I have been wanting to write about Richardson for a while, especially after reading An Echo in the Bone, around two years ago. Ezekiel Richardson is an enigmatic character. Is he a double agent or an American spy? Of course, Written in My Own Heart’s Blood reveals more about him. However, the purpose of this post is to analyze Richardson’s actions to determine his allegiance based on book 7, An Echo In the Bone. I tend to suspect that he was a British officer who started as a double agent and eventually became a member of a local branch of the Sons of Liberty at a certain point before meeting Lord John and William. Details will not be listed in chronological order. Hints about Richardson’s true nature, in fact, do not follow a chronological order.
Book 7 shows a grown-up William who is eager for adventure and to excel in battle. In Chapter 20, William muses about staying in New York or accepting Captain Richardson’s proposal of traveling to Canada. According to him, Lord John would like him to stay in New York since advancement within an army happens when one distinguishes himself during a war. A job in military intelligence is not respected. Furthermore, his uncle Hal cares about his regiment’s honor and the well-being of the soldiers under his command more than warfare. In fact, being a successful soldier requires a combination of honor and fighting/strategic skills in battle.
However, William is not patient when it comes to advancement in a military career (let’s say he is bold as his biological father). Based on William’s musings in Chapter 1, the continental army is mainly in the North, which means that there are more chances of advancement within the military as a member of the Northern Department (reporting to General Howe). There is no much of a southern rebellion. This reasoning is what leads William to accept Richardson’s initial offer of being a messenger carrying information from the Southern Department to the Northern Department.
In Chapter 10, Hal advises William in a letter of not working for Captain Richardson. No much details are provided since letters can be opened and read by anyone, and Hal is just being prudent to avoid endangering his relatives. In chapter 14, Lord John muses that his brother does not like Richardson, even though, Hal does not have a concrete reason to justify his feelings about him. Similarly, Randall-Isaacs also warns William about Richardson without providing any details in book 8. Therefore, it is possible to assume that many do not trust Richardson, but the evidence to implicate him in a crime or treason is missing. Probably Richardson is an expert in covering his tracks since most characters are unable to find something concrete against him. It also could be the way in which intelligence is perceived by both Hal and Lord John – a shady business.
Chapter 1 also reveals that Richardson has dragoons under his command as his title suggests (even though, he is not active with them in military campaigns). It also seems that he reports the information he gathers to somebody in the Southern Department. Since most of the action is not taking place in the south, it makes sense for him to get involved in military intelligence instead of being with his troops. Knowledge is power (sorry if I sound like a Game of Thrones character). Richardson has the knowledge of what is happening with both the British army and the Continental army. He uses it to his advantage. It allows him to move forward within the British army and to switch sides when the time is right. It seems that he is more of an opportunist. He has to look good in front of both, the British and the revolutionaries, and that is why he does not hesitate to risk the lives of others, especially people who work for him.
At the beginning of book 7, readers encounter the leitmotif of the advantage of having plain, ordinary looks when it comes to being a spy. Of note is William’s description of Captain Richardson when they first meet:
Mr. Bell’s house was whitewashed, neat, and prosperous, without being ostentatious. Captain Richardson gave me the same sort of impression: of middle age, well-groomed and well-tailored, but without any notable style, and with a face you couldn’t pick out of a crowd two minutes after seeing it (Ch. 1).
Eventually, the reader learns that Richard Bell is not only a loyalist but also an abolitionist and a businessman who sells supplies to British officers. He is abducted by the Sons of Liberty and sent back to Scotland. One wonders whether Richardson had a hand in it since he later accuses Claire of providing seditious material to the Sons of Liberty in Philadelphia. Furthermore, removing Bell means that the British would not be getting their supplies anymore, something that will favor the revolutionaries. However, Richard Bell will be traveling back to the colonies with Jamie’s printer, and he might reveal more details about Richardson. Overall, it seems that Richardson’s colleagues are the Sons of Liberty.
Lord John also reminds William in a letter of how his physical attributes could be his downfall in the dangerous job of gathering information.
