Hey, Kids! Here’s a Puzzle for You!

E. J. Witek posted this version of the letter from Dr. Benjamin Church that the Newport baker Godfrey Wenwood (or Wainwood) brought to Gen. George Washington’s headquarters at the end of September 1775. For clarity, each handwritten character has been replaced with a typographic equivalent.

Can you break the code?

(Highlight this line if you want a hint: It’s a simple substitution cipher, so every symbol stands for one letter of the alphabet. But you could have figured that out, right?)

TOMORROW: The minister who deciphered the message.