André, << AHN dray, >> John (1751-1780), a British officer, was hanged as a spy by the American Revolutionary Army. He was the messenger of the British general, Sir Henry Clinton, who, with Benedict Arnold, had concocted a plot for taking the vital American fort at West Point (see Arnold, Benedict).
André was Clinton’s personal aide and adjutant general of the British forces in America. Clinton chose him to meet Arnold and arrange the final details of the plot for taking West Point. Clinton sent him up the Hudson River on a British sloop. The men met on shore on the night of Sept. 21, 1780.
At dawn, the Americans opened fire on the sloop and forced it to retreat. André, caught inside the American lines, was forced to go overland to New York. Disobeying Clinton’s instructions, he discarded his military uniform for civilian clothes. By this action, André lost his chance, if captured, to be considered an officer instead of a spy.
Not far from the British outposts, André was stopped by American militia, who searched him and found papers that Arnold had given him. He was taken to the nearest officer, who notified Arnold. This gave Arnold a chance to escape.
André was tried by a military court and sentenced to death. In spite of Clinton’s efforts to save him, he was hanged on October 2, 1780.
André was born in London, probably on May 2, 1751. He was handsome, witty, interested in literature and music, and popular in the British army. While in prison, he won the affection even of his American captors. His youth, charm, and courage in facing death make his story one of the tragedies of the war.
