Who was James Armistead?

James Armistead, and occasionally also referred to as James L. Armistead (c. December 10, 1748–August 9, 1830) was an African American slave to William Armistead in Virginia during the American Revolution. After getting consent of his master, Marquis de Lafayette, he volunteered in 1781 to join the army under General Lafayette. He was stationed as a spy, acting as a slave in Lord Cornwallis' camp. He relayed much information about the British plans for troop deployment and about their arms. His intelligence reports espionage were instrumental in helping to defeat the British at the surrender at Yorktown. Most sources indicate that James was born in 1748 in NEW KENT COUNTY,VIRGINIA as a slave for William Armistead; other sources put his birth around 1760 in Elizabeth City, Virginia. He died on August 9, 1830 as a freed slave turned farmer. Because he was an intelligence agent and not technically a soldier, James could not qualify for emancipation under the Act of 1783, so with the support of William Armistead, he petitioned the Virginia State Legislature for his freedom. He received a letter of commendation dated November 21, 1784 from the Marquis de Lafayette;the facsimile of the letter of commendation can be viewed on the Lafayette College website [1]. On January 9, 1786, the Virginia State Legislature granted the slave known only as "James" his freedom for services rendered and bravery as a spy during the siege of Yorktown. It was at that time that he chose the name Armistead for his middle name and Lafayette for his surname, to honor the general.

He continued to live in New Kent County with his new wife, one son and several other children. He became a farmer and he at one point owned three slaves. By 1818 he applied to the state legislature for financial aid. He was granted $60.00 for present relief and $40 annual pension for his services in the Revolutionary War. In 1824, he was recognized and embraced by General Lafayette during his tour of Yorktown, the story of the event was reported by the Richmond Enquirer. It was also about this time that the artist John Blennerhassett Martin (1797-1857) painted an oil on canvas of James Armistead Lafayette. This painting is owned by the Valentine Museum. The artist also created a broadside including both the painted likeness and the facsimile of Lafayette’s testimonial.

Another possible likeness is John-Baptiste Paon’s 1783 portrait of Lafayette at Yorktown with James Armistead holding his horse. This portrait is owned by Layfayette College and can be viewed on their website [2] A discussion on the images of Armistead may be found on the Common-place website [3]

By 1828, James Armistead Lafayette was also featured as the general’s aide and sidekick in the novel Edge- Hill or the Family of the Fitzroyals by James Ewell Heath.

It has been suggested that some historians have tried to twist his full name to protect the Armistead families of Virginia from scandals. William Armistead, his owner, was the purser and chief financer of the Revolutionary War, and was secretly connected to the royal families of Prussia, who helped finance the war with English payments to mercenary Prussian troops, who surrendered upon command. William Armistead's only (white) daughter married Fairfax Washington, the son of Gen. Washington, after the Revolution and is believed to be a descendant of Shakespeare or King William I (The Silent) of Orange via John Armistead, The Councilor of Williamsburg. Some black Americans with the last name of Armistead are suspected of being descendants of James Armistead Lafayette as he is said to have had a number of children after the Revolution. Also it is possible that James was an illegitimate son of William Armistead, The Purser of the Virginia Troops.

Regardless of his birth, he is remembered as an American patriot. His intelligence contributions to Lafayette and Washington aided in the capture Gen. Cornwallis at Yorktown, Va. with few shots fired.