In August of 1778, George Washington received a letter from a lieutenant, located at the port of Norwalk on the Connecticut side of Long Island, offering to report on the enemy. Washington replied with specifics about what type of information he would like to receive. Washington received intelligence back with details on Howe’s fleet and regiments of British troops boarding transports preparing to go to Newport, Rhode Island. Because of this lieutenant, Washington infiltrated New York, which was currently under British control. This was the birth of the Culper Ring. The Culper Ring was a spy ring for the patriot cause that worked from its beginning in 1778 through the summer of 1781. It holds an important place in history because of the intelligence retrieved…show more content… Now the British knew not only that Tallmadge was head of the intelligence gathering, but that there was at least one active agent operating on Long Island through Connecticut by way of the Sound. Making matters worse, Woodhull was mugged on one of his trips to New York in May. Further complicating things, Woodhull discovered that John Wolsey, a Long Island privateer, had been apprehended by the British. In exchange for his parole, Wolsey divulged to the British that he overheard that Woodhull “was up to something dubious.” This information was given to Colonel Simcoe of the Queens Rangers. Captain Simcoe then proceeded to Woodhull’s home in Setauket, however, Woodhull had set out for another trip to New York only the day before. Woodhull’s father was beaten and his life was spared only because Colonel Benjamin Floyd vouched for his Loyalist sentiments. Because he was still under suspicion, Woodhull conveyed that he could no longer make the dangerous trips to New York. Washington would need a new and permanent man in New
