Spies, Lies, and Good Guys

Washington also disinformed Clinton to stay in New York, while the French and the Continentals cornered Cornwallis at Yorktown, New Jersey. After three weeks, the attack from the French and the Continentals ended, and Cornwallis finally surrendered, thus ending the war.

There were also double agents and spies, who helped the Continentals. John Honeyman was a double agent who “switched” his loyalty to the British, and gained the trust of British officers. While wandering, Honeyman was captured by a Continental patrol, and was taken to Washington to be “interrogated.” None of the Continentals, except for Washington, knew Honeyman’s true loyalty. While under “interrogation”, Honeyman gave a specific description of a British garrison in Trenton, New Jersey. That night Honeyman “escaped” from the Continentals and went back to the British, telling them all about Washington’s weak army. The British at the garrison, thinking they could spend their Christmas with no worries, were surprised to be attacked by the continentals, who killed almost all of the British at the garrison.

By mid-1780 the British had assessed the size of Washington’s army, and decided to deliver a “final blow” attack that they hoped would finish them off and end the war. Right before the British arrived, an unknown spy warned Washington and his troops about the attack. With the help of the local militia, Washington and his army took some hills nearby and defeated the British. This battle would have probably ended the war, if that spy had not warned the Continentals.

As you can see, gathering information, disinformation, and double agents/spies, were three great assets to why the Revolutionary War was won by the Continentals. Each of the spies mentioned played a critical role, in one way or another, in the Revolutionary War. Disinformation and espionage played equal roles, because of George Washington’s brilliance. Without the information gathering efforts of the Revolutionary War, our country would not be what it is today.

Timeline

September 1776 - Nathan Hale is sent on a disastrous espionage mission.

December 1776 -John Honeyman gives enough vital information to the Continental Army to make an attack on the British.

Late December 1776 - George Washington and his troops attack a British stronghold in Trenton, New Jersey.

December 1777- The Continentals ward off a surprise attack made by the British, because of a spy named Lydia Darragh.

June 1780 - The Continentals win a battle against the British because of an unknown spy, who warned the Continentals about the attack.

Mid-1780 - Culper Jr. (Robert Townsend) discovers a plan made by British to destroy the French in Virginia Harbor. Washington uses disinformation to make the British stay in their fort in New York, instead of them sending troops to help the British in Virginia to destroy the French.

Mid-1780 - Cornwallis is surrounded in his fort in VA by the French and the Continentals, thus ending the Revolutionary War.

1780 – Benedict Arnold and Maj. John Andre try to sell a fortress at West Point.

Glossary

Disinformation- Telling someone erroneous information to sidetrack them from a situation.

Erroneous - Wrong/False

Townsend, Robert – an American spy who goes by the alias Culper Jr.

Darragh, Lydia – A woman who eavesdropped on the British army. She was one of the most effective spies for the Continental Army.

Hale, Nathan – An inexperienced spy for the Continental Army, who got caught spying on the British.

Honeyman, John – An American double agent.

Arnold, Benedict – A traitor to the Continental Army, who was involved with a scandal to sell a fortress at West Point.

Andre, Maj. John – One of Benedict Arnold’s top spies. Also involved with the West Point scandal.

Sources

• Fleming, Thomas, “George Washington, Spymaster”, American Heritage, 51 (February/March 2000): 38.
• Erwin Knoll, “The Spy Game”, Progressive, 56 (January 1992): 36