SEcret letters
One major thing spies did was send messages. Usually these messages contained information about troop movement, supplies, fortifications, political maneuvers and sometimes personal information. The image to the left is a letter written by Paul Revere.
Methods to deliver messages
Invisible ink
Various types of invisible ink were used during the war. Some
inks were activated with heat and others with various chemicals. Sometimes the
invisible letter was written inbetween the lines of a regular letter to seem
innocent.
inks were activated with heat and others with various chemicals. Sometimes the
invisible letter was written inbetween the lines of a regular letter to seem
innocent.
Codes
A code would be set up to use letters or numbers to stand for certain
words. One type of code was a cipher. The ciphers key was a published book. So
instead of writing down a certain word directly in the letter, the page number,
the line number, and the number of the word counting over from the left was
written in place of the word. Then the receiver of the message would have to use
the numbers to find the word in the book. This code took a long time to decipher
but it was almost impossible for an enemy to crack.
words. One type of code was a cipher. The ciphers key was a published book. So
instead of writing down a certain word directly in the letter, the page number,
the line number, and the number of the word counting over from the left was
written in place of the word. Then the receiver of the message would have to use
the numbers to find the word in the book. This code took a long time to decipher
but it was almost impossible for an enemy to crack.
Blind drop
Blind Drop: The letter would be left or hidden at a certain place at a certain time so only the person assigned to pick the letter up knew when and were to get it.
Other methods
Other Methods: The letter would be hidden in a hollow musket ball or a quill
(ink feather). This way the hidden letters could be passed without looking
suspicious.
Fun Fact- If the messenger was caught by the
enemies while carrying a letter in a musket ball, the messenger would swallow
the ball or put it in his artillery and shoot it.
(ink feather). This way the hidden letters could be passed without looking
suspicious.
Fun Fact- If the messenger was caught by the
enemies while carrying a letter in a musket ball, the messenger would swallow
the ball or put it in his artillery and shoot it.