Revolutionary Espionage

George Washington's Spies on Staten Island

Staten Island, home to three sites within Gateway National Recreation Area, offers a pair of unique stories that give us insight into the strategies of General George Washington during the Revolutionary War. In particular, these narratives focus on the deliberate espionage conducted on behalf of the Americans, and General Washington's experience orchestrating multiple spy rings across New York City, including one operating out of Staten Island, exclusively.

 

A volunteer-created diorama along with Bissell's drawing of Flag Staff Post can be seen in the Fort Wadsworth Visitor Center.

NPS Photo / P Sutton

Daniel Bissell

Daniel Bissell was a soldier and a spy for the Continental Army on Staten Island during the Revolutionary War. His service included going undercover in the British Army for 13 months, where he recorded and reported information for George Washington and his officers about the British Fort, Flag Staff Post, which occupied land on modern-day Fort Wadsworth.

Bissell, under direct orders from George Washington, posed as a deserter in New York City and joined the British Army in order to gain access to the most valuable information about the British forces. He was placed in the British Infantry Corps under the leadership of Benedict Arnold, a traitor of the Continental Army. With an impressive memory and detailed drawing skills, Bissell recorded important information about the British fortifications that were erected in the New York area during his time undercover. During his time with the British Army, he garrisoned posts at Ireland Heights, Fresh Meadows, and Harlem Lane. His final detail was to Flag Staff Post, the British fort that preceded modern-day Fort Wadsworth. Bissell remained at Flag Staff Post from May 27, 1782 until September 26, 1782, and fled the area that night. The information that he gathered detailed the number of troops stationed around and in fortifications, as well as the shape and style of British fortifications. Specifically, at Flag Staff Post, he described with tremendous detail the specifics of the British fort and soldiers. Today, in the Fort Wadsworth Visitor Center, we showcase a replica of the drawing that Bissell recorded, and a replica of Flag Staff Post as was expertly described by Bissell when he returned to the Continental Army. Upon his return, Bissell was placed under arrest by the Continental Army until General Washington could corroborate his story. For his courage and bravery as a spy, Bissell was the last recipient of the Badge of Military Merit in June of 1873, which was the precursor of the contemporary Purple Heart.

Bissell’s bravery in his acts of espionage and his detailed record keeping allowed the Continental Army to obtain critical information on British fortifications across New York. Most notably, his undercover work at Flag Staff Post gives us a heroic story of American espionage during the Revolutionary War on what we now know as Fort Wadsworth.

 

General Benedict Arnold

Thomas Hart, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Mersereau Ring

The Mersereau Ring was a spy network that operated under the direction of George
Washington during the Revolutionary War. Joshua Mersereau and his brother, John, were successful businessmen on Staten Island who were well known for setting up the first stagecoach line between Philadelphia and New York in 1756. One of their most frequent customers was none other than George Washington. In early 1776, when the British successfully invaded New York City, Joshua Mersereau had given his horses and stagecoaches to the Continental Army and subsequently evacuated his family to New Brunswick, New Jersey. During the retreat to New Jersey, General Washington requested that Joshua’s sons stay behind to serve as spies in Staten Island, as they were knowledgeable of the land and were trusted sources. With that, Joshua Mersereau, his brothers, John and Jacob, as well as Joshua’s sons, John La Grange and Joshua III, became essential spies that would go on to report critical information from behind enemy lines on the quantities and qualities of British forces throughout Staten Island and the greater New York City area.

John La Grange was the first to stay behind enemy lines and successfully reported information about British force posture for 18 months. Despite having a physical disability with his right arm, John La Grange used this to his advantage in espionage as he could appear less threatening and go unnoticed by the British Army. Upon collecting valuable information, he would cross the Arthur Kill by boat towards New Jersey with the important documents stored in a bottle tied to the back of his boat. This system was intentionally devised in the case that John la Grange was spotted, he could cut the valuable information from the back of his boat before being apprehended by British forces. Once his messages were delivered to the shores of New Jersey, La Grange would return to Staten Island and use a system of lights to signal the location of his stowed information for his New Jersey counterparts to secure and forward to the Continental Army. After evidence began to mount that he was conducting espionage against the British, his remaining family members filled his role as John La Grange evacuated to Massachusetts. Joshua Mersereau III, John’s brother, picked up the brave act of espionage by utilizing a small boat to travel to Staten Island and pick up information from Paul Mersereau, another family member, who would leave valuable messages in the cellar of his house.

While accomplishing many incredible tasks throughout the Revolutionay War, the Mersereau spy ring was integral to the discovery that the British Army were prepared and ready to follow the retreating Continental Army across the Delaware River. Members of the spy ring discovered that the British had intentionally stationed boats into the New Jersey-side of the Delaware River and had plans to float them, use them to cross the river, and pursue the retreating Continental Army. However, upon this discovery, these boats were set off, destroyed, or dealt with by the Continental Army so that the British forces could not successfully cross the Delaware. This intervention effectively allowed the Continental Army to safely retreat across the Delaware River and avoid a massive calamity.

Another notable success of the Mersereau Ring was the discovery of a traitor in the high ranks of the Continental Army. Major General Benedict Arnold was one of General Washingtons most trusted military commanders and, as a result, was placed in charge of West Point in New York. However, after taking command over West Point in September of 1780, Major General Arnold began to coordinate with British Army Major John Andre, who was the head of British espionage in New York. This connection was made possible because of Peggy Shippen, Arnold’s loyalist wife, and led to the development of plans in which Arnold was to surrender West Point to the British Army. However, upon suspicion of this plan becoming reality, John Andre attempted to secure a meeting with Arnold in person by using a fake alias. A member of the Mersereau ring identified the fake name and alerted Major Benjamin Tallmadge, a spy in the Continental Army’s Culper spy ring. Major Tallmadge then carried out an arrest on John Andre. Major General Arnold was able to escape New York before being captured. However, West Point was not surrendered to the British as a result of the Staten Island Mersereau spy ring.

Today, you can find a plaque that commemorates the service of the Mersereau spy ring on the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church on Staten Island, New York.