Committee on Conspiracies organization

“The most vigorous counterintelligence program was in New York where in May of 1776 the Provincial Congress established a panel on "intestine enemies which is often referred to as the Committee on Conspiracies…”

“Under the authority of this body John Jay future Chief Justice diplomat and Federalist Papers author and Nathaniel Sackett another leading figure of the time directed as many as ten agents in ferreting out British spys and informers…”

“Under the authority of this body John Jay future Chief Justice diplomat and Federalist Papers author and Nathaniel Sackett another leading figure of the time directed as many as ten agents in ferreting out British spys and informers…”

“Among these heroes was Enoch Crosby who is generally thought (Cooper's protestations to the contrary) to have been the model for James Fenimore Cooper's character Harvey Birch in The Spy…”

“This network was superseded by a more ambitious unit the Commissioners for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies which was created in February 1778 and lasted until 1781.…”