Mersereau Ring facts for kids

The Mersereau Ring was a secret group of spies during the American Revolution. They worked for General George Washington, gathering important information about the British army. This spy ring started in December 1776, in the New Brunswick and New York areas.

General Washington created the Mersereau Ring when he was retreating through New Brunswick. He asked a businessman and patriot named Joshua Mersereau to help. Joshua's oldest son, John LaGrange Mersereau, stayed behind in New Brunswick after the American forces left. By 1777, the Mersereau Ring grew into a bigger spy network. It operated under Colonel Elias Dayton of the 1st New Jersey Militia.

Joshua Mersereau: The Ring's Founder

Joshua Mersereau (1728-1804) was a key figure in the Mersereau Ring. Before the war, he ran a stagecoach business with his brother John. As the American Revolution began, Joshua and his brother offered their horses to the American military. In 1775, Joshua also helped gather soldiers for a trip into Quebec.

During the war, Joshua had important jobs. He served as a representative for Staten Island in the New York State Assembly. He also worked as a Deputy Commissary of prisoners. This meant he was in charge of British prisoners of war in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. In this role, Joshua often wrote to George Washington about prisoners and secret information.

The Mersereau family owned a tavern on Staten Island and their stagecoach line ran between New York and Philadelphia. These businesses were perfect for secretly moving intelligence reports. They could hide messages within their regular work.

In 1780, Joshua Mersereau was promoted to Major. He continued his work with prisoners until the war ended. After the war, he moved his family to Tioga County and became a judge.

John LaGrange Mersereau: The Brave Spy

John LaGrange Mersereau (1760-1841) was Joshua's son and a very important spy. After American forces left New Brunswick in 1776, John LaGrange moved to Staten Island and then Manhattan. From there, he gathered secret information from behind British lines. John LaGrange had a weak right arm, so he couldn't fight with a musket. Instead, he chose to help the American forces by spying.

Joshua's helper, John Parker, was the first person to carry messages between John LaGrange and the American forces. Parker made at least three trips across enemy lines. Sadly, the British caught Parker, and he died in prison. After this, John LaGrange took on the dangerous job of being both a spy and a messenger.

When he was a messenger, John LaGrange used a large stone at Shooter's Island as a "dead drop." This was a secret spot where he could pick up instructions and leave intelligence reports. To stay safe, he would tie the reports in a bottle to his raft. If British forces stopped him, he could quickly throw the bottle into the water to destroy the secret evidence. Light signals along the river told him when new reports were ready at Shooter’s Island.

After 18 months of spying, the British started to suspect John LaGrange. So, he rejoined the American forces in Rutland, MA. He then helped care for British prisoners of war, including soldiers from General John Burgoyne's army. To keep the information flowing after John LaGrange was discovered, other Mersereau family members helped. John LaGrange's brother, Joshua, used a small boat to go to Staten Island. There, he would pick up copies of a newspaper called the Register that Paul Mersereau left in his cellar. These newspapers likely contained hidden messages.

After the war, John LaGrange became a county clerk for Richmond County on Staten Island. He later became a judge in Tioga County in 1791 and in Chenango County in 1798.

John Mersereau: The Network Manager

The elder John Mersereau (1731-1820) was Joshua's brother and John LaGrange's uncle. He managed a smaller spy network within the Mersereau Ring. This network had at least six secret agents. These agents usually used only their initials in their reports, so most of their real names are still unknown.

One known agent from this network was Paul Latourette. Other agents used code names like "Amicus Reipublicae" and "A Stranger." Some suspected agents included John Cork (who also worked for the Culper Ring) using the name "J.C.", John Meeker or one of the Mersereaus as "J.M.", and Asher Fitz Randolph as "A.R." Because of his important role in the Revolutionary War, the British called the elder John a "Rebel." They even offered a large reward of five hundred guineas (an old type of money) to anyone who could capture him, dead or alive.

Key Successes of the Mersereau Ring

The Mersereau Ring had several important achievements.

One of their first successes happened in December 1776. Joshua and John LaGrange found out that the British were planning to chase the American army across the Delaware River. The British had sunk boats on purpose, planning to raise them later to transport their troops. However, the Mersereaus discovered these boats and removed them. This allowed the American army to escape without being followed.

The Mersereau Ring also played a part in catching British Major John André. This capture helped to expose the betrayal of American General Benedict Arnold. A spy from the Mersereau Ring warned Major Benjamin Tallmadge about Major André's plans. André, using a false name, was going to meet with General Arnold. They were secretly planning to surrender West Point, an important American fort, to the British.

Major Tallmadge was General Washington's intelligence chief. He had unknowingly given a safe travel pass to "John Anderson," which was Major André's fake name. He did this because General Arnold had asked him to. However, when Major Tallmadge learned that an American outpost had arrested a British officer with documents about surrendering West Point, he realized "John Anderson" was actually Major André. He then had Major André arrested.