See what it was like to be a member of the Culper Spy
Ring, as you decode the documents below. All of the following
transcriptions are from real documents pertaining to the historic
war.
Documents with an asterisk (*) on both sides of the title require
the download of a .pdf document. (Alert: You are
about to download a file in order to obtain further details needed
to find this geocache. As the cache owner, I represent that this
file is safe to download although the files needed to complete this
geocache have not been checked by Groundspeak or by the Reviewer
for possible malicious content. As a result, you are downloading
this file at your own risk.)
Right/option click to download. The document is a 1,704 page
long list of words.
The document with a question mark (?) on both sides of the title
requires going to a website concerning codes and ciphers used
during the American Revolution.
Click here to access that website.
Documents with no symbols next to their titles may be decrypted by
using the information on this geocache listing.
*Quote: September 22, 1776*
(886.1.23) (592.2.20)
“I (1198.3.38) that (654.3.23) (599.3.17) but (945.1.36)
(769.2.42) to (783.2.33) for my country”
Letter: August 15, 1779
Abraham Woodhull, alias Culper Sr.,
to General George Washington
“Every (letter) is opened at the
entrance of (New) (York) and every man is searched, that for the
future every (letter) must be
(written) with the (ink) received”
*Culper Sr. is referring to invisible ink
?Letter: July 10, 1779?
General George Washington
to Major Benjamin Tallmadge
“There can be (28.6.1.4.6.3.13.21) any need of
(4.3.6.12.2.2.3.8.25.5.8.55) the (55.4.3.1.15.3.28.15)
(6.1.14.15.5.12.8) and (28.3.6.4.3.6.21) in a
(158.14.28.5.8.3.28.28) so critical and
(25.1.8.55.3.12.14.28).”
*Letter: July 15, 1780*
Benedict Arnold
to Major John Andre
“If I point out a plan by which S.H. shall possess (1672.3.8)
(1081.3.2) (1514.2.16) (1462.1.6) (1099.2.27+s) I think it will be
a cheap purchase… for an object of so much
importance.”
*Letter: Summer 1780*
General George Washington
to Major Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee
“(1153.2.31) (1157.3.27) is the sole (932.3.43) in
view.”
Letter: Fall 1781
Sir Henry Clinton
to General Charles Cornwallis
“I am doing 
in my 
to 
you of a
move.”
Letter: July 5, 1782
Edmund Randolph
to James Madison
“I wish that on future (13.9.14.19.16.7.21.25.11) on speaking
of (7.20.15.1.19.7.10.6.19.9.17) we may use the (1.15.1.26.2.16) we
were taught by Mr. Lovell. Let the (9.11.10.15.12.16.10) be the
name of the negro boy who used to wait on our (1.21.24.5.12.12)
friend.”
*Madison noted at the bottom of Randolph’s letter,
“Probably CUPID.”
N 40° 58.ABC W 073° 45.DEF
A: The number of vowels in the first document minus 7
B: The number of "T"s in the second document minus the number of
"K"s
C: Count how many words in the third document have four vowels.
Double that
D: The number of vowels in the fourth document
E: Multiply the number of "P"s in the fifth document by 4. Then add
the number of "J"s
F: The number of vowels in the seventh document minus the number of
vowels in the sixth document. Subtract 4 from that.
*Note: The directions refer to the missing words only. When
counting the number of vowels, for example, only include the vowels
that were encrypted.
Click
to verify your coordinates
Congratulations to Caribbean2028 for being
FTF!
