ANDRE, JOHN (1751-178o), British soldier, was born in London in 1751 of Genevese parents. Accident brought him in I 769 to Lichfield, where, in the house of the Rev. Thomas Sew ard, he met the beautiful Miss Honora Sneyd. A strong attach ment sprang up between the two, but Miss Sneyd's family re fused their consent to marriage. Andre travelled for some time in Germany, and eventually joined the 7th Royal Fusiliers in Canada. Honora married in 1773 R. L. Edgeworth, the father of Maria Edgeworth, but Andre remained faithful. In a letter to Anna Seward, written shortly after being taken prisoner by the Americans at the capitulation of St. John's on Nov. 3 he states that he has been "stripped of everything except the picture of Honora, which I concealed in my mouth. Preserving this I yet think myself fortunate." Exchanged towards the close of 1776, Andre received rapid promotion, and Sir Henry Clin ton appointed him adjutant-general of the forces in 1778.
Early in 1780 the American general, Benedict Arnold (q.v.), made overtures to the British to betray to them the fortress of West Point on the Hudson river. Major Andre was appointed to negotiate with Arnold. For this purpose he landed from a vessel bearing a flag of truce and saw Arnold, who gave him full par ticulars and plans of the fortress of West Point, and arranged to co-operate with the British during an attack which was to be made in a few days. Unfortunately for Andre, the British vessel was fired on before the negotiations were finished and obliged to drop down the river. Andre was compelled to pass the night within the American lines. Exchanging his uniform for a civilian disguise, he set out next day by land for New York, provided by Arnold with a passport. When all danger of being recognized seemed past, Andre was stopped by three American militiamen who searched him and discovered in his boots the proofs of his negotiations for the betrayal of West Point. Washington, al though admitting that Andre was "more unfortunate than crim inal," sent him before a court-martial, by which, he was, in consequence of his own admissions, condemned to death as a spy. He was hanged at Tappan on Oct. 2 1780. Arnold escaped by flight. The justice of Andre's execution has been much dis cussed, but he undoubtedly acted as a spy, although under orders and entirely contrary to his own feelings. Washington's apparent harshness in refusing the condemned man a soldier's death by shooting has also been censured.
Major Andre showed considerable poetic talent in his humor ous a parody on which appeared in three successive parts in New York, the last on the very day of his capture. His fate excited universal sympathy, and the whole British army went into mourning for him. A mural tablet to his memory was placed in Westminster Abbey by the British Gov ernment ; a monument to his captors has been erected by Ameri cans on the spot where he was taken. Andre's military journal of the British movements in America from June 1177 to the close of was taken to England in 1782 by General Grey, whose descendant, Earl Grey, discovered it in 1902.