Our First Martyred American Spy

Long before the days of the CIA and Cold War, even before the spies of the Civil War, our nation had a network of spies that rivaled any spy agency of today. The leader of this spy ring, the Culpeper Ring in New York City, was Benjamin Tallmadge, an officer in the Continental Army. One reason Tallmadge may have been so driven to create this spy ring is because his best friend from college, Nathan Hale, was hung as a spy on his first intelligence gathering mission in New York.

Nathan Hale was born in Connecticut in 1755. Before his fourteenth birthday, he and his brother, Enoch, were sent to Yale University to get an education. Nathan's father was a minister and planned for Nathan to follow in his footsteps.

At Yale, Nathan became close friends with Benjamin Tallmadge and William Hull, a man who worked with Tallmadge. Hale's university days created in him a desire to be free from the rule of the British Crown as it did with most of his contemporaries. When he graduated, instead of becoming a minister, he took a job teaching at a private school in East Haddam.

When war broke out, Hale was reluctant to join the army, but at the urging of Tallmadge in a letter, joined up in 1775. For the next year, he saw no action. It disturbed him because he felt he was doing nothing to further the independence of the American Colonies.

In September, Washington was desperate for intelligence about the British troop movements in Manhattan. That information would determine his next move. He asked for volunteers. At that time, most didn't consider spying a respectable occupation, and nobody was willing to volunteer for such a dangerous mission. Nathan Hale, who was eager to do something to help his country, stepped up and said he would do it.

Hale snuck into Manhattan and got the information he needed. Before heading back, he stopped at a tavern where he was recognized by Robert Rogers, commander of Rogers' Rangers. Earlier, Rogers had attempted to get free passage behind enemy lines, telling Washington he was a patriot. His real intentions were to spy for the British. Washington denied his request, but during that time, he had seen Hale in uniform.

Rogers needed proof Hale was a spy and invited him to his home where he informed Hale that he was a patriot. Hale fell into the trap, and was arrested. After admitting he was a spy, he was sentenced to hang by General William Howe.

When Hale was at the gallows, the last sight he probably saw was New York City burning. A fire had started accidently, but knowing it would help the Americans, many patriot civilians started more fires or did things to slow the British in putting out the fires. Many of these patriots were captured and executed. The fire did stop the British from taking up residence in the city.

Hale's last words were immortalized as the sentiment of American Patriots. "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." This quote is reported by Tallmadge and Hull, Hale's friends who were not present at the execution. The quote is probably a condensed quote of what he really said. Hull and Tallmadge were at the site shortly after the execution to facilitate a prisoner exchange and talked to a British officer, John Montresor about what Hale's last words were. Others reported other things Hale may have said, so his speech was longer than the reported quote.

Frederick MacKensie, a British officer, wrote this diary entry for the day, "He 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."

Whatever the case, at his death, Hale was a patriot and the first American spy executed for his exploits of bravery.

Dispelling Colonial Myths: a reenactor myth started it all

Beautiful Drayton Hall ... occupied by the British

Living in the Charleston area for more than two decades can give one an interesting perspective on history. Not only have I gained a different slant on the Civil War than my Midwest school education gave me, but the richness of colonial history rooted here took me quite by surprise.

I’d been bitten by the reenacting bug a year before when attending a Civil War reenactment, but in May 2005 a new and intriguing historical event came on the scene, the 225^th  anniversary commemoration of the Siege of Charleston. This grand reenactment spanned all three major Ashley River plantations: Middleton Place, Magnolia Gardens, and Drayton Hall. Each plantation had its own encampment, and each had its own admission price, and after deciding we didn’t have the time (or energy!) to hit all three of them, my family picked Drayton Hall, simply because it was the one of the three we hadn’t seen before.

Love the expressions! And the uniforms ... :-)

Thus my introduction to the British Legion, since none of the American (patriot) camps were at this location. During our exploration of the British camps, one friendly young reenactor cheerfully bestowed all sorts of useful and interesting information upon us.

A neat cluster of muskets

One nugget in particular caught my interest. The British soldiers, he said, often brought their wives along to help with the work of caring for the army—laundry and nursing and suchlike—and they were the ones the term “campfollower” originally applied to. Only later, especially during the Civil War, did it become synonymous with prostitutes who followed the army for their livelihood, although some of that happened during the Revolution as well.

The overlap of historical and modern

The young man proceeded to tell us that if a woman was unlucky enough to be widowed, the British army gave her a mere three days to attach herself to another man before abandoning her to whatever fate might dish out.

Three days.

My imagination fired at that, and the story premise behind Loyalty’s Cadence was born.

