George Washington's Secret Six by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger

A good friend saw this book at a thrift store and thought of me: George Washington's Secret Six by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger. I'm glad she did. 

I was familiar with story, especially after watching the show Turn, but reading about it was fun.

It tells the harrowing story of six people, centered around Abraham Woodhull (aka Samuel Culper), who smuggle information about New York city to Washington. It's obviously a dangerous job as Nathan Hale had already been hung after being caught as a spy. 

The ring involves Woodhull, a neighbor and tavern owner Austin Roe, printer and coffee shop owner, James Rivington, river boat pilot, Caleb Brewster, shopkeeper Robert Townsend, and the mysterious female agent, 355. All would collect information and add whatever they could as the correspondence made its way to Washington. 

They specifically noticed troop movements and the location and type of military equipment located in and around Manhattan. They were instrumental in diverting attention when the French entered the war on the American side, as well as alerting Washington to the British plans in regards to the French. 

Unfortunately, by its very nature, the spies were accorded little affirmation after the war was won. Some, like James Rivington suffered harm. Being thought of as a staunch loyalist, his cultivated persona, his newspaper suffered and he ended up in debtors prison. Others simply disappeared into the sands of time until discovered years later. We still don't know, and probably never will, who Agent 355 is. She probably died in, or at least was captured and sent to, a hellish prison ship. 

We certainly owe these patriots a debt of honor.