Mike Irwin
Member
From AOL-Time Warner news...
"WASHINGTON (AP) - Through a spy, the British were tipped
off that George Washington would be making his famous
Christmas night crossing of the Delaware, but the information went
unheeded, according to newly reviewed papers of the British
commander.
The papers from the archive of Gen. James Grant were found in
the tower of his Ballindalloch Castle, northwest of Aberdeen,
Scotland.
A day after Washington's 1776 victory at Trenton, Grant wrote
what apparently was a draft of a report to an unnamed superior.
He said that he had relayed good information on Washington's
plan at 5 p.m. Christmas Day to Col. Johann Rall, who
commanded the Hessian garrison at Trenton, but that Rall had
failed to take precautions.
``It is some comfort to me that I gave them previous notice,'' Grant
wrote. ``It was rather better intelligence than I could be expected
to have so soon after I was appointed to this command. No man
in America knows the channel through which it came except the
Genl. who I let into the secret before this cursed affair happen'd.''
Grant's spy is still unidentified.
Some historians say Washington had a spy of his own, John
Honeyman, who supplied food and liquor to the Hessians for a
Christmas party. There is no mention in Grant's account of the
party or its effects, usually given as a cause of Washington's easy
success early next morning.
After the war, a British intelligence officer said Washington had not
been militarily superior to the British commanders but had
prevailed because he had a better spy network.
Three weeks after the Battle of Trenton, Grant drafted another
letter saying his worst fears after the British surrender there had
come true. Washington, who had foreseen possible disaster before
Trenton, got reinforcements and was on his way to attack
Princeton. After a short campaign he won back New Jersey,
which he had given up the autumn before.
Grant seems to have run several spies on Washington's
headquarters. Another of his papers records:
``Mr. Wharton is gone to Philadelphia for Intelligence will be at
Washington's tomorrow. Lowrie is to meet him there, will be in the
Jerseys next (day?) & I shall hear from him immediately. Lowrie is
to purchase Rum to the amount of twenty thousand Dollars at
Philadelphia with Continental money & to store it there till the
(money?) arrives.''
He also records information ``given by Genl. Mercer's deputy.''
American Gen. Hugh Mercer died at the Battle of Princeton.
Wharton and Lowrie are not identified on this page of short notes.
Nor do they say what was to be done with the rum.
The Library of Congress learned of the collection at Ballindalloch
in 1999. Its owner, a descendant of Grant, said the library was
welcome to look. James Hutson, head of the library's manuscript
division, went to Scotland and had Grant's 12,000 papers copied
onto 50 rolls of microfilm now at the library.
"WASHINGTON (AP) - Through a spy, the British were tipped
off that George Washington would be making his famous
Christmas night crossing of the Delaware, but the information went
unheeded, according to newly reviewed papers of the British
commander.
The papers from the archive of Gen. James Grant were found in
the tower of his Ballindalloch Castle, northwest of Aberdeen,
Scotland.
A day after Washington's 1776 victory at Trenton, Grant wrote
what apparently was a draft of a report to an unnamed superior.
He said that he had relayed good information on Washington's
plan at 5 p.m. Christmas Day to Col. Johann Rall, who
commanded the Hessian garrison at Trenton, but that Rall had
failed to take precautions.
``It is some comfort to me that I gave them previous notice,'' Grant
wrote. ``It was rather better intelligence than I could be expected
to have so soon after I was appointed to this command. No man
in America knows the channel through which it came except the
Genl. who I let into the secret before this cursed affair happen'd.''
Grant's spy is still unidentified.
Some historians say Washington had a spy of his own, John
Honeyman, who supplied food and liquor to the Hessians for a
Christmas party. There is no mention in Grant's account of the
party or its effects, usually given as a cause of Washington's easy
success early next morning.
After the war, a British intelligence officer said Washington had not
been militarily superior to the British commanders but had
prevailed because he had a better spy network.
Three weeks after the Battle of Trenton, Grant drafted another
letter saying his worst fears after the British surrender there had
come true. Washington, who had foreseen possible disaster before
Trenton, got reinforcements and was on his way to attack
Princeton. After a short campaign he won back New Jersey,
which he had given up the autumn before.
Grant seems to have run several spies on Washington's
headquarters. Another of his papers records:
``Mr. Wharton is gone to Philadelphia for Intelligence will be at
Washington's tomorrow. Lowrie is to meet him there, will be in the
Jerseys next (day?) & I shall hear from him immediately. Lowrie is
to purchase Rum to the amount of twenty thousand Dollars at
Philadelphia with Continental money & to store it there till the
(money?) arrives.''
He also records information ``given by Genl. Mercer's deputy.''
American Gen. Hugh Mercer died at the Battle of Princeton.
Wharton and Lowrie are not identified on this page of short notes.
Nor do they say what was to be done with the rum.
The Library of Congress learned of the collection at Ballindalloch
in 1999. Its owner, a descendant of Grant, said the library was
welcome to look. James Hutson, head of the library's manuscript
division, went to Scotland and had Grant's 12,000 papers copied
onto 50 rolls of microfilm now at the library.