Later, I would join an 18^th century research email list, frequented by historians and reenactors of the period, and I discovered this was not the case at all. The British army had very detailed regulations for the care of campfollowing wives, and the standard policy was, in the case of widowhood, to provide for her return to England, if she so wished. (I’m sure in the field, there was much room for difference of interpretation, but that’s another discussion.) I was indignant to find I’d been handed a common “reenactor myth,” told for the sake of sensationalizing history.

Standing guard at the house

As if history needs sensationalizing.

Thus also began my quest to find the truth in research, or at least as close to it as is possible through the reports of people who see events through the lenses of very different experiences and opinions.

And if I write with too much sympathy of the British and loyalist cause, I suppose it can be blamed on the fact that we chose Drayton Hall that muggy May day in Charleston. :-)

 

(Another highlight of the 225^th Anniversary of the Siege of Charleston: a lecture, complete with visual aids, on colonial battlefield medicine. Useful stuff, for a writer, though his description of amputation left me very queasy. That, too, was inspiring in its own way!)

All photos are my own.

JAMESTOWNE ~ WHERE AMERICA WAS BORN

The story of the establishment of the Jamestowne Colony is an interesting one. The Virginia Company of London, a privately owned business, was granted land by King James I of England with the intention of planting a colony near the Chesapeake in Virginia. The purpose was to profit from the wealth of the new world.

Replica of The Discovery

Replica of the Susan Constant

In December of 1606, three small ships departed London bound for Virginia. The largest of the three, The Susan Constant, under the command of Captain Christopher Newport, carried seventy-four passengers and crew, as well as needed supplies. Newport, an experienced mariner and familiar with American waters commanded the fleet. The Godspeed, less than half the size of The Susan Constant carried fifty-two men. The smallest of the three ships, The Discovery, carried only twenty-one men. Nearly one half of the passengers were gentry, some soldiers and privateers. Among the other passengers were some skilled craftsmen and artisans, unskilled labor and common seamen.

The majority of the passengers and crew of the three ships never planned to permanently settle in Virginia. Their intent was to explore the land, find gold or silver, or to seek their fortune in some other way. With little interest in farming, these men only intended to plant and harvest crops for sustenance. The sea voyage got off to a rough start. After poor weather detained the fleet off the coast of England for six weeks, they were once again on their way across the Atlantic via the southern route. However, difficulties arose on the passage when Capt. John Smith criticized those in charge, was alleged to have plotted a take over of the ship, and was accused of insubordination. Part of the problem was that the intended leadership of the colony had not yet been revealed to those on board. The secret was kept in a box not to be opened until they reached their destination. This plan was devised to keep the gentry ignorant of the intended ruling council so they would not lose interest in the venture.

 

The Route of the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery

Toward the end of March the ships reached the Caribbean islands. By late April 1607 they sighted Virginia and entered what is now the Chesapeake Bay. About this time the box with the intended Council Leader’s names was opened. John Smith was one of the seven men appointed to lead. After two weeks of exploring the area, the Council Leaders selected a site on the James River at the southwestern shore of Jamestowne Island.

When two colonists perished after an attack by the Native Americans, a triangular wooden palisade with a bulwark at each corner was built to provide security for the settlers. Inside the fort, construction began on

Typical thatched roof mud and stud building

several thatched roof mud and stud communal buildings, storage houses, a church and several individual homes. Life in the settlement proved difficult initially. The intention had been that the colonists would trade with the Native Americans for food, but the region was experiencing a drought and food was scarce. Additionally, the water in the James River was salty, making fresh water scarce.

For the first two years, the colonist’s relationship with their Indian neighbors was fairly cordial. But then, during the winter of 1609-1610 the fort was attacked, trapping the colonists inside with little fresh water or food. This came to be known as “the starving time” and only sixty survived. When ships arrived from Bermuda, the colonists, ready to end their colonization, boarded the ships to return to England. However, upon meeting supply ships on the James River headed toward Jamestowne, they were ordered to return to the fort where they were under strict martial law to restore the fort. Finally, conditions improved, resulting in the establishment of the first permanent English American colony.

Tobacco Drying

By the summer of 1610 more men and now, women arrived at Jamestowne from England. The community began to flourish as they increased their agricultural products, and also began experimenting with tobacco cultivation. One of the successful tobacco planters was John Rolfe, probably best known as the husband of Pocahontas.

The profits the investors originally sought from gold and silver ended up being from tobacco. The fort continued to expand and more English women arrived as brides for the colonists. By 1624, the Virginia Company’s charter was revoked by King James, and Virginia became a crown colony.

