James armistead lafayette biography

African American slave and double agent

This article is about the enslaved African-American and American Revolutionary War double agent. For the photographer, see James Lafayette.

James Armistead Lafayette (1748^[1] or 1760^[2] — 1830^[1] or 1832)^[2] was an enslaved African American who served the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War under the Marquis de Lafayette, and later received a legislative emancipation.^[3][4] As a double agent, he reported the activities of Benedict Arnold after he had defected to the British, and of Lord Charles Cornwallis during the run-up to the siege of Yorktown.

He fed the British false information while disclosing very accurate and detailed accounts to the Americans.

James armistead lafayette biography wikipedia

Early life

James was born to an enslaved mother either in North Carolina or Virginia. He became the property of Colonel John Armistead of New Kent County, Virginia. Well before