Surratt Known As John Watson In Canada

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"The intense public emotion once stirred up by the unearthing of Booth and his infamous confederates in the President's murder, is now echoed, after so long an interval, by the discovery and seizure of John H. Surratt."

"The adventures of Surratt, his flight, his wanderings, his devices, his discovery, his capture, his bold escape, his second flight and final capture--all these (since truth is stranger than fiction) form a story exciting enough for the most greedy sensationalist."

Surratt's pseudonyms included Harrison, McCarty or McCarthy, and Watson.

The former Confederate spy was discovered in Italy under the name of John Watson in April of 1866.

An entry from the Archives of Canada:

"...information relative to a Canadian passport for John Watson, which was found in the possession of John H. Surratt, charged with the murder of Lincoln."

A Married Mexican Officer

From The Taylor anecdote book: anecdotes and letters of Zachary Taylor:

Mr. Powers Was A Spy

From the Indiana University library archives' War of 1812 Collection:

Source

1797 Oct. 16
McHenry, James, 1753-1816

"To James Wilkinson....reprimands Wilkinson for his action in connection with Powers' visit to Detroit probably as a spy."

Thomas Powers was mentioned here.

"Powers is of Irish descent, about thirty-five years age, a man of science, seemingly versatile, speaks French, Spanish, and English with equal fluency, and pronounces each as native."

Letter From Port-Royal Island

A South Carolina Beach (Not Far From Port-Royal Island, SC)

Link to a letter contained intelligence from Port-Royal Island in South Carolina.

William Lewis, Blacksmith

Tennessee, Probate Court Files, Franklin Probate Court, Wills 1812-1918:

Image 2085

Also see Image 2104

Captain Sherwood On Secret Service

From a Report on Canadian Archives:

Letters from Justus Sherwood...

See a blog post at In Deeds regarding Justus Sherwood.

Also see Buckskin pimpernel : the exploits of Justus Sherwood, loyalist spy, by Fryer, Mary Beacock, Published 1981.

Major John Andre

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Three Scots Who Were Prisoners Of War

Source - Death OF Wolfe On The Plains Of Abraham

THE SCOT IN AMERICA 

Five years before the second conquest of Canada, three Scotsmen were taken prisoners in the border wars and led captive to Quebec. They were Major Robert Stobo of the Virginia troops, Lieutenant Stevenson of Roger's Rangers, and a Leith carpenter named Clarke. Stobo became a general favorite and won the hearts of his foes and of the belles dames and demoiselles, so that he was feted and feasted, and permitted to go in all directions in and about the settlement. These privileges he turned to good account, not only to successfully plan and carry out an escape for the trio, but for the final success of the British cause, for when the immortal Wolfe, himself of Scottish blood, led his army to victory upon the Plains of Abraham, it was Stobo who was at his side, the unerring guide who pointed out the place for landing, and led the way up the steep ascent to the rear of the castle walls. The commander-in-chief General Amherst was another Scot and instead of an army of Englishmen it was an army of Scotchmen who conquered New France and brought it under the dominion of the British Crown.

The Non-Existent Secret Secession Legation?

From a letter dated May 20, 1862:

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"It is only necessary to add that on the arrest of Delisle he confessed that there was no Secret Secession Legation in Canada so far as he knew...". 

Stephen Holland, Loyalist Spy

Ontario History, Volumes 1-4

"It is certain that many of the Londonderry [New Hampshire] Loyalists whose names are mentioned herein as signers of the petition in favor of Col. Stephen Holland came to Canada in 1784."


The Londonderry News, published 4 July 2014, A Local Stand Against the King, the Londonderry Riot, related that Stephen Holland was a spy.

"It is now known with certainty that our local judge and taverner Stephen Holland was a British spy and was in communication with General Howe." 

The blog, Smith History, has some detailed information about Stephen Holland.


The American Antiquarian listed the below inventoried letter:

2 Rep. No.: MSS Dudley 3
Original, 1 letter.
Robert Smith to John Dudley, Londonderry, N.H., 10 August 1779. Discusses his fears over the activities of suspected Loyalists, especially the remaining family and confederates of Stephen Holland of Londonderry. John Dudley Family Papers, 1728-1853.

Colonel Samuel Estill

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Application for Samuel Estill's Revolutionary War pension [NARA record online via Fold3]:

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• Served for months as a Ranger or Indian spy...
• In 1778 to Kentucky and went to Boone's...

See a transcription of the pension application here.

American Spies' Flight From The Rising Sun

Source - Portrait of Benjamin Tallmadge

The story below is from the History of Woman Suffrage, Volume 1 , edited by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan Brownell Anthony...:

An anecdote of a female spy is related in the journal of Major [Benjamin] Tallmadge. While the Americans were at Valley Forge he was stationed in the vicinity of Philadelphia with a detachment of cavalry to observe the enemy and limit the range of British foraging parties.  His duties required the utmost vigilance, his squad seldom remained all night in the same position, and their horses were rarely unsaddled.  Hearing that a country girl had gone into the city with eggs; having been sent by one of the American officers to gain information; Tallmadge advanced toward the British lines, and dismounted at a small tavern [Rising Sun] within view of their outposts. The girl came to the tavern, but while she was communicating her intelligence to the Major, the alarm was given that the British light-horse were approaching.  Tallmadge instantly mounted, and as the girl entreated protection, bade her get up behind him. They rode three miles at full speed to Germantown, the damsel showing no fear, though there was some wheeling and charging, and a brisk firing of pistols.


