Spy Stuff: Slave Becomes a Spy for the Continental Army in Revolutionary War

History.com serves up the fascinating story of James Armistead, who was a slave in Virginia, became a spy for the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and played a crucial part in the American victory at the Battle of Yorktown.

It is noted in the article:

Posing as a runaway slave, Armistead quickly infiltrated British forces via Arnold’s camp. While at first he took on menial tasks, his vast knowledge of the terrain—a trait that wouldn't seem suspicious for a local runaway slave—was useful to both Arnold and Cornwallis for British intelligence during the war. So they assigned him the task of spying on the colonies.
 Armistead’s work as a double agent made traveling between the camps easier, as he didn't stand out as a peculiar presence by either side. It also made collecting information on British forces less dangerous—as long as he wasn’t caught.
 It was a dangerous tightrope act for Armistead: He supplied Lafayette with information on the British through handwritten notes delivered to other spies, meanwhile feeding Cornwallis and his company inaccuracies.

Read the entire article and what eventually happened to James Armistead.

- Ray Keating