John André ( 2 May 1750 -- 2 October 1780 ) was a British Army officer hanged as a spy by the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War for assisting Benedict Arnold 's attempted surrender of the fort at West Point , New York to the British .
John André ( 2 May 1750 -- 2 October 1780 ) was a British Army officer hanged as a spy by the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War . 
 This was due to an incident in which he attempted to assist Benedict Arnold 's attempted surrender of the fort at West Point , New York to the British .