Blogspot iconBlogspotSep 20, 2026 ~1 min source read

Spying during the Napoleonic Wars - by Rosemary Hayes

Researching for my second book in the 'Soldier Spy' trilogy, it's been quite a journey to learn about the extent of spying, on both sides, during the Napoleonic Wars. Agents smuggled intelligence sewn into clothing or hidden in hollowed out walking sticks.

Spying during the Napoleonic Wars - by Rosemary Hayes
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Researching for my second book in the 'Soldier Spy' trilogy, it's been quite a journey to learn about the extent of spying, on both sides, during the Napoleonic Wars.

Agents smuggled intelligence sewn into clothing or hidden in hollowed out walking sticks.

Both sides employed complex codes and ciphers to protect their communications.

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The useful part

Researching for my second book in the 'Soldier Spy' trilogy, it's been quite a journey to learn about the extent of spying, on both sides, during the Napoleonic Wars. Agents smuggled intelligence sewn into clothing or hidden in hollowed out walking sticks. Both sides employed complex codes and ciphers to protect their communications.

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  • <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvIIx1CujchP6pXtSKhEgL5WQt4ceYXRhvgN2oeX8DxtlqAu3savEb9fxvJByookxRMjY-qTUCInTLBD69xXAeclcrzDicizWgAyVYqo2JX9zlQhAo...
  • One captured French codebook was worth its weight in gold to the British Intelligence Service.
  • A British officer, George Scovell, a gifted linguist, famously cracked the French 'Great Paris Cipher' which was pivotal in the Peninsular War.

Details worth keeping

Codebooks and cipher wheels were standard kit.

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