CODES AND CAMOUFLAGE

The necessity of transmitting information in a private manner taxed the ingenuity of many during the Revolutionary War. Clever ideas were experimented with, but none were more practical than those used by General Washington’s spies. True, when they first realized the necessity of secrecy a very crude method was adopted, originating with Abraham Woodhull and used first in his letter of April 10th, 1779. This was the use of the figures 10 for New York, 30 and 40 for Post Riders and 20 for Setauket. By July of that year Major Tallmadge had prepared pocket dictionaries for the General, the Culpers, and himself. These consisted of closely written columns of figures and words, arranged on a double sheet of foolscap paper. The words were those they would be most apt to need, extracted from a copy of Entick’s Dictionary and written in columns in alphabetical order. Then opposite each word was placed a number and this number was thereafter used to designate the word. Then there were proper names, beginning with General Washington 711, General Clinton 712, Tryon 713, Erskine 714, Vaughan 715, Robinson 716, Brown 717, General Garth 718, Lord North 719, Germain 720, John Bolton 721, Sami. Culper 722, Culper Junr. 723, Austin Roe 724, C. Brewster 725, Rivington 726. Then 37 places have numbers assigned them, and there is an alphabet for words not listed and letters for numerals. These tables were used to the close of the war.

Much more important to the Secret Service of General Washington was the use of an invisible stain which required developing with another chemical before the writing became visible. It reached the Culpers about the time the above dictionary was prepared but was first proposed to General Washington in a letter from John Jay, a facsimile of which is opposite [page 52]. In another chapter his brother, James Jay, tells how he invented this stain, and its practical use. It was an important factor in the success of the service and it is regrettable that no one ever sufficiently thanked the Jays for it. The Culpers were frequently asking for more of it, and General Washington, low in funds, had to depend upon James Jay to furnish it. Becoming a tax upon his resources he found it necessary to explain the situation to General Washington in the following letter:

Fishkill, Septr. 19, 1780.

Dear Sir: I am extremely sorry it has not been in my power to supply you sooner with the medicine. The disagreeable situation which I have hithertoo been in, owing to a very considerable loss I am likely to sustain by the new System of Finance, deprived me of that pleasure; for I am always happy to have an opportunity of showing that I am, with great esteem and respect, Dear Sir, Your most Obt. & hemble Servt.

James Jay.

At times, because of lack of funds to purchase it the Culpers were without the Counterpart to develop the letters from Headquarters, and sometimes they had no stain with which to write their intelligence. They guarded well its discovery, in fact so well that the matter was never mentioned historically until now although several incorrect guesses were made as to the method they used to convey their messages.

More clever than those written between the lines were their letters addressed to prominent Tories. These could be sent with fair assurance of safety. The messenger knew of course that they were not to be delivered to the party addressed and discovery of them in his possession would only have disarmed suspicion. Their only rival in cleverness was the British Headquarters, where André and DeLancey exerted themselves. Like the early attempts on the American side those used by the British were sometimes more ingenious than efficient, as exemplified in the silver bullets which were used to convey messages between Generals Burgoyne,[59] Clinton, and Howe. Experiences of several of these messengers are historically recorded. One courier being cautioned that upon no account was the message to be delivered to anyone besides General Burgoyne unless it was General Clinton himself, suspecting that he was in territory occupied by the British, was surprised when challenged, but declared himself to be a friend of General Clinton’s and asked to be taken to him. He had no knowledge that there was a Clinton on both sides and not until he found himself in the presence of General George Clinton did he discover his mistake. Then he swallowed the silver bullet, but it was too late. His action had been observed and he was immediately taken into custody, when being interrogated as to what business he had with General Clinton, and discovering some embarrassment in his answer, it was proposed to administer an emetic, to ascertain what he had swallowed with such precipitation. The idea was adopted, and the consequence was that he threw up the silver ball; which being unscrewed was found to contain important intelligence. The courier was of course hung as a spy.

