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Boot Papers

by Char Weigel

Double betrayal found in documents in John André’s footwear.

General Benedict Arnold’s treason is one of the most studied events of the Revolutionary War. For years, he had been secretly negotiating with the British to
switch sides and betray the American Continental Army. A small piece of paper preserved by the New York State Archives has revealed an even broader scope of Arnold’s intended damage than previously understood.

On the evening of September 22, 1780, British Major John André was aware that things were not going as planned. Two years of spy craft using encoded letters, invisible ink, and secret carriers had culminated in a meeting the night before between Arnold and André, Arnold’s British interlocutor. The topic? Treason. And how much the British would pay Arnold for his defection, intelligence on taking West Point to gain control of the Hudson River (then called the North River), and the whereabouts of George Washington for the British to either kidnap or kill.

André, under the name “John Anderson,” had been brought to the Haverstraw, New York, shore from the British ship Vulture. André and Arnold met in a dark stand of evergreens near the landing. Before daybreak, they shifted their discussion to the house of Arnold’s intermediary—Joshua Hett Smith— who had been in the boat that rowed “John Anderson” from the Vulture.

André fully expected a quick sail back to New York City with his newly gained intelligence, but an unexpected cannonade from American Colonel James Livingston around 5:30 a.m. forced the Vulture to move downriver. Livingston had watched the British ship with annoyance for days near the important King’s Ferry crossing between Stony Point and Verplanck’s Point, and finally decided to fire. Livingston had no idea that his cannonade was disrupting the secret plans of his commanding officer, Benedict Arnold, nor that he was forcing “John Anderson” to
return over land through the so-called “neutral ground” of Westchester County, a dangerous area under neither British nor American control.

Arnold convinced André that he could not openly navigate the neutral ground in his British uniform. As an officer, André may have been exchanged if captured, but that would take time to arrange and his intelligence would be stale and useless. André agreed to don some of Smith’s civilian clothes and conceal a series of papers, most written by Arnold, in his boots. These papers detailed West Point’s defenses and Washington’s plans.

The story of André’s capture in Tarrytown by Americans John Paulding, David Williams, and Isaac Van Wart, leading to his execution as a spy on October 2 in Tappan, New York, is well known. As is how that news prompted Arnold to flee to the safety of Britishoccupied New York City with hours to spare. Had André made it through, the details Arnold supplied in the boot papers would have guided the British in a potentially successful attack on an intentionally weakened West Point.
These papers, preserved by the New York State Archives, are evidence of Arnold’s treasonous plot.

Understudied Primary Source

One of these boot papers has received much less attention than it merits. Under the innocuous name “Addresses Found on Major André, 1780,” this paper carried life or death consequences for two Americans. Their names on this document signal an even broader fallout of Arnold’s betrayal than has been widely acknowledged.

The first name has been described by historians as Mennicut, Hennicut and/or “Illegible.” In fact, Benedict Arnold wrote, “Kennicut” (Luther “Kennicutt,” per his pension application). The second name is clearly “Elijah Hunter.” Arnold’s inclusion of these names was tantamount to a death sentence for these American double agents.

Given André’s capture, the boot papers never reached British authorities. Arnold’s defection, however, ensured that this intelligence would be personally relayed to British General Sir Henry Clinton. Hunter and Kennicutt were alerted to stay out of the neutral ground when Washington received the boot papers after André’s capture.

Elijah Hunter

Elijah Hunter’s role as a double agent—secretly loyal to America while appearing to be an informer and spy for the British—is documented in the correspondence of George Washington, New York Governor George Clinton, Major General Robert Howe, General Alexander McDougall, John Jay, and others.

Hunter lived in Bedford, New York, before the outbreak of the war. A politically active Whig, he was appointed in May 1776 to the Committee of Westchester County with Lewis Morris, Israel Honeywell, and other prominent Westchester County American leaders.

Hunter became a Captain in Alexander McDougall’s 6th Company of the 2nd New York Battalion. Hunter refused to re-enlist in December 1776, an action that created cover to assume the role of double agent.

In a letter to George Washington on March 22, 1779, McDougall said: “This will be handed to you, by Mr Elijah Hunter … He is the person, mentioned in my last, the link of the Chain between me and ___… It is with great Reluctance, he engaged in this Business—But a Desire to serve his Country, has prevailed on him to undertake it.”

Washington trusted few people, especially spies. His response to McDougall on March 25, 1779, signaled this warning: “I have had a good deal of conversation with Mr H—He appears to be a sensible man capable of rendering important service … but nevertheless, if he is really in the confidence of the enemy … it will be prudent to trust him with caution and to watch his conduct with a jealous eye.”

McDougall, Jay, and others appealed to Washington on behalf of Hunter’s fidelity. Hunter had gained the confidence of many key British leaders: General Clinton, New York Governor William Tryon, New York Chief Judge William Smith (brother of Joshua Hett Smith), André, and others. Washington used Hunter to feed disinformation on troop strength and positions to them.

Hunter’s May 1779 intelligence on British plans to move up the Hudson allowed Washington to fortify West Point, despite losing Stony Point and Verplanck’s Point. Ironically, the very strength of Hunter’s success as a double agent increased Washington’s suspicions. Washington’s ongoing correspondence indicated that he did not fully trust him.

That feeling may have changed by September 7, 1779, when Washington wrote, “I have not the smallest doubt of his attachment and integrity.” But by then, Washington’s concern shifted to the pragmatic reality that there was only so much disinformation that could be given or intelligence passed through a double agent before the enemy became suspicious.

