Answer:
The African-American patriot who served as a spy for General Lafayette and was instrumental in gathering information about British troop strenght and strategy was James Armistead.
Explanation:
James Armistead Lafayette was an African-American slave, who served as a spy during the American War of Independence.
In 1781 he entered the army voluntarily with the permission of his master, William Armistead, under the command of General Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette.
La Fayette tasked him with intelligence operations. Armistead joined the British forces and won the trust of Brigadier Benedict Arnold and then British General Charles Cornwallis. Because of his good local knowledge, he was entrusted with leading the teams. He often walked through the camps across the front lines and heard conversations from British military officers who, in the presence of them, spoke openly of their strategy. Armistead wrote down what he had heard, then gave the report to the liaison spies and returned to Cornwallis Camp.
In the summer of 1781, George Washington asked La Fayette in a message to keep his men on standby and to report on Cornwallis' weapons, troops, and strategic plans. La Fayette had launched several spies at Cornwallis Camp, but none of them had been able to obtain useful information. Finally, the expected report was received from Armistead on July 31, 1781. La Fayette trapped British troops at Hampton, and later Armistead's report helped the Americans win the Battle of Yorktown. After the war ended, General La Fayette praised Armistead for his loyal, devoted service. Under the law of 1783, only slaves who fought with weapons in the army were freed. The intelligence-slave Armistead had to return to his master.
La Fayette returned to Virginia in 1784 and was deeply shocked that Armistead was still found in slavery. In a letter of certification, he confirmed Armistead's service in the army. In 1787, the State of Virginia freed him.
