Benjamin Tallmadge

Benjamin Tallmadge
Benjamin Tallmadge
Born	Template:Birth date; Setauket, New York, British America
Died	March 7, 1835 (aged 81); Litchfield, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Military leader, intelligence officer, statesman
Known for	Officer in the Continental Army; director of the Culper Ring espionage network; U.S. Representative from Connecticut

Benjamin Tallmadge (February 25, 1754 – March 7, 1835) was a distinguished American military leader, intelligence organizer, and statesman. He gained prominence for his role as an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and for directing the Culper Ring, a crucial espionage network operating within British-held New York. Tallmadge also orchestrated a notable raid on Long Island that culminated in the Battle of Fort St. George. Following the war, he represented Connecticut as a Federalist in the US House of Representatives.

Early life

Born on February 25, 1754, to Susannah Smith and Reverend Benjamin Tallmadge Sr., a minister in Setauket, New York, part of the Town of Brookhaven, New York on Long Island, Tallmadge pursued higher education at Yale, graduating in 1773. During his time there, he was affiliated with the Brothers in Unity society and maintained a close friendship with fellow Revolutionary War spy Nathan Hale. Between 1773 and 1776, he held the position of superintendent at Wethersfield High School.

American Revolutionary War

Tallmadge received his commission as a major in the 2nd Continental Light Dragoons on June 20, 1776. After Nathaniel Sackett failed to produce effective intelligence, General George Washington appointed Tallmadge as head of military intelligence.<ref> He formed the spy network known as the Culper Ring, working closely with agents Abraham Woodhull and Robert Townsend to collect critical information from British-occupied New York.<ref>

The Culper Ring was instrumental in uncovering Major General Benedict Arnold's treason. Following the capture of Arnold's British contact, Major John André, Tallmadge suspected espionage activities and took measures to ensure that vital documents reached Washington despite initial errors by Colonel John Jameson. André was placed under Tallmadge’s supervision until his execution.

On November 21, 1780, Tallmadge led a force of dragoons across Long Island Sound to Mount Sinai, New York, where they seized and set fire to Manor St. George and destroyed approximately 300 tons of hay stored by British forces in Coram. Washington commended Tallmadge’s efforts for their strategic significance:

I have received with much pleasure the report of your successful enterprise upon fort St. George, and was pleased with the destruction of the hay at Coram, which must be severely felt by the enemy at this time. I beg you to accept my thanks for your spirited execution of this business.

From March 1781 until the disbandment of the Continental Army in November 1783, Tallmadge served at General Washington’s headquarters. He became an original member of The Society of the Cincinnati in Connecticut when it was founded in July 1783 and received a brevet promotion to lieutenant colonel on September 30, 1783.<ref> Subsequently, he held several leadership positions within the Society including Assistant Treasurer (1785–1789), Treasurer (1789–1793), Vice President (1793–1796), and President (1796–1801), establishing a legacy that continues through his descendants.<ref>

Career

In 1792, Tallmadge assumed the role of postmaster in Litchfield, Connecticut, a position he relinquished upon election to Congress. He also established a prosperous mercantile and import business and served as the inaugural president of the Phoenix Branch Bank from 1814 until 1826.

House of Representatives

On March 4, 1801, Tallmadge took over the position held by William Edmond as a Federalist Party representative in the US House of Representatives for Connecticut's at-large seat, following an unsuccessful campaign in 1798. He remained in office until March 3, 1817, when Thomas Scott Williams succeeded him.

In 1829, Tallmadge aligned with Federalists who defended Uriah Tracy against charges made by John Quincy Adams and William Plumer, accusing Tracy of spearheading a New England secession movement in 1804.

Personal life

Tallmadge was married to Mary Floyd (1764–1805), daughter of William Floyd, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence and a former U.S. Representative from New York. Among their children were:

William Smith Tallmadge (1785–1822), who served as lieutenant colonel in the 46th U.S. Infantry during the War of 1812 and died unmarried in Moscow, New York
Henry Floyd Tallmadge (1787–1854), who wed Maria Andrews Canfield
Maria Jones Tallmadge (1790–1878), wife of Congressman John Paine Cushman
Benjamin Tallmadge (1792–1831), naval lieutenant who passed away near Gibraltar
Frederick Augustus Tallmadge (1794–1869), married to Elizabeth H. Canfield
Harriet Wadsworth Tallmadge (1797–1856), who married John Delafield
George Washington Tallmadge (1803–1838), spouse of Laura Pease

Death

After Mary’s death in 1805, Tallmadge remarried in 1808 to Maria Hallett (d. 1838), daughter of his friend Joseph Hallett. Tallmadge passed away on March 7, 1835, in Litchfield, Connecticut, and was laid to rest in East Cemetery there.

Legacy

Tallmadge’s name is honored at Fort Huachuca, Arizona—home to Army intelligence—with a building named Tallmadge Hall. The city of Tallmadge, Ohio also commemorates him through its name. Additionally, the Boy Scouts of America’s Benjamin Tallmadge District serves the north shore of Eastern Long Island.

The township of Talmadge, Maine, named after him, reflects his early nineteenth-century ownership of that area.

Tallmadge is prominently featured in AMC’s Turn: Washington's Spies, where actor Seth Numrich portrays him. He is also represented by Dave Morrissey, Jr., in the films One Life to Give and Traitor produced by TBR News Media.

External links