It appears that after Arnold’s betrayal, Washington again raised his guard against Hunter. Tallmadge wrote Washington on November 9, 1780: “At the particular Request of Capt. Hunter … He desires me to inform Your Excellency that he feels himself very unhappy under the supposed Censure of General Washington, whose favorable opinion he thinks he has not justly forfeited.”

Washington wrote a certificate of service for Hunter on December 1, 1783, acknowledging Hunter’s role asa secret agent. In 1790, Hunter wrote Washington, who replied somewhat tersely that Hunter had been paid for his service by General McDougall. Washington said he well remembered that McDougall had “200 guineas put into his hands with which to pay those who were used as secret agents.”

After the war, Hunter settled in Ossining and died a wealthy man.

Luther Kennicutt

Luther Kennicutt’s role in the war has been less studied. Kennicutt’s pension application provides first-hand accounts of his activities as a double agent.

Kennicutt lived in Van Cortlandt Manor and was a carpenter, employed as an “artificer” in the Continental Army from October 1776 until the end of the war. His role in the war as a “very useful man” rendering “essential service” for “George Washington and other general officers of the army” was vouched for by Captain Jonathan Horton (Third New York Regiment) and Caleb Tompkins (First Judge, Westchester County Court of Common Pleas). Kennicutt describes being paid five guineas by McDougall and one guinea by General Charles Scott for intelligence work during the war.

Kennicutt personally saved the lives of several Americans while under cover. Westchester residents Ezra Lockwood and Mrs. Hunt, children of Major Ebenezer Lockwood, spoke of Kennicutt’s advance warning that Lieutenant-Colonel Banastre Tarleton would attack Pound Ridge in 1779. Mrs. Thomas Ferris described a separate incident in which her husband and two others were informed on while trying to capture some British officers. Kennicutt warned them their cover had been broken and used his carpentry skills to conceal them behind a wall he built, supplying provisions while they remained hidden. The British searched but never discovered the false wall.

Kennicutt convinced many that he was a British spy. He was reported to have stolen one of General McDougall’shorses to sell to the British. WilliamBarker described Kennicutt being “captured” as a British spy by Sheldon’s Second Dragoons before “escaping” back to the British. Several residents described Kennicutt as a “Skinner” or “Cowboy”—a member of the gangs that plagued residents of the neutral ground.

Double Agents

While Elijah Hunter and, to a lesser extent, Luther Kennicutt, have been identified as double agents, few, if any, connections have been made between them and the boot papers. Their names on the paper written by Arnold signal an even broader reach of Arnold’s betrayal than has been acknowledged.

When Arnold was given command of West Point, he asked Washington, Lafayette, Commander Robert Howe, and others for the names of their spies. They had promised confidentiality, so did not share the information. Arnold then reached out to a Westchester resident—Sampson Dyckman. Dyckman’s patriot bona fides were reflected in the fact that the New York Commissioners of Sequestration allowed him to rent the farm of loyalist Beverly Robinson, headquarters for Arnold while in charge of West Point. Dyckman, a messenger for and provider of intelligence to the Westchester County Committee of Safety, Governor Clinton and others, trusted Arnold with the names. On hearing of Arnold’s treason, Governor Clinton immediately wrote Washington: “Sampson Dyckman on Arnolds application recommended to him some well affected Persons in Westchester County from whom he might be most likely to Obtain Intelligence of the Movemts of the Enemy.”

Clinton denied Dyckman’s request to ride south to extricate the men he had revealed to Arnold. That list of names has not been found, but contemporaneous
journals of several British and Hessian officers noted that Arnold gave British General Clinton names of several American agents, many of whom were then imprisoned and some executed. Unlike them, Kennicutt and Hunter received notice to flee to or remain in the relative safety of the American-dominated Hudson Highlands. 

It is not surprising that a man who would sacrifice his country and a deeply personal relationship with George Washington would reveal names of double agents. Given the breadth of their British connections, Hunter or Kennicutt could have learned about the plot, exposing Arnold and sending word to avert the planned attack on
West Point. In addition, Arnold may have given their names to sweeten the deal he was negotiating with the British.

Had Livingston not fired his fourpound cannon at the Vulture, André may never have been captured. Hunter and Kennicutt would not have been warned. Arnold’s double betrayal might have cost them their lives in
return for largely unsung service to the country. Fortunately for them, things did not go as planned.

Archives Connection

The New York State Archives houses documents created by General Benedict Arnold, including Papers Found on British spy Major André (“André Papers”), detailing the state of troops and fortifications at West Point and Washington’s plans. Pension documents for many Revolutionary War veterans, including information on actions during the war, are available from the National Archives. Over 184,000 fully annotated, searchable documents and letters between key military, government, and civilian individuals are provided by the National Archives at founders.archives.gov. Additional letters and documents are available through the Library of Congress. The Westchester County Historical Society houses the McDonald Papers, interviews with Revolutionary War survivors conducted between 1844 and 1850. In addition, the Sir Henry Clinton (British Army Headquarters) Papers at the William L. Clements Library of the University of Michigan houses many eighteenth and nineteenth century documents related to intelligence operations within the British and American armies.

Char Weigel is the vice president for special projects for Revolutionary Westchester 250,Westchester County’s non-profit working to organize, support, and amplify Semiquincentennial commemorations. She is an educator and researcher who writes and gives walking tours on local history topics.