The Spy Who Betrayed the American Revolution | Liberty and the Pursuit of Intelligence | 1

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0:16April 22nd, 1775. New Haven, Connecticut. British North America. Benedict Arnold straps on his sword and checks his reflection in a hallway mirror. Looking back at him, he's a broad-shouldered man in his mid-thirties, with his dark hair neatly tied back in the fashion of the day. He straightens his back, aware that today, destiny calls. He steps out from his house and into the morning light. Gulls wheel overhead. In the harbour, ships sway gently in the breeze. The air smells of salt, tar, wood smoke, and the day's trade. Fish just landed, molasses in the warehouses, and mud from the tidal flats.

1:04Arnold is a merchant. the smuggler and the richest man in New Haven. He's also a senior figure in the local branch of the Sons of Liberty, a clandestine network of men who oppose British taxes and rule. People stare as Arnold strides through the streets. He rounds a corner and sees the green at the centre of town ahead, packed with members of the Sons of Liberty. Many are carrying pistols with shot pouches hung at their sides. The crowd parts as Arnold approaches. He stands before them and pulls a folded letter from his coat. Arnold scans the letter once more, then looks up. Last night, I received this note from our brothers near Boston.

1:55Two days passed. British troops marched from Cambridge to Lexington. They found our militia formed there. and fired upon them without provocation. Murderers! Quiet, please! Six men were killed, more were wounded, and another British column marches even now. Unease ripples through the crowd. The rumours are true. After a decade of grievance, war has begun between the colonists of America and their British rulers. The trouble began with taxes imposed by a distant, undemocratic parliament in London. That led to boycotts, then protests, then blood in the streets. But never open war. That line has now been crossed.

2:51Arnold folds up the letter. My fellow patriots, are we to sleep while Americans lie dead at British hands? Are we to surrender our liberties or defend them? Will we be governed by ourselves or by a king who lives in a gilded palace across an ocean? Then follow me to arms! Arnold leads his men across the green toward the tavern where New Haven's elected leaders are gathered. He sees faces peer from the tavern windows, then vanish. Show yourselves! Arnold's men ready their pistols. Out! Before we drag you! A man steps out from the tavern. He's one of New Haven's select men. Mr. Arnold? Gentlemen?

3:48Please, we met last night. In these matters we have agreed to remain neutral. Arnold studies the man, but says nothing. To be clear, we do not side with the British. Arnold's lip curls. Then hand over the keys to the powder store. That is colony property. We cannot release it without the proper authority. Authority? Our people are being shot down in the streets by British redcoats. And you speak of authority? You must understand. No, you understand. Hand me the keys or we shall take them. None but almighty God shall halt my march. The town leader hesitates, then places the keys to the munitions store in Arnold's open palm.

4:46Authority has passed from the town to the mob. New Haven will now join the uprising against British rule. And Arnold has taken his first step to becoming one of the American Revolution's greatest leaders and its most infamous traitor.

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6:29This is Foul Play, an unbelievable tale of sports, spies and family secrets. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts or early and ad-free on Audible. I'm Raza Jafri, and this is The Spy Who, an audible original. Beneath the veneer of the everyday lurks the realm of the spy. It's a dank, murky world, full of dark corners, sinister motives, and corrupted morals. A place of paranoia and infiltration, sabotage and manipulation. This season, we mark 250 years since the US Declaration of Independence by retrieving the file on America's most notorious turncoat, Benedict Arnold, who almost secured victory for Britain.

7:28It's 1776, and 18 months have passed since the American rebels of the 13 colonies took up arms against British rule. At first, the Patriots held their ground and drove British forces out of Boston. Then, on July 4th, 1776, they declared the birth of a new nation, the United States of America. But now, they're on the back foot. British troops have arrived in force in New York, the gateway to the continent. Tens of thousands of British soldiers are closing in on the rebel army led by General George Washington. His forces are stretched across Long Island, outflanked, outgunned, and outnumbered, and rapidly losing ground to the most powerful military on Earth.

8:20This is The Spy Who Betrayed the American Revolution, Episode 1, Liberty and the Pursuit of Intelligence.

