[SeekAndFind]

According to America Battlefield Trust, James Armistead was born into slavery circa 1760, and lived much of his life on a New Kent, Virginia, plantation. Armistead, as was common at the time, took his last name from his master, William Armistead. James was working as a clerk for William Armistead, ATI relates, as William managed Virginia’s military supplies during the Revolution. William, upon request, gave James permission in 1781 to enlist in the French Allied units under the command of the famed Marquis de Lafayette. While serving in the French Allied units, James Armistead was sent by Lafayette to British Gen. Lord Cornwallis’s headquarters as a spy.

James Armistead posed as a runaway slave, according to American Battlefield Trust. Since a number of runaway slaves sought protection from the British during the Revolution, hoping for freedom (the British did promise freedom to many slaves to spite the Americans), and since Armistead was a “native Virginian with extensive knowledge of the terrain, the British received him without suspicion,” as American Battlefield Trust relates. Armistead thus achieved a feat that was rare even among George Washington’s talented spy network; that is, Armistead became a double agent who had direct access to the “center of the British War Department” in America.

[Chainmail]

Just damn! What a hero -

Now that's a story our kids need to hear.

[Migraine]

What a terrific and inspiring story!

[waterhill]

Gee, I wonder why he wasn’t featured on Netflix’ original series Spies? Maybe because he was black? Hmm?

[vpintheak]

Maybe Hollywood could make a movie from this story...

[M Kehoe]

Bttt.

5.56mm