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Chapter 9: American Intelligence Activities Reach Maturity
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CHAPTER 9 American Intelligence Activities Reach Maturity The New York City area was an excellent location for the primary British base of operations in the American colonies. Its port offered facilities for the Royal Navy, which could ensure resupply of both men and equipment from Canada and Great Britain for the British army. Also, the navy could use the port as a base to patrol the American coastal areas. This gave the British military superior lines of communication for the deployment of troops, logistics, and command-and-control functions. Washington, however, had to deal with troop movements and logistics on interior land roads, most in poor shape and vulnerable to weather conditions, making their use difficult and slow. To manage this weakness in his military capabilities , Washington needed timely intelligence on British plans and intentions so that he could anticipate rather than react to their actions. To accomplish this, he needed a comprehensive intelligence reporting network around New York. As a commercial center in its own right, New York City had its share of citizens loyal to the king, as well as local farmers willing to sell their products for British currency. However, a significant population of the area was committed to independence. The city, like Boston, had been a hotbed of anti-British political activities with a large and active Sons of Liberty chapter. Some of these patriots living under British military occupation were willing and able to provide the American army with intelligence, often quite timely and accurate in detail, on British actions, plans, and intentions. 172 CHAPTER 9 As Washington settled into winter quarters in January 1777, he planned how to structure his intelligence operations against the British in New York City. About that time, Nathaniel Sackett, a previously mentioned senior counterintelligence officer working with John Jay on the New York State Committee and Commission for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies, was recommended to Washington as someone who might help him. On February 3, Sackett met with Washington at his Morristown headquarters to discuss intelligence operations in the New York area. The next day, Washington agreed to pay Sackett $50 a month and provide $500 as operational expenses for his collection activities.1 By March, Sackett was sending agents into the city under various commercial guises such as involvement in the poultry business. While there are few documents describing Sackett’s intelligence accomplishments, one of his operations is known in some detail. In late March 1777, he sent a woman married to a known Tory into the city. Her cover for action was to complain to British authorities regarding the American forces’ seizure of her personal property. Her story was true and readily verifiable. Her mission was to provide observational reporting on British activities in the city, and she was able to report that they were constructing flat-bottom boats to be used in a campaign against Philadelphia . She reported back to Sackett in early April. On April 7, Sackett wrote to Washington providing her details of British preparations to attack Philadelphia. Washington reacted immediately. On April 10, he sent Gen. Thomas Mifflin to Philadelphia to begin establishing a stay-behind intelligence capability in anticipation of the British taking control of the city.2 However, Sackett’s intelligence efforts ended shortly thereafter, and he was paid $500 to close out his services. The reasons for Sackett’s termination are not clearly documented, but comments in Washington’s letter to him of April 8 seem to indicate that issues of the overall accuracy and timeliness of his reporting were involved.3 Many other sources run by local Continental Army commanders, as well as by militia officers from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, were also reporting tactical observations on British activities in the New York area. Some of their most valuable agents were functioning as double agents. Washington used them, as he did throughout the war, both for intelligence on British activities and to pass along disinformation, or sometimes true information, to manipulate British planning. Particularly valuable were those double agents used by the British as couriers between New York City and other British-controlled areas. Washington achieved a significant advantage by having the ability to [34.205.142.9] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 09:16 GMT) 173 American Intelligence Activities Reach Maturity read British communications without their knowledge, but he was careful in his use of these valuable agents. He only used them as disinformation channels when the strategic situation...