EXECUTION OF MAJOR JOHN ANDRé

Execution of Major John André

Near the Hudson River, the Revolutionary War’s most famous betrayal came fully into view when British Major John André, captured behind American lines, was executed as a spy. André carried incriminating documents that exposed General Benedict Arnold’s plot to hand over the key fortress of West Point to the British. Arnold himself slipped away to British protection, but André fell into American hands disguised and out of uniform, which under the customs of the time marked him as a spy rather than a lawful prisoner of war. His court-martial and hanging at Tappan were conducted with a sense of grim duty, even as many American officers privately respected his courage. The episode shook the Continental Army, forcing commanders to reexamine security around critical positions like West Point. It also hardened patriot opinion, turning Arnold’s name into a lasting symbol of treason and reminding future generations how fragile trust and loyalty can be in wartime.