A tall man is always notable in company; the more so if his glance be direct and his dress neat. (Ch. 10)
Of course, William does not take into consideration Lord John’s concern. The interaction that he has with Robert Rogers opens his eyes to the dangers of military intelligence, especially when they travel together to capture Captain Hale. William is taller than most of Rogers’s men, and the garments provided to him as a disguise does not fit him properly. Furthermore, at the tavern, there is another man who is interacting with Hale. He remembers a “hulking brute,” which turns out to be William, taking away the cider he was transporting at Customs (ch. 20). Of note is also the fact that Hale’s appearance is perceptible. He is tall and has scars on the face.
In regards to Robert Rogers, William is not impressed with him initially.
Robert Rogers was a shady character who’d come slinking into New York a few months before and somehow wangled a major’s commission from General Howe and a sloop from his brother, the admiral . . . . . but Rogers continued to prowl the coastline in his sloop with a small company of men as disreputable-looking as he was, . . . (Ch. 20).
The author uses words such as “shady” and “disreputable” to describe everything associated with military intelligence. In fact, Robert Rogers is an efficient spy. Here are some interesting details about him:
- He wanted to work for the Continental army, but George Washington had him carried out of the Continentals’ camp (this account is from William’s point of view but it may not be the case of what actually happened).
- He works for the Northern Department.
- He has been spying on Captain Richardson and knows that he has been interacting with William in New York. He warns William about Richardson.
“Old enough to risk your neck on purpose, then. But you might want to think twice before saying yes to whatever Richardson’s suggesting to you” (ch. 20).
Based on these details, Robert Rogers seems to be Captain Richardson’s counterpart in the Northern Department. It seems that the Continental army considered Robert Rogers a British spy. At the same time, one may suspect whether there is some rivalry between the Northern and the Southern Department since there is a lack of trust in Richardson. Of note is the reason why Rogers decided to invite William for the capture expedition. If William is associated with Richardson, he might be suspected of being an American spy or a double agent. By having a conversation about Richardson, Rogers realizes that William is young and naive when it comes to being a spy. William may have been suspected at a certain point by Rogers since he allowed Hale to go through customs with no issue. He could not check the documentation that Hale had and assigned somebody else, who could not read, to do it. Of note is the fact that Richardson is present at the execution of Hale, and he gives a sharp look to William. If he is an American spy, he does not like the fact that William worked together with the Northern Department to capture a colleague of him.
Is there more evidence for William being suspected as an accomplice of Richardson? Probably. After completing his first assignment for Richardson, William met with General Howe, Sir Henry Clinton, and Lord Cornwallis. He mentions that he was coming from an intelligence expedition, and based on the gathered information, he believes that General Putman is covering the retreat of the Continental army. Of course, his testimony was not taken seriously especially since intelligence work is considered disreputable. Furthermore, they probably figured out that he was working for Richardson. Later, Captain Ramsay mentions to William the reference to Cassandra, which is a foreshadowing device. William deductions about General Putman are correct but nobody seems to believe him (very similar to people not believing in Cassandra’s prophecies). Later, when he is supposed to meet General Clinton, he gets lost and robbed, captured by two rebel senior ladies and witnesses the escape/retreat of the Continental army. He predicted what was happening based on his intelligence work but nobody took him seriously. At this point, the second reference to Cassandra is mentioned.
Suspicious is another assignment that Richardson gives William: the delivery of a coded message to prominent rebels in Dismal Town. Of course, Richardson tells him that the recipients are loyalists. One wonders what could have happened to him if it was not for Young Ian encountering him and letting him know that the information provided by Richardson is wrong/false. Why William? Why the Greys? Did Richardson act to avenge the death of Hale by having William killed? Did he want William captured to stop the Greys from joining the war? Is there something more personal between the Greys and Richardson?
Thanks for reading! My next post will be about Captain Randall-Isaacs and Percy Beauchamp.
Sources
Gabaldon, Diana. An Echo in the Bone. 2009. New York: Bantam Dell. 2011. Print.