Genesis of Clandestine Warfare
The American War for Independence was the culmination of over a decade of political unrest and discontent with British policies and treatment (real and perceived) of the colonists. Although led by some of the brightest minds of the age, or any age, the movement was also a grassroots movement, which gradually built to a political movement – the idea of the ideas bantered around in taverns, coffee houses, homes, and farmsteads.
By the early 1770s, the movement spurred what was to become an insurgency of sorts. Insurgencies are of their own nature clandestine and they necessitate the development of clandestine activities and the trade-craft (use of spies, secret writing, etc.) necessary for success. As the political side of the patriot movement grew, organizations like “The Sons of Liberty” also sprung up, serving as the action arm.
Boston Ablaze
By the outbreak of rebellion in 1775, the Americans had established organizations necessary to wage the clandestine side of the war as these were already well underway. The British had their counter to this but these activities tended to lag and over time became eclipsed by the Americans’ ability to control the ground in all but those few areas dominated by the British Army and Royal Navy.
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| Boston's Fanueil Hall was the site of much political agitation & intrigue |
One of the first clandestine networks established was, of course, in Boston. This was only natural as Boston was the scene of so much political and subversive discourse during the pre- Rev War period. Names like Sam Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock were legend even then. “Agitprop” became a really effective tool as crowds were whipped up for all sorts of things. In a way, the British missteps in countering all this activity in Boston fueled the flames that eventually burst into a conflagration that scorched the eastern seaboard after April 1775.
Enter the Mechanics
The first patriot intelligence network was a secret group in Boston called the Mechanics. The Mechanics were spawned in Boston from “The Son’s of Liberty" , known famously for their opposition to the Stamp Act and other repressive measures. But the mechanics operated a bit differently. They organized clandestine activities in resistance to British authority. They also gathered intelligence, the lifeblood of the resistance. It began as a group of some thirty “mechanics,” men who worked in hands-on trades in and about the city.
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| Observing counter-demonstrators helped build situational awareness of British sympathizers |
Paul Revere was among the first. By his own words they, “…formed ourselves into a Committee for the purpose of watching British soldiers and gaining every intelligence on the movements of the Tories.”
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| Paul Revere was one of the craftsmen-spies who became known as the Mechanics |
The key component is the latter. They realized the key to success was neutralizing British sympathizers early on. Revere further stated, “We frequently took turns, two and two, to watch the soldiers by patrolling the streets at night.” Operating under the cover of darkness would be a key component of future clandestine activities right up to today. In addition to observing British soldiers and Tories, Revere and the mechanics served as couriers, the essential oil of any clandestine network. Communications is the Achilles heel of clandestine work so the couriers held a special role. The Mechanics played a key role in countering the efforts to suppress the colonial insurgency.
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| Mechanic Paul Revere alerted General Sullivan of the British intention to seize Fort William and Mary |
One of Revere’s first missions as a courier took place in December 1774. He rode to the Oyster River in New Hampshire with a report that General Thomas Gage the British commander and governor, planned to take Fort William and Mary. Alerted by the intelligence delivered by the Mechanics, Major John Sullivan led a colonial militia force of four hundred men in a preemptive raid on the fort. They seized one hundred barrels of gunpowder that were ultimately used by the patriots at Bunker Hill
Clandestine Communications
Things really heated up around Boston in early 1775. Both sides became more aggressive and the stakes grew with each month. Through a number of intelligence sources, the Mechanics broke the cover established by General Gage for their quick-strike on Lexington and Concord. The British counted on secrecy for success. Thanks to the intelligence and warning by the Mechanics, they failed.
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| The Mechanics' espionage activities were a bane to British General Thomas Gage |
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| In addition to Revere, Dawes and Prescott, other secret riders warned the villages of the approaching British |
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| British capture Revere |
A British patrol at Lincoln almost ended things before they started. During the chase, Dawes was thrown from his horse while fleeing. But Prescott and Revere were taken prisoner. Prescott soon escaped British capture and made his way to Concord, but Revere remained a prisoner. However, the doughty silversmith resisted interrogation and was soon released and made his way to Lexington where he and John Lowell were dispatched to retrieve a trunk full of incriminating patriot papers at a local tavern.
A Dearth of Knowledge
In a sense, the dearth of recorded knowledge on the Mechanics is a good thing, not for historians but for the nation. Any records kept, were probably very local and perishable. That is, destroyed on completion of the operation. Operations security came naturally to those seeking survival in a clandestine war. But mistakes are made and can be costly. The trunk Revere was sent to retrieve could have provided the British a trove of intelligence that might have snuffed out the flame of rebellion in New England, and thus ended things.
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| Mechanic reporting intelligence on British activities |
A curious example of bureaucratic snafu accidentally preventing failure also involves our celebrated Mechanic, Revere. The mechanics evidently received written orders and some sort of remuneration for their expenses. The orders may have been used to get through militia patrols. For whatever reason, Revere only received his orders from Dr. Warren, leader of the local Committee of Correspondence, two weeks after his clandestine ride. Had he had them with him, his role would have been exposed to the British when they searched him. History again might have taken a distinctly different course.
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| As leader of the Boston Committee of Correspondence Dr. Joseph Warren leveraged the mechanics to collect and report intelligence on the British |
And for those readers who have served in government bureaucracies or the military, his remuneration was cut from five shillings per day to four.
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