Profile in Courage: James Armistead Lafayette

From We are America the Beautiful blog on March 10, 2021

James Armistead Lafayette's story would make a great movie. Born into slavery in New Kent, Virginia around 1760, James received permission from his master, William Armistead, who helped to supply the Continental Army, to enlist with General Marquis de Lafayette's French Allied units. James, a native Virginian, became a spy, posing as a runaway slave. He was hired by the British, and he worked in camps where generals and the British Commander-in-Chief, Lord Cornwallis, were located, giving James access to crucial information on strategy and troop movements.

James became a double agent, delivering critical intelligence to Lafayette and General Washington while feeding misinformation to the British. James was so trusted by the British that he was assigned to work with American traitor Benedict Arnold to assist him in planning troop movements throughout Virginia. James gathered and relayed intel to Lafayette at the most important time in the war; he dispatched information that Cornwallis was sending 10,000 reinforcements to Yorktown. This precious intel allowed Lafayette and Washington to devise a blockade of French ships while engaging their forces against the British that ultimately caused Cornwallis to surrender on October 17, 1781.

Although many former slaves were granted their freedom for fighting with the patriots under the Act of 1783, because James was a spy, he was barred from emancipation and had to return home to his William Armistead's plantation. James petitioned Congress but was unsuccessful. Several years later, Lafayette heard that James was still enslaved and wrote a letter to Congress on his behalf. James was granted his freedom in 1787.

James purchased a 40-acre farm in Virginia with his pension, married, and raised a family as a freeman. He added Lafayette as his last name in gratitude to his friend. The two were reunited forty years later when the Marquis returned to tour the United States in 1824. Crowds of people greeted the Marquis in every town. When he reached Richmond, Virginia, the Marquis saw James in a crowd, called out to him by name, and embraced him. James Armistead Lafayette died on August 9. 1830.