This site has an article entitled The Talented Major Tallmadge.

Gunpowder From New Orleans

Fortress In Louisiana

A plan to secure gunpowder from New Orleans was conceived by Captain George Gibson of the Virginia line. Bearer of the letter from General Lee, Captain Gibson accompanied by Lieutenant William Linn and fifteen other men in the guise of traders set out from Fort Pitt July 19, 1776.

Arriving at New Orleans, their letter was entrusted to Oliver Pollock, who, acting as the agent of Virginia, succeeded in concealing their identity from the numerous British spies. To no other man could this mission have been entrusted with greater promise of success. As a trader in Havana for five years, he had become proficient in the use of Spanish and won the friendship of the leading officials, among them Don Alexander O'Reilly, governor general of Cuba. [Source]

Stephen Cameron And The Confederate Secret Service

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There was a reference to Stephen Cameron on the Lincoln Assassination message board:

"...the handwriting in the Register may very well be Stephen Cameron...".

In this message, The Reverend Stephen Cameron was mentioned in conjunction with Sarah Slater.

Stephen Cameron's picture was published in Raiders of the Civil War: Untold Stories of Actions Behind the Lines,  By Russ A. Pritchard.

Fain Shot A Spy

There was a Fain who was living in Black's Fort....

  "...descended from Nicholas Fain, born in France in 1730. He moved to Ireland where he married Elizabeth Taylor, an English lady. The children of Nicholas Fain were Samuel, John, David, William, Thomas, Ebenezer, Reuben, and Elizabeth.

One of the sons, Ebenezer Fain...[a] resident in Washington county, Virginia...enlisted in the Patriot armies for a three months term...stationed at Black Fort and Montgomery Station and was engaged in two battles with Indians in one of which sixteen were killed in June 1780. 

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"...young Fain shot John Foulin, a spy, on whom was found an express note from Lord Cornwallis to the Tory Captain Moore, urging him to defend his fort until some troops could reach him. The Americans took advantage  of this information, captured Moore and his fort, together with one hundred men and then dispersed at Musgrove Mills the party sent to reinforce Captain Moore."


A document from Ebenezer Fain's Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application File:

Pennsylvania Powder Magazine

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Powder magazine at Williamsburg, Pa. from which [George Rogers] Clark was supplied with powder on his first visit.

Why General Clark needed the powder and the logistics he set up to get it:

"I [GR Clark] sent two young men to those places in the summer of 1777 as spies...". They returned to Harrodstown with all the information I could reasonably have expected.

[These young hunters were also with the company of thirty men, who, under the command of Captain James Harrod, brought the gunpowder which Clark procured...and thence conveyed by Captain Harrod's party through the forest to Harrodstown.]

Where's The Beef?

From The Historical Picture Gallery, Or, Scenes and Incidents in American History ...

Stephen Ball made a bad decision.  Or perhaps a couple of bad decisions.  He decided to sell beef to the British who were occupying Long Island "for British gold [rather than] the almost worthless paper money of Congress."  Rather than going straight home "for fear he might be observed" "and his object suspected by some of  his friends," he didn't leave until near dark.

Ball was found by foes instead of his friends, who stripped him of his profits and then took Ball "to General Patterson for trial as a spy."  Since no officer wanted to hang him, the robbers conducted a kangaroo court and hung him themselves.

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A 1711 British Secret Service Report On Canada

An excerpt from a report by Major John Livingstone (of New York's Livingston family):

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Secret Agent Man

From the History of the United States Secret Service,:

I [Lafayette Baker] at once reported to General Scott giving him all the information desired respecting Manassas, Fredericksburg, and Richmond, the resources and plans of the rebel chiefs, and the blockade running of the Potomac. He read with a smile, the letters from the Confederate Government, when I expressed my design to use them in tracking northern traitors in their treasonable alliance with the South. Expressing his gratification, he recommended my name to Mr. Cameron for permanent service as a secret agent of the War Department. 

Engaged To Nathan Hale?

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From Old Houses Of Antient [sic] Town Of Norwich [Connecticut]:

Uriah Tracy (b. 1753), was the son of Joseph and Anna (Hinckley) Tracy. He married in 1794, Lydia Hallam of New London, who was said to have been engaged to Capt. Nathan Hale, "the martyr spy." Uriah Tracy buys in 1790 the Benedict Arnold house, where he afterward resided, and died in 1832. For a short time, his son, George William Tracy, carried on the store in partnership with Edward Tracy. At the death of George William Tracy, which occurred in 1834, this line became extinct.

The Dreamer Blog has posts concerning the romances of Nathan Hale.