Hercules Mulligan
| Hercules Mulligan | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 25, 1740 Coleraine, County Londonderry, Ireland |
| Died | March 4, 1825 (aged 84) |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Alma mater | Kings College, New York |
| Occupation | Tailor, Spy |
| Known for | Secret agent for George Washington during the American Revolutionary War |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Sanders |
| Children | 3 sons, 5 daughters |
Hercules Mulligan (September 25, 1740 – March 4, 1825) was a tailor and spy during the American Revolutionary War.
Born in Ireland to Hugh and Sarah Mulligan, the family immigrated to North America in 1746, settling in New York City. Mulligan attended King's College (now Columbia University) in New York City. After graduating, Mulligan worked as a clerk for his father's accounting business. He later went on to open a tailoring and haberdashery business, catering to wealthy British Crown force officers.
On October 27, 1773, Mulligan, an Episcopalian, married Elizabeth Sanders at Trinity Church. Sanders was the niece of Admiral Charles Sanders of the Royal British Navy. The couple had eight children; they had five daughters and three sons.
Mulligan was introduced to Alexander Hamilton shortly after Hamilton arrived in New York. The men were introduced by Mulligan's brother, Hugh; Mulligan also knew the Crugers, for whom Hamilton had clerked in St. Croix. Mulligan helped Hamilton enroll at the Elizabethtown Academy in New Jersey, and later, the College of New Jersey at Princeton (now Princeton University). After Hamilton enrolled at King's College, he lived with Mulligan in New York City. Mulligan had a profound impact on Hamilton's desire for revolution.
In 1765, Mulligan was one of the first colonists to join the Sons of Liberty, a secret society formed to protect the rights of the colonists and to fight British taxation. He also helped to mob British soldiers in the Battle of Golden Hill. He was a member of the New York Committee of Correspondence, a group that rallied opposition to the British through written communications. In August 1775, he and the Corsicans, a New York volunteer militia company, under fire from HMS Asia, successfully raided four British cannons in the Battery. In 1776, Mulligan and the Sons of Liberty knocked down a statue of King George III in Bowling Green, melting the lead in the center to cast bullets to use against the British. Mulligan continued to fight for liberty following the Declaration of Independence.
...
Wikipedia