General Washington believed more could be accomplished by strategy than by bullets. He was careful to conceal his plans during the war but when peace came he permitted to be published in the “Columbian Centinal” a letter which he wrote from Mount Vernon, dated July 31, 1788.[60] The following extracts from this letter give an interesting angle to the campaign around New York:

“It was determined by me, nearly twelve months before hand, at all hazards, to give out, and cause it to be believed by the highest military as well as civil officers, that New York was the destined place of attack, for the important purpose of inducing the eastern and middle States to make greater exertions in furnishing specific supplies, than they otherwise would have done, as well as for the interesting purpose of rendering the enemy less prepared elsewhere. It never was in contemplation to attack New York, unless the Garrison should first have been so far degarnished to carry on the southern operations as to render our success in the siege of that place, as infallible as any future military event can ever be made.... That much trouble was taken and finesse used to misguide and bewilder Sir Henry Clinton, in regard to the real object, by fictitious communications, as well as by making a deceptive provision of ovens, forage, and boats, in the neighborhood, is certain: Nor were less pains taken to deceive our own army; for I had always conceived, where the imposition does not completely take place at home, it would never sufficiently succeed abroad.... Your desire of obtaining truth, is very laudable; I wish I had more leisure to gratify it as I am equally solicitious the undisguised verity should be known. Many circumstances will unavoidably be misconceived, and misrepresented. Notwithstanding most of the papers, which may properly be deemed official, are preserved; yet the knowledge of innumerable things, of a more delicate and secret nature is confined to the perishable remembrance of some few of the present generation. With esteem, I am, Sir, your most obedient humble servant.

“Go. Washington.”

Many deceptive letters were forwarded by General Washington, and of extreme interest were the experiences of those who carried them. The almost instantaneous success of those he prepared in July 1780 is mentioned in the chapter on Secret Service Secrets. Another that was equally successful Mrs. Elizabeth Oakes Smith, one time of Patchogue, Long Island, recalls in her book “Hugo.” This little work was written after a visit to the Iron Furnaces in northern New Jersey and New York, owned and operated by Peter Townsend whose daughter married the brother of Culper Junior. Mrs. Smith says:

“It was here, adown these glens, that the intercepted messenger of Washington passed with dispatches meant to delude Sir Henry Clinton into the belief that New York was the point of attack designed by the combined French and American forces. At the moment these intercepted documents were published in New York and the city put into careful state of defence, the whole forces of Washington were rapidly and silently on their route to Yorktown. This politic stroke of Washington’s is told with much spirit by many of the older inhabitants of the valley. The author heard it from the lips of Mr. Pierson, a gentleman of eighty-seven, with a mind still clear and vigorous, who had the incident from Montaigne, himself the intercepted messenger. When Washington gave him the package he carefully pointed out the route designed for him to take, and then resumed his writing, for the great man was busily employed at a small table. Montaigne saw at once the way would lead him directly under a battery of the enemy, who at that time held what is called the Clove or Ramapo Pass. He remained at the door, hesitating to obey, and fearful to explain the difficulty. Washington lifted up his head—‘What, not gone, sir!’ he cried. Montaigne then said: ‘Why, General, I shall be taken, if I go through the Clove!’ Washington bent his eyes sternly upon him, and brought his foot down heavily upon the floor—‘Your duty, sir, is not to talk, but to obey.’”

The Political Magazine in London printed the sequel to the above on page 343 of their June, 1781, issue. It is copied from the New York Gazette of April 4, and reads: “On Saturday another rebel mail was brought to this city taken last Thursday with Montaigne the post rider, who was in person brought to town by the captors. It contains a great number of letters.”[61] Several are published in full, including Washington’s, in which it is hinted that he is preparing to attack New York.

