André, John, 1751-1780

John André was born on May 2, 1750, or 1751, in London, England.

He was a major in the British Army. He was educated at St. Paul's School, Westminster School, and in Geneva. In 1771, at age of 20, he joined the army, first being commissioned a second lieutenant in the 23rd Regiment (Royal Welch Fusiliers) but soon exchanging as a lieutenant in the 7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers). He was on leave of absence in Germany for nearly two years and, in 1774, re-joined his regiment in British Canada. In 1779, André became adjutant general of the British Army in North America with the rank of major. In April 1779, he became head of the British Secret Service in America during the American Revolutionary War. By the next year, he had briefly taken part in Clinton's invasion of the South, starting with the siege of Charleston, South Carolina. He was assigned the task of negotiating General Benedict Arnold's secret offer to surrender the fort at West Point, New York, to the British. Through a series of mishaps and unforeseen events, André was forced to return from a meeting with Arnold through American territory while wearing civilian clothes. He was captured by Colonials on September 23, 1780. He was convicted of espionage and hanged as a spy by the Continental Army on the orders of George Washington. The day before his hanging, André drew a likeness of himself with pen and ink, which is now owned by Yale College. A religious poem was found in his pocket after his execution, written two days beforehand. André is typically remembered favourably by historians as a man of honour, and several prominent U.S. leaders of the time, including Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette, did not agree with his fate.

He was executed on October 2, 1780, in Tappan, New York, and is buried in Westminster Abbey, London.