When he was taken before, he was in Arms-in his proper uniform…it was, therefore, a matter of great doubt whether he could be considered otherwise than a prisoner of War.” Moody escaped and later wrote his memoir as a loyalist spy and recruiter during the war. When Moody was finally captured in 1780 Washington wrote, “It is a pity but that Villian Moody could be apprehended lurking in the Country, in a manner that would bring him under the description of a Spy. Though James was routinely able to intercept official correspondence and even some of Washington’s own letters, officials could never try him as a spy. For years during the war, Washington was particularly vexed by New Jersey loyalist James Moody. A witness reported that Hale uttered a patriotic sympathy in his last breath: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”Īs Washington was quick to employ spies for his own benefit, he was also menaced by spies and fake intelligence coming from British agents and loyalist sympathizers. Quickly captured, the British hanged Hale as a spy. Jay’s directive from Washington was to “close the regular channels of intelligence from the city.” One of the first agents acting on behalf of the patriots was Nathan Hale, who volunteered to spy on the British on Long Island in September 1776. In June 1776, Washington placed John Jay at the head of New York’s newly created Committee on Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies. He simply out-spied us.”Īt the start of the war, Washington quickly recognized both the importance of counterintelligence and stopping intelligence gathering by the enemy, as well as placing his own spies behind enemy lines. It is clear that Washington’s tactics were no match for British intelligence agents, one of whom later said, “Washington did not really outfight the British. In 1777 he wrote to Colonel Elias Dayton, “The necessity of procuring good Intelligence is apparent & need not be further urged - All that remains for me to add is, that you keep the whole matter as secret as possible.” British General Charles Cornwallis, too, understood the importance of clandestine intelligence gathering and is reported to have exclaimed, “Ah, you rogue!” upon the realization that his own trusted spy was, in fact, a double-agent for Washington. General George Washington was keenly aware of the importance of espionage during the war. Both armies also mounted misinformation campaigns, purposefully leaking false intelligence for the enemy to find. Some spies served for long periods or even the duration of the war, while others performed only singular acts of espionage when duty called, or when opportunities presented themselves.

British commanders found intelligence gathered by loyalist sympathizers useful, which often included details about geography and terrain unfamiliar to the British army. Both armies relied on spies to gather information on troop strength and morale, access to and availability of munitions and supplies and intended plans to march or attack. When British troops finally headed to Concord in April, their march was hardly the surprise that was intended-did someone close to the royal governor alert the patriots of their approach?ĭuring the American Revolution, both the British and patriot armies employed spies to gather information about the enemy. Even a month before “the shot heard ‘round the world” Thomas Gage, the royal governor of Massachusetts, sent two subordinates to travel to Concord in March 1775 to gather information about patriots’ intentions and stockpiles of supplies and weapons. In a way, the American Revolution began with acts of espionage. Saved Land Browse Interactive Map View active campaigns.Speak Out to Protect Wyse Fork Battlefield.Help Save 52 Hallowed Acres at Three Virginia Battlefields.Help Preserve 177 Acres at Buffington Island.Help Protect 52 Threatened Acres in Virginia, Georgia and Mississippi.Phase Three of Gaines’ Mill-Cold Harbor Saved Forever Campaign.Send Students on School Field Trips to Battlefields – Your Gift Tripled!.Preserve 128 Sacred Acres at Antietam and Shepherdstown.Virtual Tours View All See Antietam now!.National Teacher Institute July 21 - 24, 2022 Learn More.USS Constitution In 4 Minutes Watch Video.African Americans During the Revolutionary War.The First American President: Setting the Precedent.

Us spy network