A former Intel Officer has decrypted a letter from John Armstrong to President Madison in 1808.
The Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) announced a winner to the Armstrong-Madison Encrypted Letter Contest.
Long term AFIO member Yaacov Apelbaum has successfully decrypted the Armstrong-Madison letter! Mr. Apelbaum is a New York–based former intelligence officer with a deep background in signals analysis and cyber operations. Now active in the private sector, he focuses on cyber intelligence, counterintelligence, and counterterrorism support. An AFIO member since 2018, Apelbaum continues to advance the mission of U.S. intelligence through outreach, research, and operational consulting.
Below is the Decrypted Text (Letter from John Armstrong to President James Madison, 20 February 1808):
“The petitions of your seamen concerning their treatment have been examined. The French government has declared that American ships must not enter its ports. I have written to you before on this subject, which deeply affects our shipping and commerce. The ministry has given no assurance that, in relation to our neutral shipping and commerce rights, we shall receive satisfaction.”
Here is the letter from Armstrong to Madison in 1808.
The AFIO shared on the letter:
This letter from Secretary of War John Armstrong discusses grievances regarding the French government’s refusal to respect American neutral rights, specifically as they pertain to shipping and commerce. It reflects the formal diplomatic tone used in early 19th-century correspondence and is consistent with known letters from Armstrong in 1804 and 1806.