Benjamin Tallmadge

Benjamin Tallmadge (1754-1835) was a member of the United States House of Representatives.

Tallmadge may have been born in Setauket, New York, or Brookhaven, New York a town on Long Island. [ [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=T000029 TALLMADGE, Benjamin - Biographical Information ] ] . Tallmadge graduated from Yale college in 1773, and was a classmate of Nathan Hale. [ [http://ursamajor.hartnet.org/als/nathanhale/faq.htm Nathan Hale ] ]

From 1773-1776 Tallmadge was the superintendent of Wethersfield High School. [ [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=T000029 TALLMADGE, Benjamin - Biographical Information ] ]

American Revolutionary War

Tallmadge was a major in the 2nd Continental Light Dragoons. He was initially commissioned on June 20th, 1776. [ [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=T000029 TALLMADGE, Benjamin - Biographical Information ] ] Eventually, he was promoted to the rank of colonel and became the chief intelligence officer for George Washington. He organized the Culper Spy Ring based out of New York City and Long Island during the American Revolutionary War, which is rumored to have revealed the betrayal of Benedict Arnold, though this is disputed. Arnold's captured British contact, Major John André, was placed in Tallmadge's custody until Andre's execution.

On November 21, 1780, Tallmadge and his dragoons rowed across the Long Island Sound from Fairfield, Connecticut to Mt. Sinai, New York. The next day they proceeded to the south shore where they captured and burned down Manor St. George, which the British turned into a fort, and captured the soldiers within. On their march back to Mt. Sinai, Tallmadge stopped in Coram and ordered the burning of 300 tons of hay which the British had been stockpiling for the winter. George Washington, on hearing the news, sent the following letter to Tallmadge:

I have received with much pleasure the report of your successful enterprise upon fort St. George, and was pleased with the destruction of the hay at Coram, which must be severely felt by the enemy at this time. I beg you to accept my thanks for your spirited execution of this business. [Bayles, Thomas R. "The Early Years in Middle Island, Coram, Yaphank, and Ridge." Ed. Suzanne Johnson. Middle Island, NY: Longwood Public Library, 1989.]

The Tallmadge Trail is marked along the route Tallmadge and his dragoons took from Mt. Sinai to Mastic Heights.

After War Years

After the war, Tallmadge married one of the daughters of William Floyd, settled in Connecticut. In 1783 Tallmadge settled in Litchfield, Connecticut. He was appointed the town's postmaster in 1792. [ [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=T000029 TALLMADGE, Benjamin - Biographical Information ] ]

Tallmadge was the first president of the Pheonix Branch Bank. He served first as treasurer and eventually as secretary of the Society of the Cincinnati.

He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from 1801-1817. He was a member of the Federalist Party. This meant that during his entire congressional career he was part of the party that was in the minority. In 1816 he declined to be run for reelection.

Tradition has it that Tallmadge was considered one of the most handsome men of the American Revolution.

Tallmadge died in Litchfield, Connecticut on March 7th, 1835. He was interred in East Cemetery.

Tallmadge, Ohio is named after Benjamin Tallmadge.

Footnotes

External links

* [http://longislandgenealogy.com/patriots.html#spy Long Island Genealogy]
* [https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/the-founding-fathers-of-american-intelligence/art-1.html CIA]
* [http://www.highbeam.com/ref/doc0.asp?docid=1E1:E-TallmadgB Tallmadge]
* [http://www.sunysb.edu/libspecial/collections/manuscripts/tallmadge.html Benjamin Tallmadge Collection]

Further reading

* Benjamin Tallmadge, "Memoir of Col. Benjamin Tallmadge" (Reprint Services Corporation, 1858) ISBN 0-7812-8377-9
* Charles Swain Hall, "Benjamin Tallmadge: Revolutionary Soldier and American Businessman" (Columbia University Press, 1943)