On this day 250 years ago in New Ark (now Newark), New Jersey, Brig. Gen. Hugh Mercer was managing intelligence operations for the Continental Army. General Mercer was then in command of the Continental Army’s Flying Camp stationed in New Jersey. He is one of my heroes of the Revolution who would lose his life heroically at the Battle of Princeton less than five months later, but I was unaware of any role that he had in intelligence-gathering until reading his correspondence of this date. Mercer wrote to Washington that “Inclosd is some Intelligence that may be of Consequence” that “will be delivered at Head Quarters by Mr Ludwick; whom I sent for to Amboy in consequence of your Excellencys Letter of yesterday.” Washington’s letter to Mercer has been lost but a different letter of this date from Washington’s aide Joseph Reed indicated that Washington had summoned German immigrant Christopher Ludwick from the Flying Camp for an undercover mission in which

Mr. Ludwig . . . puts his Life in his Hand on this Occasion in order to serve the Interests of America. We . . . must beg it may not be communicated farther least a Discovery may be made which must prove fatal to Mr. Ludwig.

Three days later Christopher Ludwick crossed to Staten Island on his mission posing as a deserter from the Continental Army so that he could distribute to the Hessian soldiers stationed there copies in German of the Continental Congress’s offer of 50 acres of land to Hessian soldiers who would desert to join the Americans. See my Blog for August 15, 1776 for the English text of that Resolution. Ludwick’s next assignment would be more prosaic, but probably more critical for the Continental Army — in May 1777 he was appointed as superintendent of bakers. He served in the role of “baker general” for the Continental Army for the remainder of the War, earning repeated praise from Congress, General Washington, and the entire Army for his contributions to the American cause.

Sources: “Brigadier General Hugh Mercer to George Washington, 19 August 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-06-02-0074. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 6, 13 August 1776 – 20 October 1776, ed. Philander D. Chase and Frank E. Grizzard, Jr. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1994, pp. 78–80.]; https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-revolutionary-war/christopher-ludwick

The “Intelligence that may be of Consequence” that General Mercer had Mr. Ludwick deliver to General Washington concerned reports that Mercer had gathered from: American seamen Jonathan Woodman, Isaac Osborne, and Robert Peas, who had been captured by a British warship and recently escaped from a ship in New York Harbor; a Captain Britton, who had transported 400 British troops from Halifax to Staten Island, but then deserted from the British; and a

Negro escaped from Statend Island this morning who says that all the Troops from this Quarter, were to march on Wednesday next, and to be replaced by Hessians.

. . .

From the best intelligence that [Britton] could collect, there are about Seven Hundred Light Horse on Staten Island, it is thought there are about twenty five Thousand Effective Men Eleven Thousand of which are Hessians—The General report was that they intended to attact Long Island first and if possible to Storm the Fort opposite the City in Order to prevent their Shippin being Anoy’d when the Attack is made on New York.

The Hessians were Landing on Staten Island as fast as possible when he left it—and from a conversation he had with several Hessian Officers he has no doubt from Proper encouragement & opportunity they would Join the Americans. That Capt. Talbot of the Niger with two other Frigates had received Orders to go round the East end of Long Island into the Sound in Order to cut off the communication between Long Island & the Main. That it is generally thought They mean to Attack Long Island with their Grenadiers and Light Infantry, and at the same time to send the remainder of their Army up the North River and Land above the Town by which means they expect to secure General Washington & the Army without firing a Shot. That Capt. Britton beleives the Attack is only delay’d untill a favourable Wind and Tide offers as they intended it on Saturday Morning last, that they are certain of Success as they are of Opinion our Men will not Stand more than one Fire, that the mode of Attack is to give one Fire and then rush on with Fix’d Bayonets. That a number of Boats from Long Island came over with fresh Provisions and intelligence during his confinement, and that a Negro from Statend Island goes over to the Jersey shore every night to receive Letters lodged in some Private Place, and that he beleives they have daily intelligence of all our Movements.

The three escaped American seamen reported

that the Phenix man of War was grappled by one of Our Fire Ships & Narrowly escaped being burnt—That the Ships in their passage down received some Shots & the Phenix had One Man killed. That on Thursday night last a Boat came from the Phenix down to the Fleet, a Lieutt in which received a Cannon Ball through his thigh from One of Our Batteries—The Accounts as to the Number of the Enemies Troops are Various—That the Army is sickly especially Ld Dunmore’s who brought but 106 Black & White with him—That Genl Clinton’s Conduct at Charles Town is much blamed—he is accused of Cowardice & some say he will be hanged. That before 9 OClock Boats are suffered to pass through the Fleet without Interruption—That they have built about 20 New flat Bottom Boats—Every Ship besides having One. That last Week several Troops were embarked—some Yesterday & the Ships that received them all unmoored. That the Hessian Troops appear old & Indifferent. That the Highlanders seem very desirous of deserting, Three of whom have been lately taken in the Attempt & hanged & one Shot

The intelligence that Mercer passed along to Washington was a mixed bag of accurate information that corroborated reports from other sources, details previously unknown to the Americans, inaccurate predictions perhaps intentionally planted by the British, and probable wishful thinking by the sources. Washington’s job was to separate the truth from the fiction.
Source: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-06-02-0074