* * * * *

Masks were also used by British Headquarters to disguise the contents of important intelligence. These required two sheets of blank paper through each of which an oblong opening was cut. One of these sheets was deposited with the recipient and the other kept by the sender. A letter was then so written that the message to be conveyed could be read through the opening when the mask or cut out sheet of paper was laid over the letter. Without the mask the letter was so worded as to convey an altogether different meaning. On another page is illustrated the masked letter sent by General Clinton to inform Burgoyne that there would be no British army to meet him at Albany. Another illustration shows a code letter that Moody, the British spy, assisted Benedict Arnold in preparing. It is addressed to John Anderson (Major André), advising the British commander that he (Arnold) has accepted the command at West Point and will betray it. The full text of this letter will be found on [page 127].

* * * * *

Besides the Stain, John Jay had a code that General Washington was familiar with, but it appears not to have been used by the Culpers. In a letter to a friend he explains its use briefly, as follows:

“I cannot omit this opportunity of giving you a cypher, Viz. Entick’s New Spelling Dictionary, printed at London in 1775, which you will easily find at Philadelphia. I bought mine at Bell’s book-store. Add twenty to the number of the page, and ten to that of the word you use. Distinguish the first column by a dot over the first figure, and the second column by a dot over the second figure. For instance, the word duration is the first word in the first column of the 139th page, and must be thus written, 159 11. Again, the word beauty is the tenth word in the second column of the 60th page, and must be thus written, 80 20. But as it may often happen that you may want to write names or words which you will not find in the dictionary, use the following alphabet in such cases:

“a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
n m l k i h f i e d c b a l y v x t u r p w s z o y

“The design of this alphabet is obvious; use n for a, m for b, &c.”

A CODE LETTER FROM ROBERT MORRIS TO GENERAL WASHINGTON

See [page 216].

The code letter that may have given General Washington the greatest thrill required still another dictionary to translate it. It was that used by Robert Morris, the financier of the Revolution. On another page the closing half of one of his letters is illustrated. Historians tell us how Washington had appealed to Morris for funds to conduct the war. Sometimes he was fortunate in raising a sufficiency but at a critical period it seemed to Robert Morris that his only prospect was to obtain the needed sums from a wealthy Quaker. “How can I, friend Robert, who am a man of peace, lend thee money for the purpose of war? Friend George is, I believe, a good man and fighting in a good cause; but I am opposed to fighting of any sort.” This was the Quaker’s plea, but Morris recalled that Washington had also mentioned the urgency of funds for the secret service. That appealed to the Quaker. “The gold was dug up from his garden and handed over to Morris to forward to General Washington. His adopted son Custis says: ‘Its application to the secret service produced the happiest effects upon the cause of the Revolution in that critical period of our destiny.’”[62]

The code used by the Culpers covers too much space for reproduction here. However some of the words most frequently used have been collected and will be found on the page following, and a section of the original code prepared by Major Tallmadge for General Washington is reproduced on [page 218].

This is part of the secret code used by General Washington, Benjamin Tallmadge, Robert Townsend, and Abraham Woodhull, during the Revolutionary War.

USE OFMEANSUSE OFMEANSUSE OF MEANS
ea711General Washington 15advice
fb 28appointment
gc712Clinton 60better
hd121day
ie713Tryon156deliver
jf151disorder
ag721Major Tallmadge178enemy
bhalias John Bolton174express
ci722Abraham Woodhull230guineas
djalias Samuel Culper286ink
ok723Robert Townsend309infantry
mlalias Samuel Culper, Jr.317importance
nm724Austin Roe322inquiry
pn345knowledge
qo725Caleb Brewster347land
rp349low
kq726Rivington355lady
lr356letter
us727New York371man
vt476parts
wu728Long Island585refugees
xv592ships
yw729Setauket660vigilant
zx680war
sy745England691written
tz708your
341Januarye1 73camp
215Februaryf2
374Marchg3
22Aprili4
373Mayk5
336Junem6
337Julyn7
29Augusto8
616Septemberq9
462Octoberu0
427November
154December

A SECTION OF THE CODE PREPARED BY MAJOR TALLMADGE FOR GENERAL WASHINGTON’S SPIES