“As a Long Islander endlessly fascinated by events that happened in a place I call home; I hope with this book to give the secret six the credit they didn’t get in life. The Culper spies represent all the patriotic Americans who give so much for their country but; because of the nature of their work; will not or cannot take a bow or even talk about their missions.â€â€”Brian KilmeadeWhen General George Washington beat a hasty retreat from New York City in August 1776; many thought the American Revolution might soon be over. Instead; Washington rallied—thanks in large part to a little-known; top-secret group called the Culper Spy Ring.Washington realized that he couldn’t beat the British with military might; so he recruited a sophisticated and deeply secretive intelligence network to infiltrate New York. So carefully guarded were the members’ identities that one spy’s name was not uncovered until the twentieth century; and one remains unknown today. But by now; historians have discovered enough information about the ring’s activities to piece together evidence that these six individuals turned the tide of the war.Drawing on extensive research; Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger have painted compelling portraits of George Washington’s secret six:Robert Townsend; the reserved Quaker merchant and reporter who headed the Culper Ring; keeping his identity secret even from Washington;Austin Roe; the tavern keeper who risked his employment and his life in order to protect the mission;Caleb Brewster; the brash young longshoreman who loved baiting the British and agreed to ferry messages between Connecticut and New York;Abraham Woodhull; the curmudgeonly (and surprisingly nervous) Long Island bachelor with business and family excuses for traveling to Manhattan;James Rivington; the owner of a posh coffeehouse and print shop where high-ranking British officers gossiped about secret operations;Agent 355; a woman whose identity remains unknown but who seems to have used her wit and charm to coax officers to share vital secrets.In George Washington’s Secret Six; Townsend and his fellow spies finally receive their due; taking their place among the pantheon of heroes of the American Revolution.
#550842 in Books Westholme Publishing 2012-10-10Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x 1.50 x 6.00l; 1.50 #File Name: 159416164X374 pages
Review
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful. Great book about an important American event in the antebellum periodBy Bob the LibrarianThe Caning is a well-written; easy to read narrative about an important but often overlooked event in the American slavery period. On May 22; 1856 U.S. Senator Charles Sumner was beaten at his desk in the Senate chambers by a cane held by U.S. Representative Preston Brooks who was enraged over Sumner's speech; "Crime against Kansas;" which included derogatory statements about Brooks' second cousin U.S. Senator Andrew Butler of South Carolina.The book not only focuses on the caning but also discusses Sumner's physical and mental suffering as a result of his injuries and his quest to regain his health.In addition author Stephen Puleo points out the political ramifications of the beating. A great number of Northerners defended Sumner and the right to free speech as well as united together against slavery; while many Southerners sided with Brooks. They believed the beating was justified because Brooks was defending the southern way of life; particularly the owning of slaves as well as the honor of his cousin.Other related issues discussed in the book include the Dred Scott decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.I strongly recommend the book to anyone interested in the antebellum period.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The Caning was able...to pique my interest.By Mark from CincyMr. Puleo points out that the caning of Charles Sumner was the issue that actually divided the US once and for all and put us on the path to what became; then; an inevitable Civil War. He does this well enough; but mixes in the other major issues and ends up dividing thoughts on what was indeed "THE divisive issue." It was most interesting that Brooks died the following year after his assault on Sumner. I was also of the opinion that many of Sumner's Radical Republican decisions after the war were fueled by his beating..as if he wanted to make the South pay for his injuries. That aspect; I felt; was not as emphasized. The book did make for interesting reading; and Puleo has a way with the narrative that flows well throughout. I also ordered his book; "Dark Tide;" and am looking forward to reading that shortly.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Yes; This Actually HappenedBy Eric MayforthDuring the 1850s; events such as the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act; the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin; the enactment of the Kansas-Nebraska Act; the Dred Scott decision; and John Brown's raid increased animosity between North and South and propelled the two sections toward war.But in "The Caning;" author Stephen Puleo asserts that the caning of Charles Sumner; a senator from Massachusetts and staunch abolitionist; by Preston Brooks; a congressman from South Carolina and equally staunch supporter of slavery; was the one incident that made war unavoidable. Puleo states that the caning "destroyed any pretense of civility between North and South" and "hardened positions on both sides and convinced each that the gulf between them was unbridgeable."Puleo offers brief biographical sketches of both Brooks and Sumner and recalls the path that both took to the caning. Sumner was someone whom we would describe today as a cold fish and simply a jerk--while his stand on abolition was certainly admirable; the author notes that he was exceptionally overbearing and moralistic in his desire to enlighten those who disagreed with him; and he was such a difficult person that his relationships even with his family were strained.In some ways both Brooks and Sumner lived down to the worst; cartoonish stereotypes of their respective regions; but in the book's overall look at the personalities and characters of both men in their entirety the South Carolinian comes across as more likable. The author describes the code of honor that Brooks grew up under as a Southerner--while much of it was a tremendous guide to life and conduct; other tenets of the code were simply unworthy of fealty; and the nation was riven when a sitting congressman did not have the discernment to know when to deviate from the code and the psychological strength to do so.On this day in 1856; Senator Sumner delivered a fiery address that called for a free Kansas but that also insulted both Brooks's cousin and his region--while Illinois senator Stephen Douglas was listening to the speech; he told another onlooker that "this damned fool is going to get himself shot by some other damned fool." Two days later; Brooks caned Sumner brutally on the Senate floor; nearly killing him.The reaction in both sections was immediate; visceral; and intense. Northerners were outraged--the attempt by the South to limit debate on the slavery question and settle it with violence instead of discourse led many in the North to become instant abolitionists; and Paleo examines the degree to which the caning contributed to the rise of the Republican Party and its very respectable showing in the 1856 presidential election. Southerners; however; considered Brooks a hero and infuriated the North further when they suggested that Sumner's wounds were not serious and that he was faking being badly hurt.Paleo discusses the impact of the caning on both men and on the country. Brooks suffered a shocking death only eight months later; and Sumner suffered terribly; undergoing hideous treatments for his wounds and taking three long years to recover fully before his permanent return to the Senate in 1859. The author remembers how North and South drifted even further apart during the Buchanan presidency; leading to the election of 1860; secession; and the beginning of war.The caning may or may not have been the most important incident leading to the Civil War; but Paleo argues that the war would not have come as soon as it did without it. "The Caning" is a vital read for anyone who wishes to know a significant part of what made the conflict between North and South irrepressible.
