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.
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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].
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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.”