The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-10-10
TWO NAMELESS SPIES.
WashingtOn'S Mysterious e.
cret Service Again.
ONLY THE SHADOW OF A NAME.
,I,.torisDs Bstded-A True Romance
ofthe Revolution Which Defies
investigation.

,Irtion and writer's who have taken III
DETAILS Of the campaigns around New
York and in the Jerseys, from 1878 t.
the British ,7acuation IN 1913 have en-
5eayored in vain to solve one of ID,
most romantic and interesting problem
connected with the war of independ
ence. Irving, Sparks, Losing and Ban
croft, among the leaders of historical
research. and a numerous small fry o
patient and ploddiRg inVestiga: ors have
sought key to the mystery only a
last to confess themselves baf1 d and tc
abandon the task in despair. Contem
pOrary records and state papers, thE
journals and diaries of Washington. the
secret archives of the Continental Con
gress and the correspondence of mem
bers of the military fami = of the
Commander in Chief have en- fruit
Issslv explored, and it is hardly likely
that there now remains any undiscov-
cred scrap of paper to betray the care
fully guarded secret, probably known to
but three persons. Of whom Washington
was not one.
This defiant question is who were
c.. ST., and -, Jr., the daring
INGENIOUS and successful gieS, who tor
DSsrly tour wears served the D ,triot
cause SC faithfully within the British
lines in and around New York, anu for
every dsv during that log period were
in Peril OF detection and the Ignominl-
Gus death that Nathan Hale died? OF
their exploits, Of their procurement OF
the most important Information of the
enemy's movements and of their
conveyance of it to Washington We
know much, but Of their identity abSo-
luteIy nolhidg. They were unquestlon-
ably brought into the secret service by
MAJOR Ben. Tallmadge, that brilliant
young dragOOn, who was one of the
hardest lighters that the war developed.
Himself native of Long lsla d, tn
circumstances indicate that ne selected
them frCm among his neighbOrs ami
friends when Washington applied TO
him for one or two men stout-hearted
enough TO undertake such dangerous
duty and sufficiently intelligent to dis
charge it. Gallmad-e first chose Q -,
ST., aud when the Commauder-in-C
desired TO know If be Was trustworthy.
replied: Il dare pawn my honor apo
his fidelity. In this early correspon
dence he speaks OF the spy as &c ilper
ST., which was evidently a fictitious
name, and in subsequent communities
tons we're dropped for he more con-
Tenient initial letter.
The spy began his PerilOus work in
177S, forwarding his dis
patches from New York to TalImadge,
who found some way OF sending them 10
headquarters up the
Hudson. The first letter of acknowledge
ment from the latter comedies their
great value and lRments their delay 10
reaching him. This was unavoidable.
By what messengers they were sent or
hOH they were passed through the
British lines without ever having been
is part of the mystery, butt is
certain they were sent by the most
routes, and that from the
tine c. started them on their Jour
ney until they reached Washington n }
man handling them, except F8llm adge.
knew aught of their nature or contents.
Yet Washington grew so imp atient over
me delay that he conceived the idea
mat by q personal interview with the
spy he might arrange some speedier
service. He informed fallmadge of his
wishes, who referred them 10 q -, and
We may safely suppose that the com
mander was profoundly sstonished
when the spy refused TO consent t. |
SQeA meeting or even to the revelation
81 MS true name. There is no evidence /
mat Washington ever renewed tbs !
request, and all the later communics
Aons 60 to show that he was content to |
eI ms fslthful agent work on without /
-salh seeking to lift the mask which So
91Pe2etrsbly shrouded his personality.
n mus yielding to the argument that |
,." could not afford to take the |
gnUeSt risk of exposure, Wash ng on
SonSlnueo 10 place the most implicit
2-onneence IN him. In 1779 Tallmsdge
5.-! ioF him a colleague, who was
lSslgnated as c., Jr. The two were
~ related, but were known to each
,snet! and instructed to operate in con-
uuctlon, c., Jr., was ordered to
;; T9la IN New York City to collect
~ n alton, while c., Sr.,-was
ff,I'aOlshed at a post on the Long
f o,1ulNu shore, where he received the
n 1 T5et messages and transmitted them
m = y @snington. He old some scouting
h NJ ~. own account along the sound snd
Ibs.mn eStchester County, and in one Of
$3.50 expeditions discovered the de- /:
T-aTST IlSS condition of Fort George which
n IIa Sosq Iallmadge to make his success
u |, dash upon 1t.
~ um some Of the correspondence we
/ .aI ~ exalted opinion of Washington
s-S o;ndness as the director of g secret
~ a letter which be wrote from
ne lie, - toint to Talmadge in July, 17T9. :
q ~ GI the precautions taken to render
7sr patches Valueless to the enemy if J
a. TTl0uld be captured. He says:
l tLat me White ink new have, indeed !
,or mere IS any prospect of getting
7sbi y sent IN lphial 40. 1 by Colonel 7
M, The liquid in No. 2 is the L
SIM part, which renders the other Z
-DSS " Wetting the paper with a fine !
dr. aver the first has been used and
i, You Will send these to C. -,
} ro ne SoOn as possible, and l beg that y
vino Tl tuoln may ever be made OF your =
" o. 90 1eGeiYed such liquid from me or ;.
6as ~ else. In all cases and at all y
neco lIllS prudence and circumspection d
~ Oooss4ry, but II is indispepsibly so
Won - l am informed that Governor
nd LAS a preparation of the same
sy IoaSS something similar to it, which i
ssed fsa 10 a detection if it is ever :
ksi' opposed that these 'smvpathetic Z
On e they were called, were obtained q
Sc - ahce 6y Lafayette for the pur- 3
= 70 which thav- -, -. NJ