8:33August 29th, 1776. Brooklyn. Just across the East River from Manhattan. Thick fog clings to the moonlit shoreline. Through it, shadowy figures move in silence, hauling cannons, guiding horses, and loading supplies into waiting boats. Patriot soldier, Benjamin Talmadge. picks his way through the mud. He has been in the army only a matter of days. Before that, he was a schoolteacher, a minister's son raised to believe in peace and restraint. But there is nothing peaceful here. The Battle of Long Island has broken Washington's army. The British have outmaneuvered the rebels, sweeping around their flank and driving them back toward the water.

9:22Hundreds are dead on capture. Now they're trapped against the shoreline. At dawn, the British plan to attack in overwhelming numbers. There is only one way out, a retreat across the river to the safety of rebel-controlled Manhattan. So General Washington has ordered his army to attempt to cross it under the cover of darkness. But British warships lurk in the darkness. If the fog lifts, it could be another massacre. Talmadge approaches a boat and stumbles, colliding with another soldier. He looks up to see his closest friend, Nathan Hale, the man who Talmadge persuaded to join the Patriot Army.

10:10Hale, thank God. The friends clasp each other briefly, then break apart to push their boat off into the fog. The boats creep across the river, enveloped by mist. Talmadge leans towards Hale. Is it over? There aren't enough of us left. There were so many. The British seemed to be everywhere. It wasn't just their numbers. What do you mean? They knew where to strike us, our vulnerabilities. How? Someone tipped them off. There's no other explanation. Talmadge looks out across the water. A new thought takes hold in his mind. So even having more soldiers wouldn't have changed matters. Only God knows.

11:00But muskets and heart alone are not enough. We also need to know more than the other side.

11:10Two weeks later, Manhattan. In a commandeered house turned barracks, hail stands to attention. The room smells of damp wood and sweat. Maps paper the walls. Muskets lean in the corners. A commanding officer steps inside. Hale is part of a small scouting unit, tasked with observing British movements across the river on Long Island. The rebel army escaped Brooklyn, but only just. And the British are making preparations to take Manhattan next. Hale and the other men salute. The commander looks at his men. At ease. General Washington requires a volunteer from our unit. Someone to vanish behind enemy lines.

11:59The words hang in the air. We need to know what the king's men are planning. We need someone on Long Island. For a moment, no one speaks. Do you mean spying, sir? The commander hesitates. Spying is seen as dishonorable, not the work of gentlemen. And if caught, there will be no prisoner exchange, only the gallows. Yes, I do. The men stand in silence. None volunteer. Hale feels a flicker of frustration. He has spent a year in uniform, but all he's done is retreat. Perhaps this is an opportunity, a chance to change the course of history. Sir, I'll do it. Captain Hale. Good man. Report to General Washington in the morning.

13:00Dismissed. The men close in around Hale as the meeting ends. What are you thinking? Spying is the work of a scoundrel. You'll hang if they catch you. Hale shrugs them off. I'll do whatever my country needs of me. You can thank me later.

13:21The following day, Nathan Hale climbs the steps of a grand house overlooking the East River that is now the American Army's headquarters. Before he can knock, the door opens and a soldier motions for Hale to follow him inside. This way, please, Captain Hale. Hale is ushered into a quiet room. General George Washington stands by a table. Overlapping maps spread before him. He looks up. Hale salutes. Captain Hale reporting, sir. Ah, Hale. There you are. Sit. Washington studies Hale's face. Some men consider what I ask of you to be dishonorable. But I do not. We lost Long Island for one simple reason.

14:14I knew too little. Washington taps on the map sprawled across his desk. I did not know where the enemy would strike. I did not know what they were thinking. The British, however, seemed to know all our plans. Washington looks up at Hale. When I was a younger man, I undertook such work myself. You did, sir? Yes, in the war against the French. Spying is not pleasant work. There is no glamour or glory. But it is necessary. Washington returns his attention to the map. I need numbers. True movements. Falsification placements. Supply routes. I need you to be my eyes. For too long, we have been fighting blind.

15:07Bring me this information and we may yet hold Manhattan. Now, Captain, what is your story? Should anyone care to ask? Hale straightens slightly. A schoolteacher, sir. I intend to use my own name. I have my Yale certificate in hand. Truths that all help conceal the lie. Impressive. And Long Island? I take it you know the area? Hale hesitates before catching himself. My closest friend is from there. Lieutenant Benjamin Talmadge. He has shown me maps. Washington considers this for a moment. Then nods sharply. Very well. Leave in three days. Godspeed, Captain.

