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, André negotiated with Continental Army general 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 try to return to British lines from a meeting with Arnold through American-controlled territory while wearing civilian clothes.
André was captured by three American militiamen 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. His execution led to an outburst of anti-American sentiment in Great Britain, and American painter John Trumbull was imprisoned as a result. 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 decision to execute him.
Early life
André was born on May 2, 1750, in London, England, to wealthy Huguenot parents who had immigrated there from Continental Europe. His parents were Antoine André, a merchant from Geneva, and Marie Louise Girardot, who had been born in Paris. André was educated at St Paul's School, Westminster School, and in Geneva; he was briefly engaged to Honora Sneyd. In 1771, at the age of 20, he joined the British Army, being commissioned into the 23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welsh Fuzileers) at the rank of second lieutenant before quickly being promoted to lieutenant in the 7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers). André took a leave of absence in Germany for nearly two years, before re-joining his regiment in British North America in 1774.
American War for Independence
During the early days of the American War for Independence, before independence was declared by the Continental Congress, André was captured at Fort Saint-Jean by Continental Army troops under the command of General Richard Montgomery in November 1775, and held prisoner at Lancaster, Pennsylvania. During his nearly nine months in Philadelphia, André lived in Benjamin Franklin's house, from which it has been alleged that he removed several valuable items on Grey's orders when the occupation of Philadelphia came to an end, including an oil portrait of Franklin by Benjamin Wilson.