George Washington's 1777 espionage letter on display at Spy Museum | NBC4 Washington

INFRASTRUCTURE TO CAPTURE THESE VEHICLES AS WELL. >> EXPERTS SAY GUARDRAILS HAVE IMPROVED OVER THE YEARS BUT INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES TAKE TIME AND VARY STATE TO STATE. >>> THIS PRESIDENT’S DAY WE WANTED TO GIVE AWE HISTORY LESSON. >> DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR A ONE-PAGE LETTER FROM GEORGE WASHINGTON HELPED SHAPE OUR WORLD TODAY. NEWS4’S TOMMY McFLY EXPLAINS HOW YOU CAN SEE IT HERE IN THE DISTRICT IN “THE SCENE.” ♪ ♪ >> OBTAINING THE EARLIEST AND BEST INTELLIGENCE OF THE DESIGNS OF THE ENEMY. >> Reporter: THE LETTER ON DISPLAY, YOU CAN SEE IT FOR YOURSELF IN THE SPY MUSEUM.

IT LAUNCHED A SPY NETWORK. SORT OF LIKE AN AVENGER’S ORIGIN STORY ALMOST. >> IN EVERY WAY. IN EVERY WAY, COMPLETELY ANALOG, BUT THE REVOLUTIONARY VERSION. BUT IT WAS IMPERATIVE TO HAVE INFORMATION AND GEORGE GOT IT. >> Reporter: HE DID. THAT GUY. >> CITIZENS AT WORK. >> Reporter: 247 YEARS AFTER GEORGE WASHINGTON WROTE THIS LETTER, THERE’S ANOTHER VERSION OF GEORGE. YOU MAY RECOGNIZE HIM FROM “HAMILTON”, ACTOR CHRISTOPHER JACKSON, A SELF-PROCLAIMED HISTORY BUFF, BRINGING THE LETTER TO LIFE. >> I WAS SUCH A NERD ABOUT ALL OF IT. >> Reporter: YEAH. >> I ALWAYS HAVE BEEN. >> Reporter:

JACKSON’S HOLOGRAM WILL GIVE YOU INSIGHT INTO HOW SPYING SHAPED HISTORY. >> COME THROUGH THE DOORS AND BE COMPLETELY IMMERSED WITH MUSIC AND WITH, YOU KNOW,

SOME BEAUTIFUL SHOT REENACTMENTS AND SUCH AN EXCITING SUBJECT IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA, THE SACKLER LETTER AND WASHINGTON’S RING OF SPICE. IT IS PRETTY AMAZING. >> Reporter: AFTER SEEING THE LETTER, WRITTEN IN GEORGE’S OWN HAND, YOU MAY ASK YOURSELF, HOW MUCH WERE THEY PAYING SPIES DURING THE REVOLUTION? $50 A MONTH, OVER $1,000 TODAY. >> IT IS NOT NOTHING. >> Reporter: WHICH SEEMS LIKE A BARGEN TO BE LIKE, HEY, COULD YOU

SPY AGAINST THE STRONGEST SUPER POWER IN THE WORLD FOR US. I WAS LIKE WHO IS TALKING ABOUT THAT? >> WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ANY INSURANCE. >> Reporter: IT IS WILD BECAUSE IT IS AN EXCITING EXHIBIT BASED ON ONE PIECE OF PAPER. >> YEAH. >> Reporter: AND THAT ONE PIECE OF PAPER STARTED SO MUCH. YOU CAN SEE AMERICA’S FIRST OFFICIAL ATTEMPT AT ESPIONAGE AT THE INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM IN SOUTHWEST. >> GIVEN UNDER MY HAND AT MORRISTOWN THIS 4th DAY OF FEBRUARY