George Washington's secret six : the spy ring that saved the American Revolution

Title
George Washington's secret six : the spy ring that saved the American Revolution

Author
Kilmeade, Brian author.

ISBN
9781595231031

Physical Description
xviii, 235 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps, portraits ; 24 cm

Contents
Hold New York, win the war -- The need for a spy ring -- Launching the ring -- Crossing the Sound -- The ring springs into action -- Townsend joins the fight -- Creating a code -- Mounting tensions and double-dealings -- Washington demands more -- The French connection -- Benedict and Peggy -- Negotiations and treachery -- The deal is done -- Another spy at the gallows -- The ring in peril -- The beginning of the end -- Retaking New York at last -- Life after the ring.

Reading Level
1230 L Lexile

Personal Subject
Washington, George, 1732-1799-Friends and associates.
 
Townsend, Robert, 1753-1838

Subject Term
Spies -- United States -- History -- 18th century.
 
Spies -- New York (State) -- History -- 18th century.

Geographic Term
United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Secret service.
 
New York (State) -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Secret service.

Added Author
Yaeger, Don

Summary
When General George Washington beat a hasty retreat from New York City in August 1776, many thought the American Revolution might soon be over. Instead, Washington rallied--thanks in large part to a little-known, top-secret group called the Culper Spy Ring. Washington realized that he couldn't beat the British with military might, so he recruited a sophisticated and deeply secretive intelligence network to infiltrate New York. So carefully guarded were the members' identities that one spy's name was not uncovered until the twentieth century, and one remains unknown today. But by now, historians have discovered enough information about the ring's activities to piece together evidence that these six individuals turned the tide of the war. Drawing on extensive research, Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger have painted compelling portraits of George Washington's secret six: Robert Townsend, the reserved Quaker merchant and reporter who headed the Culper Ring, keeping his identity secret even from Washington; Austin Roe, the tavern keeper who risked his employment and his life in order to protect the mission; Caleb Brewster, the brash young longshoreman who loved baiting the British and agreed to ferry messages between Connecticut and New York; Abraham Woodhull, the curmudgeonly (and surprisingly nervous) Long Island bachelor with business and family excuses for traveling to Manhattan; James Rivington, the owner of a posh coffeehouse and print shop where high-ranking British officers gossiped about secret operations; Agent 355, a woman whose identity remains unknown but who seems to have used her wit and charm to coax officers to share vital secrets.


LibraryCall NumberStatus
Bayport Public Library973.41092 KILNonfiction Collection
Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)973.41092 KILNonfiction Collection
Oakdale Library973.41092 KILNonfiction Collection
Stillwater Public Library973.41092 KILNonfiction Collection