John Jay and Spying

John Jay and Spying in the American Revolution

     People are asking about the authenticity of the AMC program “Turn” on Sunday nights.  I have been watching with interest because John Jay was quite involved in the spy network in and around New York.  His work with Enoch Crosby served as the basis for a book entitled “The Spy” by James Fennimore Cooper (who was a friend of John Jay’s son).

     Jay served on the Secret Committee of the New York Convention (Vol. I, p.75).  On July 22, 1776, Jay purchased a cannon from Salisbury, Connecticut.  Robert Morris’ September 23^rd letter to Jay speaks of invisible ink used in letters (I, 84).  Jay served on the Secret Committee whose purpose was “for inquiring into, detecting, and defeating all conspiracies which may be formed in this State against the liberties of America.” (I, 90).  In Continental Congress, on November 29, 1775 a group was formed named the Secret Committee consisting of Benjamin Harrison, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Johnson [Maryland], John Dickinson and John Jay.

     During the first part of the war, Jay also served as Chief Justice of the State of New York.  “I am now engaged in the most disagreeable part of my duty, trying criminals.  Roberries become frequent: the woods afford them shelter, and the tories food.” (I, 179)   After serving as President of Continental Congress, Jay was commissioned as Minister Plenipotentiary to Spain to try to get them to join the United States against Great Britain.  Jay’s letters were continually checked by both the Spanish and French authorities.  He asked that Congress would send him six letters in hope that one would get through.  Following is a cipher code from Jay to Robert Morris on November 19, 1780 (I, 446): 

   

      “Should the following cipher reach you safe, we may afterward write with less reserve.  Entick’s Spelling Dictionary, printed in 1777 [it pains a Webster to mention any other dictionary], paged backwards.  The last page in the book is numbered 468.  Let this be page the first, and mark the page (which is the title page) 468.  Count the words from the top, distinguishing the columns by a [.] over the first figure for the first column, and a [.] over the second figure for the second column.  For instance, the word absent is the fifth word in the first column of the 434^th page, and is to be written: 5,434.”