An American Spy (for the British)-- Part 2: Will the Real C.D.C. Please Stand Up

The letter was written in disappearing ink and it was initialed, not signed.  The Clements Library at the University of Michigan identified the initials as belonging to  Cadwallader D. Colden, who, according to the library, was  an American militia colonel and former lieutenant governor of New York.

Keith Herkalo found that he wasn't the lieutenant governor, his grandfather was.

He found more discrepancies in the story and started tracing the Colden family and found that  they were indeed rich and influential.  He then took a closer look at the initialed letters and decided that they weren't C.D.C., but C.R.C.

So, the person in question was Cadwallader R. Colden.

So, then Herkalo did another 18 months of research into Cadawallader R. Colden.

Getting to the Bottom of This.  --Brock-Perry

An American Spy (for the British) in the War of 1812-- Part 1

From the September 27, 2021,  Press-Republican " 'In plain sight':  New museum exhibit reveals American spy in War of 1812" by Fernando Alba.

Keith Herkalo, president of the War of 1812 Museum in Plattsburgh, New York, was looking over some documents  from the University of Michigan when he saw something of great interest.  It was from an American merchant to a British merchant in Montreal after the Battle of Plattsburgh in 1814.

The merchant wanted to move his goods north into the St. Lawrence River and then on to Halifax in Canada.  The letter was sent just three months after a British invasion had been turned  back at the Battle of Plattsburgh.

Only, that letter was treason since the U.S. had an embargo on.  The merchant was in New York City and wanted to "go around" the embargo and make some money.

But, he would need  support from someone in the British government for safe passage.

So. Who Was This War of 1812 American Spy and What Info Did he Give the British?  --Brock-Perry

Turncoat Led Raid to Burn Newark-- Part 2: Joseph Willcocks

Joseph Willcocks was arrested three times for criminal libel and contempt.  During the War of 1812, he fought against Isaac Brock's attempt to invoke martial law successfully, then helped Brock enlist Indians to help the British.

He fought with Brock at the Battle of Queenstown Heights where Brock was killed.

A year later, Willcocks decided the Americans were on the right side for going to war and started passing secrets to the U.S. Secretary of War about British troop movements.

Isaac Brock is part of the reason I sign off with Brock-Perry each blog entry.

--Brock-Perry

Some War of 1812 Facts-- Part 2

**  Women often traveled with their husbands' military units and sometimes acted as spies.  Canadian Laura Secord walked 20 miles in the winter to warn British troops of an American attack in the Niagara Falls area.  Many Canadians now recognize her name in connection with a chain of candy stores named in her honor.

I wonder if any women served in the capacity of soldiers or sailors?

**  The Treaty of Ghent, named after the Belgian city it was signed in, ended the war.  This treaty essentially ended the war about where it started.  The British still took American sailors off ships and Canada was still a British colony.

**  The final fight, the Battle of New Orleans, took pace January 8, 1815, after the Treaty of Ghent was signed Dec. 24, 1814.  Hey, news traveled much, much slower back then.

Brock-Perry