had the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers as city boundaries that contained five large, square parks.  Four in the corners, and one in the center.  These parks no longer represent the corners of the city, but they hold a great deal of the history of the city.  This post is about one of those parks, Washington Square park.

Northeast entrance to Washington Square Park

Washington Square Park sits in between the posh Society Hill and Washington Square West neighborhoods.  It was initially designated as the southeast corner of the city, and sits at 6.4 acres in size.  And as such, has seen a great deal of history that pre-dates the Revolutionary War.  In the 18th century, the park was known for being grazed by the local animals within the city.  But more-so, it was one of the main burial sites for the African community of Philadelphia, and as a potter's field.  A potter's field is an area that is used for pauper's graves.  And to continue the tradition, during the American Revolution, it was used as a burial ground for local citizens and Colonial soldiers.

After the Revolutionary War, the city was hit with a serious Yellow Fever epidemic.  Between August 1 and November 9, 1793 over 5,000 people are listed as having died of Yellow Fever.  This represents over 10% of the population of the city, making it one of the worst epidemics in the history of the United States.   And another 20,000 people fled Philadelphia before the frost of late October killed off the mosquitos and put a halt to the spread of the disease.  In 1793, with nowhere else to bury them, victims of the epidemic were interred in what is now known as Washington Square Park.

In the years after Yellow Fever, the square was used to hold cattle markets and camp meetings until about 1815 when the city went through a maturation, and the neighborhoods surrounding the park became a bit wealthier.  In 1825, the park was officially named Washington Square Park in honor of the founding father of the nation.  Initially, a monument to George Washington was proposed, but never built.  It does serve as the framework for the current monument in the park.

At one time, between the end of the Civil War and mid-20th century, the area around the park served as a hot bed for publishing companies.  Companies such as Curtis Publishing Company, J.B. Lippincott, W.B. Saunders, Lea & Febiger, the Farm Journal and George T. Bisel Company.  The Bisel Company is the sole remaining publisher on the square, and has been there since 1872.  In addition, when the Walnut Street Prison was across the street, the side that faced 6th Street was known as "Lawyers Row".

In 1954, the Washington Square Planning Committee finally acted on the idea of a statue in the park.  But instead of a simple statue of George Washington, they designed and built a monument.  The monument was dedicated to all of the unknown dead soldiers and sailors of the Revolutionary War and designated the "Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier."  It includes a bronze cast of Houdon's statue of George Washington in front of a wall that reads:

Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness.
In unmarked graves within this square lie thousands of unknown soldiers of Washington's army who died of wounds and sickness during the Revolutionary War.

The independence and liberty you possess are a work of the joint councils and joint efforts or common dangers, suffering and success.  -- Washington's Farewell Address, Sept. 17, 1796

The Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier

The Tomb includes remains which were disinterred, after archeological examination, from within the park when it was a cemetary.  The remains are that of a soldier, although it is unknown if the soldier was Colonial or British.  There were so many buried in Washington Square over the decades, it is unknown exactly how many bodies remain buried beneath the square and the much newer surrounding neighborhoods.  Even today, bodies are unearthed occasionally during construction or maintenance projects.

One more historical note about Washington Square Park, there is a sycamore tree that was planted in 1975 from seeds that were carried to the moon by astronaut Stuart Roosa on Apollo 14.  It is called The Moon Tree.  Today, the park is part of the National Park Service and attached to the Independence National Historic Park.

Washington Square Park is also prominently featured in my novel, Philadelphia Story.

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Bruce holds a degree in Computer Science from Temple University, a Graduate Certificate in Biblical History from Liberty University and is working towards a Masters Degree in American History at American Public University.  He has worked in educational and technology for over 18 years, specializes in building infrastructures for schools that work to support the mission of technology in education in the classroom.  He also has served as a classroom teacher in Computer Science, History and English classes.  

Bruce is the author of five books: Sands of Time, Towering Pines Volume One:Room 509, The Star of Christmas, Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel and The Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel -- with a new book, Learn the Basics: Digital Forensics, due soon. 

Follow Bruce's Novel releases by subscribing to his FREE newsletter!

Be sure to check out Bruce's Allentown Education Examiner Page, his Twitter and his Facebook!

American History 101: The Battle of Monmouth Courthouse, June 28, 1778

On June 18, 1778, the British and Continental armies clashed in what is present day Freehold, New Jersey in the Battle of Monmouth, or Monmouth Courthouse.  The build up for this battle began at Valley Forge where General George Washington felt that the British army would be vulnerable as it traveled across New Jersey with its baggage train.  The heat was blistering, and General Charles Lee felt that the circumstances were not optimal for an offensive.  However, Washington insisted on attacking but could not decide on when and where to do so, so he convened a council of war.

The council of war was the group of generals, which consisted of Washington, Lee, Wayne, Greene and Knox.  Lee and Wayne urged Washington to attack in small numbers, being more of a harassing force and not an attacking force.  Washington disagreed and decided on his own to attack the rear flank of the British troops as they departed Monmouth Courthouse, and sent 4,000 troops on June 26th to meet the British.

The battle could have been an impressive victory for the Americans if the offensive was handled properly.  General Charles Lee met with his subordinates and gave them incomplete and unclear orders.  This lead to an offensive that was both disorganized and poorly timed.   Before Lee could react and reinforce in the right spots, General Cornwallis and his army retaliated and seized control of the battle.  Cornwallis kept the pressure on, and had General Lee's forces in full retreat.  With General Cornwallis in pursuit, General Washington and his army reinforced General Lee's army to stop the retreat.  Washington coming in from the rear flank held the British at bay and turned the tide in the battle.  After Washington confronted Lee on his enormous blunder, he took control of the armies and the American forces positioned behind Monmouth Courthouse Freehold Meetinghouse Road.  When the British came at the Americans, the Americans were well positioned and fought hard.  The British came from the left flank, and the Americans retaliated with an attack on the right flank successfully driving the British forces back and holding their ground.  The battle continued on like this until nightfall forced an end to hostilities, with the British attacking, and the Americans pushing them back. 

During the night, General Clinton moved his army out to continue its march to New York.  The next day General Cornwallis and Washington continued the battle to a stalemate.  The Battle of Monmouth Courthouse was significant because it was the first time that Washington had stood toe-to-toe with the British and his army held its own.  It wasn't because of a sneak attack or an significant advantage, it was simply two armies fighting each other on even terms to an even end.  The significance of this was that it illustrated the growing skill and effectiveness of the Continental Army.  The Battle of Monmouth represented a boost in moral and reputation for the Continental Army, and General Washington in particular. 

This battle was also significant because of the heat that pushed upwards of one hundred degrees at times, and while the American forces lost around 400 soldiers to the British losses of around 300, it is thought that many died of heat stroke.  The Battle of Monmouth was one of the battles in which the Molly Pitcher origin story is thought to come from.  There were stories that the wife of an American soldier, Mary Hays, was seen bringing water out to the battlefield to quench the thirst of the Continental Army. 

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Bruce has worked in educational technology for over 18 years and has implemented several 1:1/BYOD programs.  He also has served as a classroom teacher in Computer Science, History and English classes.  Bruce is the author of five books: Sands of Time, Towering Pines Volume One:Room 509, The Star of Christmas, Philadelphia Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel and The Insider's Story: A Lance Carter Detective Novel.  Follow Bruce's Novel releases by subscribing to his FREE newsletter!

Be sure to check out Bruce's Allentown Education Examiner Page, his Twitter and his Facebook!