Abraham Woodhull farmed at Setauket on British-occupied Long Island during the Revolution. After brief militia service in 1775, he remained close to the family property and its obligations. In 1778 Benjamin Tallmadge recruited him to gather intelligence for Washington's army. Using the name Samuel Culper, later Culper Senior, Woodhull began sending reports that autumn and became a central link between occupied New York and the American headquarters.

He traveled to Manhattan under the cover of ordinary family and commercial visits, observing troop movements, shipping and conditions in the British garrison. Information collected there passed through Setauket to Caleb Brewster, who crossed Long Island Sound, and then through Tallmadge to Washington. The network used aliases, numerical codes and secret ink to reduce the risk of discovery. Woodhull's letters also described the practical dangers of travel, searches and communicating across military lines.

As Robert Townsend became the network's principal observer in New York, Woodhull concentrated on receiving and forwarding reports from Long Island. Austin Roe helped carry messages between the city and Setauket, reducing Woodhull’s own journeys. He maintained his connection with the ring through the later war while balancing it with farming and family life. After independence he held local judicial responsibilities in Suffolk County, including service as a magistrate. He died at Setauket in January 1826.