ANDRE, JOHN
Andre, John
(May 2, 1750–October 2, 1780)
English Army Officer; Spy
T
he youthful John Andre was a dashing
officer, accomplished soldier, and ex-
ceptionally talented individual. He cer-
tainly deserved a better fate than being hung
for the likes of Benedict Arnold, but he
nonetheless met his demise with commend-
able courage and placidity.
John Andre was born in London on May 2,
1750, the son of a Swiss businessman. His fa-
ther was descended from a long line of
French Huguenots who fled to Geneva to es-
cape religious persecution. Young Andre re-
ceived an excellent education at the Univer-
sity of Geneva, although he was recalled to
London before graduating to work in his fa-
ther’s counting house. Andre disliked busi-
ness and chafed incessantly until his father
died in 1769. He then took his considerable in-
heritance and immersed himself in the cul-
tural and literary life of Hanoverian England.
The young man excelled at poetry and art
and, while studying, fell madly in love with a
young compatriot, Honora Sneyd. However,
when she unexpectedly rejected him for an-
other suitor in 1770, Andre felt compelled to
join the military and forget her. The following
spring he purchased a second lieutenant’s
commission in the 23rd Infantry (the famous
Royal Welsh Fusiliers). Soon after, he trans-
ferred to the Seventh Royal Fusiliers as a first
lieutenant before traveling to Germany to fin-
ish his military education. Being fluent in En-
glish, French, and German, and possessing
graciously polished manners, Andre moved
easily within the inner circles of the military
elite. However, orders soon arrived directing
him to join his regiment at Quebec, and he
reached that city during the winter of 1774.
Andre’s appearance in Canada coincided
with the onset of the American Revolution.
He was initially employed in constructing for-
tifications at St. John’s on the Sorel River, in
anticipation of an American offensive there.
That fall a rebel force under Gen. Richard
Montgomery besieged Fort Chambly, and on
November 5, 1775, Andre was taken prisoner.
He languished for several months at Lan-
caster and Carlisle, Pennsylvania, before
being paroled and exchanged the following
November. Andre was next stationed at New
York for several intervening months, where
he gained promotion to captain of the 26th
Regiment of Foot. In this capacity he came to
the attention of Gen. William Howe, the En-
glish commander in chief, who recommended
the youthful gentleman as an aide to Gen.
Charles Grey. This brusque, no-nonsense
leader took an immediate liking to Andre and
accepted him as his confidant. Andre subse-
quently accompanied Grey in campaigns
through New Jersey and Pennsylvania during
the British drive on Philadelphia. He fought at
Brandywine and Paoli in September, and Ger-
mantown the following October, acquitting
himself well. That winter General Howe ten-
dered his resignation, and Andre demon-
strated his theatrical skills by scripting and
staging an extravagant entertainment chris-
tened Mischianza in Howe’s honor. The
young dilettante also immersed himself in the
center of Loyalist society and befriended Mar-
garet “Peggy” Shippen, who would later be-
comeMargaret Arnold, the wife of Benedict
Arnold.
By June 1778 the command of British
forces in North America fell under the aegis
of Gen. Henry Clinton, a sparsely spoken,
aloof individual. Both Andre and Grey fol-
lowed their commander that August as the
British abandoned Philadelphia and marched
across New Jersey for New York, pausing
only to fight an inconclusive battle at Mon-
mouth. In September, Andre was present in
several hard-fought forays against American
units in neighboring White Plains, New York,
and Connecticut. General Grey then retired