Enoch Crosby

Enoch Crosby (1750–1835) was an American spy and soldier during the American Revolution. His life may have been the basis for the character Harvey Birch in James Fenimore Cooper's novel The Spy.

Early life Crosby was born in Harwich, Massachusetts, on January 4, 1750, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Crosby. His family moved to what is now Putnam County, New York, when Crosby was only an infant. The family was poor, and by 1766, Crosby set out from home to find a career. He became an apprentice shoemaker in Kent, New York, and continued in the apprenticeship until it was completed in 1771, on his 21st birthday.

When the American Revolutionary War began, he was in Danbury, Connecticut, and immediately enlisted as a soldier.

Revolutionary War Crosby enlisted with a Connecticut regiment in the first weeks of the war. His unit became part of the invasion of Canada by the Continental Army in 1775. After the capture of Montreal, his enlistment expired and he returned to Danbury to continue his career as a shoemaker.

By September 1776, Crosby had left behind his shoemaking to return to the Continental Army and made his way to the camp at White Plains, in Westchester County. On the way, as a result of misunderstanding, Crosby was invited to join a meeting of Loyalist locals, who were intending to support the British efforts in the area. He managed to deliver the information that he learned to John Jay, a member of the local Committee of Safety, and at Jay and Crosby's direction, the group of Loyalists was arrested. The intelligence that he provided was used both to capture Loyalists and to undermine local support for the British, and on at least one occasion, it proved useful to the commander of the Continental Army, George Washington.

Crosby was repeatedly captured by Americans who believed him to be a Loyalist but always escaped.

Following the War, Crosby and his brother purchased a farm, and he lived on that land until his death. Cooper may have heard of Crosby's story from John Jay although Jay apparently did not reveal Crosby's name for fear of retribution from the spy's enemies.