Major John André (May 2, 1750 – October 2, 1780) was a British Army officer who served as the head of Britain's intelligence operations during the American War for Independence.

In September 1780, he negotiated with Continental Army officer and turncoat Benedict Arnold, who secretly offered to turn over control of the American fort at West Point, New York to the British.

Due to a series of mishaps and unforeseen events, André was forced to return to British lines from a meeting with Arnold through American-controlled territory while wearing civilian clothes.

André was captured by three Americans and was quickly identified and imprisoned; he was subsequently convicted of espionage by the Continental Army and executed by hanging on George Washington's orders.

André is typically remembered positively by historians, and several prominent leaders of the Patriot cause, including Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette, disagreed with the American decision to execute him.

In the same year, André was appointed as an aide-de-camp to Major-General Charles Grey, serving in the British expedition to capture Philadelphia and participating in the battles of Brandywine and Germantown.

However, he had become bitter about the decline in his financial fortunes caused by the war, and the reluctance of the Continental Congress to grant him the promotions Arnold believed he deserved.

In pursuit of this plan, Arnold carefully maneuvered his way into the command of critical Continental Army fortifications at West Point, New York, secretly promising to surrender them to the British for £20,000 (approximately £3.62 million in 2021).

[8] Possession of the forts at West Point would deliver to the British effective control of the entire Hudson River waterway, and could have very well served as the death-blow to the Patriot cause.

[citation needed] As the summer of 1780 came to an end, Arnold had at last taken command of West Point, and was in a position to facilitate a British takeover of the forts.

Seeking greater firepower, Peterson and Sherwood headed to Fort Lafayette at Verplanck's Point to request cannons and ammunition from their commander, Colonel James Livingston.

[14][15][16] Arnold persuaded André that his best option for returning to British lines was to travel overland, which meant that he would need to take off his uniform and put on civilian clothes.

[18] Arnold departed to return to his home, and Joshua Smith escorted André a few miles north, where the two men crossed to the east side of the Hudson River at King's Ferry.

[citation needed] After spending the night in a local home, the two men continued on to the Croton River, the southernmost edge of the American lines.

Here Smith left him and André continued south in hopes of coming into contact with one of the Loyalist groups who marauded through Westchester County, New York.

Paulding suspected that André was a spy and took him to Continental Army's frontline headquarters in Sands Mill,[25] a hamlet within North Castle, New York that was situated on the Connecticut border of Westchester County.

Arnold received Jameson's note while at breakfast with his officers, made an excuse to leave the room, and rushed upstairs to confer with his wife.

Soon after, he made his escape to the Hudson, where he boarded his personal barge and ordered the crew to row him to the Vulture, which had returned to its northerly position on the river.

An hour or so later, Washington arrived at West Point with his party; he had not yet received Jameson's letter or the incriminating documents, and as yet knew nothing of Arnold's betrayal or his flight.

[citation needed] Finally, several hours later, Washington returned to Arnold's home and headquarters on the eastern side of the Hudson, where the documents taken from André were presented to him.

However, in their written negotiations Washington demanded that in exchange for André, Clinton must give the Americans Arnold, who was now under British protection in New York.

Having left a mother and two sisters in England, he was heard to mention them in terms of the tenderest affection, and in his letter to Sir Henry Clinton, he recommended them to his particular attention.

The principal guard officer, who was constantly in the room with the prisoner, relates that when the hour of execution was announced to him in the morning, he received it without emotion, and while all present were affected with silent gloom, he retained a firm countenance, with calmness and composure of mind.

The fatal hour having arrived, a large detachment of troops was paraded, and an immense concourse of people assembled; almost all our general and field officers, excepting his excellency and staff, were present on horseback; melancholy and gloom pervaded all ranks, and the scene was affectingly awful.

I was so near during the solemn march to the fatal spot, as to observe every movement, and participate in every emotion which the melancholy scene was calculated to produce.A Biographical Sketch of the Most Prominent Generals by James Thacher, a surgeon in the American Revolutionary Army contains: Major André walked from the stone house, in which he had been confined, between two of our subaltern officers, arm in arm; the eyes of the immense multitude were fixed on him, who, rising superior to the fears of death, appeared as if conscious of the dignified deportment which he displayed.

While waiting and standing near the gallows, I observed some degree of trepidation; placing his foot on a stone, and rolling it over and choking in his throat, as if attempting to swallow.

So soon, however, as he perceived that things were in readiness, he stepped quickly into the wagon, and at this moment he appeared to shrink, but instantly elevating his head with firmness he said, "It will be but a momentary pang," and taking from his pocket two white handkerchiefs, the provost-marshal, with one, loosely pinioned his arms, and with the other, the victim, after taking off his hat and stock, bandaged his own eyes with perfect firmness, which melted the hearts and moistened the cheeks, not only of his servant, but of the throng of spectators.

Colonel Scammel now informed him that he had an opportunity to speak, if he desired it; he raised the handkerchief from his eyes, and said, "I pray you to bear me witness that I meet my fate like a brave man."

[45] In 1821, at the behest of the Duke of York, his remains, which had been buried under the gallows, were removed to England[46] and placed among kings and poets at Westminster Abbey, in the nave, under a marble monument depicting Britannia alongside a British lion mourning André's death.

[47] The United States Congress gave each of André's captors: Paulding, Williams, and Van Wart, a silver medal, known as the Fidelity Medallion, and a pension of $200 a year.