15:59Three days later. In Manhattan, Talmadge stands at the end of Horn's Hook Fort. surveying the East River. Beyond the water is Brooklyn, and there, in clear view, the British Army. British ships crowd the river below, their decks alive with movement. Those loyal to the crown are making no attempt to conceal their intentions. They are preparing for battle. Dalmudge looks up and sees Hale. He smiles. Then, seeing his friend's grave expression, tenses. Hale? What's wrong? This is goodbye. Why? Are you needed at home? I've been given a task by General Washington. What sort of task? Hale nods across the water.

16:53I'm headed for Long Island, behind their lights. You meet a spy, but you do not know Long Island. I'm a good listener. I remember everything you told me. Talmadge shakes his head in disbelief. Who else have you told about this? You well know there were British spies among us. Just you. Although I did volunteer in front of others. Talmadge's expression tightens. He expected as much. Hale has always been too quick to trust. Hale reaches into his coat pocket and produces a folded letter. Should I fail to return, make sure this reaches my family. Talmadge takes the letter. For a moment, neither man speaks.

17:45Then, the two friends embrace. I'll be with you, Hale. And with you. Talmadge watches Hale leave, a knot forming in his chest. Hale is a good man. Honest. Principled. But for a spy, such virtues can be fatal.

18:19The next day, mid-September 1776, Norwalk, Connecticut. A small boat waits at the moonlit shoreline. Nathan Hale sits in the bow. Facing him is the boat's captain. It will ferry Hale across the water to Long Island. In silence, Hale undresses. Piece by piece, he removes his uniform, the evidence of his rank and allegiance. In its place, he pulls on a plain brown suit and a broad-brimmed hat. He becomes, button by button, a man with no obvious loyalties. Hale empties his pockets. Letters, notes, anything that might betray him. He hands them to the American officer who escorted him here. Only one document remains in his possession, his Yale diploma.

19:14The document that he hopes will verify his claim to be a school teacher in search of work. Hale climbs aboard the boat, and the captain casts off. The shoreline begins to fall away behind them. The soldier turned spy turns towards Long Island, toward the British.

19:41The following day, British controlled Long Island. At a jetty on the island's north shore, the Royal Navy schooner HMS Halifax bobs in the water. And on board, Major Robert Rogers of the Queen's Rangers leans forward in his chair. Thick-set and battle-worn, Rogers has a wolfish face, heavy-browed and keen-eyed. And standing in front of him is an informer from Norwalk, who's crossed the Sound with urgent news. They look like army men to me, sir. Rebels? Yes. Where were they headed? Well, here's the thing, sir. One boarded a sloop and crossed the Sound. The other turned back, toward the Rebel lines.

20:25Rogers considers this. His spies have already reported a small vessel sighted further along the shore. He studies the informant. When did this occur? Last night. Rogers nods, once, sharply. The pieces appear to align. A crossing in darkness. A man left behind to cover his tracks. The rebels have smuggled a man into British territory. Rogers pays his informant, who hurries away. Rogers turns to his boat skipper. Set a course for Sands Point. If the rebel spy made for Long Island, Sands Point is the most likely landing place. He has a head start, but the British are already on his trail.

21:20Later that day, Nathan Hale tracks along a dusty road on Long Island. He is headed west, toward Brooklyn. He feels the weight of his mission, no longer a soldier, but a spy in plain clothes. Lost in his thoughts, he rehearses his new identity with every step. Up ahead, a farmer approaches, pushing a wheelbarrow laden with freshly dug vegetables, onions, squashes and a plump pumpkin. Hale smiles at him. Sir, good day. May I trouble you for a moment? The farmer cocks his head, but says nothing. I'm a schoolteacher. I recently arrived from Connecticut. I'm seeking work. You'll not find much of that round here.

22:08Folks are more concerned with surviving than learning right now. Hale nods carefully. I've heard there's been movement. Movement? The British are already on Manhattan. They are. Word is they landed there in force yesterday, so if you're thinking of going to Manhattan, you should turn back, because they'll be needing grave diggers more than teachers. Hale processes the news. While he was crossing the Sound, the war moved on without him. News travels slowly here. Hale forces a polite smile. I see. Well, I'm grateful for your time. Hale walks on. Only when the farmer is out of sight does his composure falter.

