James Armistead Lafayette

Following his freedom he got married and had a large family. He died on August 9, 1830.

James Armistead Lafayette was born a slave to owner William Armistead. While some sources indicate that he was born on December 10, 1748 at the New Kent County farm of William Armistead in Virginia, others point out his birth took place on December 10, 1760 in the Elizabeth City of Virginia.

In 1781 after obtaining his owner’s consent, James Armistead Lafayette volunteered himself in the ‘American Continental Army’ during the Revolutionary War of America.

He was assigned to serve the allied French forces commander Marquis de Lafayette who inducted him as a spy to acquire strategic information of movements of the opponents.

He was first assigned the task to report movements of Brigadier General Benedict Arnold, a defector who initially served the ‘American Continental Army’ but later pulled out to join the British Army. After joining the camp of Arnold he faked to be a British spy and earned trust of Arnold so much so that he was assigned by Arnold to guide the British armed forces through the local roads.

Thereafter during the ‘Siege of Yorktown’ that lasted from September 28, 1781 to October 19, 1781, he again served as a spy under Lafayette. He posed to be a fugitive slave and gained confidence of the British lord and Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis.

While moving between British camps, he could easily extract information as the British officers un-hesitantly discussed their moves in his presence. He would prepare written reports with detailed information and pass them on to other American spies.

His espionage including detailed report enabled Marquis de Lafayette and General George Washington to impede the British army from sending reinforcements of ten thousand army men to Yorktown. The British forces were taken aback by the barrier put up by the French and American troops that resulted in victory of Marquis de Lafayette and General George Washington in Yorktown and led to the surrender of the British on October 19, 1781.