I first learned of the Culper Spy Ring via the AMC TV series, “TURN: Washington’s Spies.” Based on the book, “Washington’s Spies“, by Alexander Rose, it tells the true story of a group of Long Island childhood friends who became a network of spies during the American Revolutionary War. The Ring was organized in 1778 by Major Benjamin Tallmadge, George Washington’s director of military intelligence during the British occupation of New York City. The Ring was tasked with providing information to General Washington on the British Army’s operations at their headquarters there.
After watching the series, TURN: Washington’s Spies, Mister Rain and I began to research the Culper Ring as well as the town of Setauket, Long Island, New York, where the spies met as children. Discovering Tri-Spy Tours, without delay, arrangements were made to take a private tour with Tri-Spy.
On our way to Setauket, we stopped in Oyster Bay, where Robert Townsend lived. A Quaker, he was not from Setauket but was an integral part of the success of the Culper Ring. His occupation as a merchant had him interacting with British soldiers and residents of New York City. His home, Raynham Hall, is open for touring but unfortunately it was closed the day we came through. We were able to visit his nearby grave at Fort Hill Cemetery. It is a small, ancient burial ground located in a residential neighborhood, surrounded by backyards and one barking dog. Townsend’s tombstone is difficult to find given its age, but with the help of the photo on Find A Grave, plus the American flag at his gravesite, my husband tracked him down. I prayed for the man and thanked the patriot.
Continuing 40 miles to Setauket, we checked into our cottage at the charming Estate at Three Village Inn in Stony Brook, New York. All the Estate cottages are named after members of the Culper Ring: Brewster, Roe, Strong, Tallmadge, Townsend and Woodhull. We were in the Brewster Cottage, named for Caleb Brewster, a whaleboat captain who carried messages across Long Island Sound between Tallmadge and the other spies.
The next day was Tour Day. We met Margo, the founder / operator of Tri-Spy Tours, at the Setauket post office, a beautiful Greek revival building. As we waited for her to arrive, the town was bustling, its hometown crowd going about a normal Tuesday afternoon in a place seemingly magical to Mister Rain and me. Margo was immediately welcoming, kind, infinitely knowledgeable and generous with her expertise. She handled this geek with grace along with patience, as if meeting a blind woman foaming at the mouth, breaking into goosebumps and . . . wait for it . . . tearing up at one point on the tour, is an every day occurrence.
Getting into our respective cars, we followed Margo to each location. Tri-Spy Tours are offered by foot, bike and kayak, but due to my visual limitations as well as the desire to visit EVERYTHING, we did it via auto.
Caroline Church, built in 1729, was used as an infirmary for the British during the war, the weather vane atop still bears the Union Jack. A bullet from the Battle of Setauket is displayed in the church foyer. The battle took place in the Village Green across the street from the church, the open, grassy area also the site of the British encampment. From here, we could also see where the one room schoolhouse once stood, attended by the spies when they were young.
Speaking of the students turned espionagers, we’ve talked about Tallmadge and Brewster. Let me now introduce you to Anna Smith Strong. Anna’s role in the Ring was to relay signals to Brewster by hanging a black petticoat on her clothesline at Strong Point in Setauket, which was easily visible from the Sound, and also by Abraham Woodhull from his nearby farm. (Don’t worry, we’ll get to Abe!) She would add a number of handkerchiefs indicating to which one of six coves Brewster should bring his boat to avoid detection in order to meet with Woodhull. Strong is buried at Saint Georges Manor Cemetery, also known as Smith-Strong Family Cemetery. I prayed for the woman and thanked the patriot. The ground was uneven and Margo was very attentive to my safety. It was here that she asked me what happened to my vision. After I told her, she said, “I believe everything happens for a reason. You’re pretty special. And you’re a patriot.” It was one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me, that I’m a patriot. Margo then handed me a small rock she had picked up by Strong’s grave. It permanently sits on my nightstand.
Driving next to Strong’s home, still a private residence, we stopped to take pictures of the area, then ventured on to where Abraham Woodhull’s house once stood. Woodhull was a potato farmer but in the TV series, he grows cabbage, Hollywood deeming potatoes too small to be seen on camera. When Tallmadge approached Woodhull about gathering intelligence for General Washington, Woodhull became the lead agent in the Culper Ring. He traveled to Manhattan to visit his married sister, where he collected information from various sources, including British officers staying at the same boarding house as him. He then returned to Setauket, passing on what he had learned to Brewster to take across Long Island Sound to Tallmadge, who then sent it to General Washington. Austin Roe became the main courier for the Ring later, after Woodhull ceased going to New York City himself. We went by where Roe’s tavern once stood.
Presbyterian Churchwas the location of the British headquarters in Setauket. After they were done with it, they tore it down. It was rebuilt in 1812. It is also where Woodhull is buried, the origin of my tears. I was doing really well until Margo told us that there was a fire at Woodhull’s house in 1831. When he died in 1836, The Daughters of the American Revolution made sure that the bricks from around his fireplace were used to build his tomb. I placed my hand on those bricks. I prayed for the man and thanked the patriot.
My husband’s favorite part of the tour (I believe I established mine in the paragraph above): Shore Road overlooking Setauket Harbor. Here you are able to see where Brewster came in by water, where Strong hung the petticoats along with the hankerchiefs, and also Woodhull’s home from where he could see the clothesline.
MUSKET DROP
A few days later, before heading home, we explored the Three Village Historical Society, to learn more about the area and the Culper Ring. It was a great way to wrap up a dream come true trip. And speaking of wrapping up, when we were at Woodhull’s grave, I had said to Margo, “I hope they know we know (about the Ring and the roles they all played in it).” Margo replied, “They know. They’re here.”
Who’s the patriot now?
Sister Rain’s Note:
We would go on to view Brewster’s grave in Fairfield, Connecticut at Old Burying Ground at another time. I prayed for the man and thanked the patriot. We will be sure to pay our respects to Tallmadge in Litchfield, Connecticut someday soon.
In writing this piece, I have not extensively fact-checked what I recall from the TV series, Rose’s book or the handful of other titles I’ve read about the Culper Ring. Facts from the tour with Tri-Spy were referenced via the notes I jotted down as soon as we said goodbye to Margo. I have been careful to reveal only a fraction of this story. It is for you to discover on your own, for you to peel back the layers of a true tale about the brave actions of an Intelligence Officer, a Quaker, a whaleboat captain, a homemaker, a potato farmer and a tavern owner. Although no longer shrouded in secrecy, the Culper Ring is still unknown to many, a crime more serious than treason. The Culper Ring does not make its way to us easily. You will, however, find this important part of our history in the daily freedoms you enjoy, and on the north shore of Long Island in a hamlet that people call home, Setauket.
#sisterrain #alittlesightalotofheart #legallyblindwriter #ushistory #setauketnewyork #culperring #trispytours #ispysetauketlongisland
