Tales of Intrigue Trivia Quiz

Answer: Nathan Hale

Unfortunately, Nathan Hale was not trained as a spy. Although he joined the Connecticut militia in 1775, he had not yet even fought in battle. General Washington needed to know what the British were planning, and Hale, seeing the opportunity to fight for the patriot cause, was the only volunteer.

While some sources say that Hale was recognized in spite of his disguise, others claim his cousin, Samuel Hale, a Loyalist, turned him in to the British. During the Revolutionary War, captured spies were considered to be illegal combatants. Hale was hanged without a trial, Bible, or clergyman, bravely saying, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country", or something similar. Nathan Hale has historically been considered an American hero, and in 1985, was designated as the state hero of Connecticut.

Answer: It came from Culpeper County, Virginia.

Culpeper County, Virginia, was established in 1749, and was named for Thomas Culpeper, who was the colonial governor of Virginia from 1677-1683. General Washington was well acquainted with the area. He was appointed to be the first county surveyor when he was seventeen years old; one of his first duties was to lay out the county courthouse complex.

In 1775, along with Orange and Fauquier Counties, Culpeper raised a 350 men militia, known as the Culpeper Minute Men. It was Washington's idea to name the spy ring Culper; the two main members used the names Samuel Culper, Sr., and Samuel Culper, Jr.

Answer: New York

After the British General William Howe evacuated Boston in March 1776, he took his forces to Halifax to reorganize before returning to New York City to make it the British base of operations. Howe's troops began arriving by June, 1776, and continued to arrive until August of that year. With no patriot spy network, Washington seriously underestimated the number of British troops in the area.

It was during this time in September of 1776, that Nathan Hale was captured and executed. By early December, Washington was forced to withdraw his troops from New York; General Washington was beginning to think that using civilians as spies would be beneficial, as they would be less recognizable.

Answer: Benjamin Tallmadge

Benjamin Tallmadge, a young cavalry officer, was appointed by General Washington as the head of the Continental Army's secret service in 1778. While there had been differing opinions on how the operation should be handled (some thought that single mission agents would more easily handle the operation), Tallmadge's method of placing or using spies in enemy territory and securing a line of communication back to base was used. Tallmadge, who had been friends with Nathan Hale at Yale, was able to recruit Caleb Brewster, who had already offered to send reports to General Washington, and Abraham Woodhull into his network; they were childhood friends who were deeply trusted. Within the spy ring, Tallmadge's alias was John Bolton.

Answer: Long Island, New York

The head of the Secret Service established Setauket, Long Island, as the base of the Culper Spy Ring. Many of his operatives were long-time acquaintances from the area, who could be absolutely trusted. It was imperative that the patriots have a spy network behind enemy lines on Long Island. Caleb Brewster, the only one of the group that was definitely identified by the British as a spy, commanded a fleet of whaleboats in Long Island Sound. Dispatches would be given to him, and he would carry them across the Sound to Connecticut, where they would be passed on the Washington; on occasion he would report directly to General Washington.

After the war he made a living as a blacksmith and was an officer in the United States Revenue Cutter Service.

Answer: West Point

Benedict Arnold went from patriot hero to traitor in four years. Once an ardent supporter of the cause, even to the point of using his own money to train his men, old wounds kept him from the battlefield during the Revolutionary War; in addition, he held grudges due to the fact that he believed he had been passed over for promotion.

A new, high maintenance Loyalist wife, put him into contact with John Andre, who basically promised money and rank in the British army. After Arnold was given command of West Point, he planned to turn it over to the British.

It is believed that someone in the Culper Ring intercepted the message. Arnold and his wife escaped to England to live out their lives in relative obscurity, and John Andre was captured as a spy and hanged.

Another potential disaster averted!

Answer: True

A list of some of the members of the group still exists today. Many of the members were also given code numbers; George Washington's was 711. There was a female member of the group who was known as 355. Although historians disagree, some say that her identity is still unknown today.

The Ring would relay messages using couriers; Austin Roe, the group's main courier, is shown in the picture. While it was necessary for informants to know who their courier was, it was not necessary for them to know everyone who was part of the workings of the group. Secrecy had to be the key to their great success, and General Washington, as much as anyone else, understood the value of support and secrecy.

In fact, it is believed that members of the Culper Ring saved General Washington's life on at least two occasions.

Answer: By the way clothes were hanging on the clothesline.

Anna Strong, a long-time resident of Setauket, Long Island, signaled messages from the spy ring by the way her laundry was hung on the clothesline. For example, a black petticoat on the line meant that Brewster was in town with his whaleboat. Next to it, she would hang a number of white handkerchiefs, which indicated the hiding spot where he might be found.

It is also said that the black petticoat would be used as a signal for Brewster as to where he should bring his boat for a meeting with other operatives.

While some historians claim there is no hard evidence to suggest that Strong was part of the spy ring, other sources state there was a woman who was closely watched by the British. Her husband, Selah, was imprisoned on a British ship for much of the war, and later became a state senator from New York.

Answer: France

The patriots desperately needed an ally, and help was coming from France. In 1778, after signing the Treaty of Alliance, the plan was for the French fleet to sail to Newport, New Jersey, which was a British stronghold. The first "official" report from the Culper Ring, that the British fleet was being taken from New York City to Newport, and that troops were boarding ships for Newport, averted certain disaster.

Answer: False

Perhaps because of the death of Nathan Hale, the Culper Ring operated in total secrecy. It was not until 1929 that Robert Townsend's identity, known to the ring as "Culper, Jr.", was uncovered with old letters that he had written; these were found in his ancestral home. Robert Townsend, one of the two main operatives, was a businessman who frequently traveled to New York City, and was the group's primary source there.

As he collected information, he would pass a message to a courier who take it to the appropriate destination. Townsend was apparently insistent that his identity never be revealed, and his secret was kept! The similarity between his handwriting and Samuel Culper, Jr.'s, writing has confirmed his identity as a member of the ring.