See my earlier post for the true story of Pocahontas http://colonialquills.blogspot.com/search/label/Pocahontas

See my earlier post on Jamestown Settlement and Historic Jamestowne in the 21^st Century. http://colonialquills.blogspot.com/search/label/Jamestowne

Review of "The Promise Keeper" by Lisa Norato

by Elaine Marie Cooper

I am delighted to review Lisa Norato's latest release, "The Promise Keeper." I give it a resounding Five Stars!

Here is the Back Cover Blurb:

The new keeper has manned Pilgrim Light for a year now, and though her father recruited him for the post, Iris Moon has never seen the fellow nor will anyone discuss him. Rumors circulate he was once a pirate and had been imprisoned. Lured by the secrecy, Iris rows out to the light to meet the solitary keeper. He's a curmudgeon who remains as mysterious as ever, until confusing dreams haunt her, causing Iris to suspect they share a past connection.

Jonathan Mayne sailed with Captain Moon's family as a young cabin boy during the earliest years of Iris's life. A grown woman, Iris holds no memory for her childhood friend, who now guards the bay from a lonely lighthouse tower. When a shipwreck survivor bent on revenge washes up on the shores of the Moon family mansion, will Johnny be able to protect Iris from her dead mother's secret while keeping a promise to her father never to expose it?

Here is my review:

From the opening lines to the final scenes of The Promise Keeper, I was captured by the story, the characters and the twists and turns that kept me reading, long after I should have been asleep. Lisa Norato has a winner on her hands!

The plot weaves a complicated yet easily followed tale of intrigue involving two continents, two generations, and two love stories. Lisa’s writing flowed like a smooth running brook with descriptions of settings that made you envision them as if you were there. 

Her knowledge about the sea and ocean going vessels was so clear, even to a landlubber, but not so much as to overwhelm a reader with technical details. It all blended into the story.

The characters in this novel were so well crafted and believable with dialogue befitting the times that added just the right flavor to make you realize you were reading about the early 19^th century.

The Promise Keeper is more than just historical romance—it is filled with intrigue, suspense, and realistic characters whose faith is tested.

The author obviously did painstaking research for every detail that found its way into her narratives. What a pleasure to read such a well-developed book. Bravo, Lisa Norato! 

Author Bio:

A native New Englander, Lisa Norato lives in a historic village with homes and churches dating as far back as the eighteenth century. She writes Christian seafaring romance of suspense and adventure set during New England's Federal Era. 

In the Sea Heroes of Duxbury novels, Lisa's goal is to spin stories rich in historical detail which will transport readers back in time and encourage Christians in their faith  and in finding the courage to place their trust in God.

She has received critical praise for her romantic fiction from reviewers such as Publisher's Weekly, Booklist and RT Book Reviews. Her previous novels include a western time travel and a contemporary romantic comedy.

To purchase The Promise Keeper, click here

Review of Circle of Spies by Roseanna M. White

Circle of Spies

by Roseanna M. White

As the Civil War stretched on,

the Culper Ring must draw an unwilling agent 

into the family legacy of espionage...

Guest review by Dorcas Perkins 


5 Stars aren't earned easily. But this book deserves every one of them.

It isn't often I read a book and say "I wouldn't change a thing." There's always SOMETHING that just doesn't quite "scratch the itch." So I was amazed that when I at last put this book down I didn't have one negative thing to say about it. It was perfect.

The characters are flawed and REAL. The heroine is a coquette and drawn in many directions by her desires; she makes some bad choices in her life which eventually cause her to rethink where she is heading. At heart she is a good person. She's also fascinating, in that she has perfect recall. She only has to glance at something (or see something or hear something), and it is forever and indelibly inscribed on her memory. This is both a blessing and a curse. But it's interesting how it all pans out and is put to use.

The hero is very likable. A bit of a rogue who has turned his wayward life around (on the inside), but as a Pinkerton detective he assumes the role of his traitorous dead twin brother to infiltrate the KCG.

And the villain...he's a perfect villain. I liked that he didn't hide his "villain-ness" till the last page. He was a villain from the very first chapter, which made it all the more spooky. But don't get the idea that he's somehow comical. He is an abusive control freak who will stop at absolutely nothing to posses his deceased brother's wife (the heroine). He's positively smooth at the start of the book but becomes increasingly unhinged as he loses the devotion of his intended.

I just loved this book. You need to read it. Even the secondary characters were well formed and living. Such a well developed story. Did I say I loved it??

Many thanks to NetGalley for my free ecopy to review

Dorcas Perkins reviews at
 http://dorcasbooks.blogspot.com/ 
and Goodreads.

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