Part of Bayside Historical Society's Author Talk at the Castle Series

As part of our 250th anniversary commemoration of the United States, BHS welcomes author and historian Richard F. Welch for an exploration of the fascinating life and Revolutionary War service of Setauket native Benjamin Tallmadge. A military commander, spymaster, and trusted aide to George Washington, Tallmadge played a vital role in both battlefield operations and the Patriot war effort.

Tallmadge distinguished himself as a commander of dragoons, a skilled intelligence and counterintelligence officer, and an expert in coordinating combined land-and-sea military operations. He participated in the Battles of Long Island, White Plains, and Germantown, protected Patriot communities in Westchester from British and Loyalist incursions, and later led bold expeditions against British positions on Long Island from bases in Connecticut while commanding his own legion.

Equally significant was his work overseeing Washington’s most active espionage network on Long Island and in New York. Tallmadge also played a pivotal role in exposing the Arnold-André conspiracy to surrender West Point to the British. The presentation concludes with a look at his accomplishments after the war as a successful businessman and member of Congress.

About the author:

Richard F. Welch received his doctorate in history from Stony Brook University. He taught American history at Long Island University and Farmingdale State College. He was editor of the Long Island Forum from 1991 to 2014, and a contributing editor of the Journal of Long Island History. The author of numerous articles and reviews, he has written seven books, the most recent being Long Island’s Gold Coast Warriors. The North Shore Elite and World War One (2021). He was also a contributor to the Encyclopedia of New York State. He served as a trustee of the Suffolk County Historical Society 2008-2024.

Image: Portrait of Benjamin Tallmadge by John Ramage, 1783.

Cost: We are pleased to bring you this event free of charge! Reserve your free ticket below or call 718-352-1548.