Invisible Ink : Spycraft of the American Revolution

by Nagy, John A.

• ISBN13: 9781594160974
• ISBN10: 159416097X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-12-08
• Publisher: Westholme Pub Llc

Summary

During the American Revolution, espionage was critical to the successes and failures of both Colonial and British war efforts. While the most notorious episode of spying during the war - the Benedict Arnold affair - was a failure, spycraft was wholly embraced by the American commander-in-chief, George Washington, who not only utilized a vast spy network but also designed sophisticated battle plan deceptions and counter-intelligence initiatives. Invisible Ink begins with a brief introduction to the history of spy techniques, from ancient China through Francis Bacon, before embarking on an informative and thoroughly entertaining survey of the various techniques - including dictionary codes, dead letter drops, hidden compartments, and the use of musical notation to send intelligence - as well as accounts of some of the more notable spies and spying episodes of the period.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. xi
Early Spycraft: Codes, Ciphers, and Steganography	p. 1
Secret Communication	p. 9
Black Chambers	p. 21
Invisible Ink	p. 27
Ciphers and Codes	p. 42
Dictionary Codes	p. 69
Diplomatic Ciphers	p. 76
Dead Drops	p. 91
Hidden Compartments	p. 99
Flags of Truce	p. 121
The Culper Spy Ring	p. 134
"Traitor of the Blackest Dye"	p. 149
Deceptions and Smugglers	p. 168
Going Incognito	p. 189
European Subterfuge	p. 199
Deceptive Battle Plans	p. 211
Conclusion	p. 243
Appendices
McLane-Rivington Communications	p. 245
Culper Spy Ring Code	p. 247
Marquis de Lafayette's Numerical Code	p. 256
British Headquarters Code Book (Undated)	p. 258
British Headquarters Code Book, 1779	p. 264
Paul Wentworth's Code Book	p. 270
Boron von Steuben Cipher	p. 273
Comte de Rochambeau's Cipher	p. 274
Key of Walpole Cypher in the Hand of William Eden, 1777	p. 275
An Attempt to Decipher a Code of Unknown Origin by William Eden, 1777	p. 276
Description of Counterfeit Paper Money	p. 278
General Nathanael Greene and Colonel Henry Lee Jr. Code, 1781	p. 281
Major General Edward Braddock's Cipher	p. 282
Maps	p. 283
Notes	p. 289
Bibliography	p. 355
Index	p. 371
Acknowledgments	p. 383
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