[The Intelligencer] At the time of the American Revolution, England was the world’s strongest military and naval power. Yet it was soundly defeated by George Washington and his rag-tag army of colonial revolutionaries and patriots. How could this have happened?Surprisingly, the British provided the answer. Major George Beckwith, the head of British intelligence operations in the Colonies, upon returning to England in defeat, was quoted as saying, "Washington did not really outfight the British, he simply out-spied us!" Beckwith had thus credited the winning of the war, and thus the creation of our new nation, to Washington’s superior intelligence operations.
Washington had learned a hard lesson when he was a 21-year-old adjutant under British General Edward Braddock during the French and Indian War. Braddock’s forces were ambushed in the Monongahela Valley by the French and Indians and virtually annihilated. Washington escaped after his horse was shot out from under him. Braddock was mortally wounded, as were 615 of his officers and 914 soldiers. The French simply had an effective intelligence network and were aware of Braddock’s every move well in advance. Washington would never forget this bitter lesson and never again be so surprised.