22:53His mission to gather information on the British forces in Brooklyn is already obsolete. Hale wonders if he should abandon and turn back. But then, a new plan forms in his mind. If the bulk of the British army are fighting in Manhattan, there will be fewer troops in Brooklyn. It'll be easier to blend in and glean some intelligence about what comes next. Hale presses on with renewed purpose, toward the epicentre of the enemy's strength.

23:32In a Long Island tavern, Nathan Hale takes a deep glug of ale, then sets his tankard firmly on the table. He is tired and dusty. He's been roaming Long Island for five days, trekking from village to village, watching, listening and taking notes. He has recorded every British position he's passed and chatted with locals for any scrap of information he can gather. With a sense of satisfaction, Hale reviews his notes. He has estimates of troop numbers, the placements of fortifications, and details of supply lines. George Washington will be pleased, he thinks. A man with a wolfish appearance sits down in the chair opposite him, uninvited.

24:18Hale folds his notes and slips them out of sight. The stranger smiles. You don't mind, do you? No, no, of course not. Your stew, sir. A maid sets down a bowl of lumpen stew on the table in front of the stranger. The man slurps it down hungrily, then fixes Hale with a stare. We heard the news. Which news? The rebels have been driven out of Lower Manhattan. Hale's attention sharpens. How do you know? The stranger leans in. I trust my own eyes. The stranger studies Hale, as if measuring his reaction. Hale senses this is a test. But of what exactly? Is he trying to communicate something? Could he be...

25:12After so long wandering alone through enemy territory, Hale is desperate for an ally. He decides to take a chance. Don't worry. I, too, share your convictions. I thought as much. Good to find a friendly face. Name's Robert. Nathan. So, Nathan, what brings you here? I'm a schoolteacher looking for work. Schoolteacher? Then how did you come by that? The man lightly brushes his thumb along a mark on Hale's face. A gunpowder burn he got while fighting in Brooklyn. Hale hesitates, inwardly cursing. Why hadn't he thought of a story for this? The stranger smiles and leans in. Say nothing. I understand.

26:09I too am on a mission. Patriot militia. The man holds a finger to his lips. Hale's eyes brighten. I was sent to observe the British. I have what I came for. I just need a way back to Manhattan. Do you know, Seifu? Yeah, I can help you with that. He raises his tankard. To independence! Hale's eyes widen. Quiet on earth. All around him, men rise to their feet, readying their pistols. Hale spins in horror in his seat, but it's too late. He's surrounded. The stranger sits back in his chair, grinning. I didn't introduce myself properly. I'm Major Robert Rogers of the Queen's Rangers. These are my men, and your treachery is over.

27:09Hale stands trembling, panic flooding his body. Rogers takes a hefty swig of his tankard, then rises from his chair. Don't worry, Nathan. I'm a man of my word. I said I'd get you to Manhattan, and I will. And once I get you there, you'll swing by your neck.

27:39The next day, September 22nd, 1776. Washington's camp, Upper Manhattan. Patriot Army officer Benjamin Talmadge hurries through the camp. All around him, there are the signs of an army under strain. Mud-churned pathways, tired men in patched coats huddled around cook fires. He just got word that a British officer has arrived under a flag of truce. and that must mean a prisoner exchange is being offered. Talmud is desperate to know who the British are offering. They took his brother prisoner at the Battle of Brooklyn. Perhaps there will be word of him. He sees a group of officers returning from meeting the British officer.

28:26They dismount. One of them is a former classmate from Yale. He sees Talmud and approaches. His expression is grave. What is it? Do you carry news of my brother? Not here. The two men move beyond the lines of tents and huddled soldiers to a patch of quieter ground. There's no word of your brother. I'm sorry. Talmadge considers the news. It's concerning, but no news is perhaps better than what he had feared. There's something else there. They caught a spy of us on Long Island. Hell? Ah. So you already know. They hanged him yesterday. Talmage does not move. Barely able to take in what he has been told.

29:18Then, all at once, the realization hits. He persuaded Hale to join the Patriot uprising. And that has now cost Hale his life. Talmage looks up at the trees, then down at the ground. Anywhere other than at the bearer of this grave news. You inhale the close. Talmudj exhales slowly, blinking back tears. Should have been me. I should have gone. I could have done it. The officer walks away, leaving Talmudj to his grief and regret. The war goes on around him, unmoved by the suffering it inflicts on all participants.