Sergeant Major John Champe

A Patriot of the American Revolution for VIRGINIA with the rank of SERGEANT MAJOR. DAR Ancestor # A020499

Sergeant Major John Champe (1752–1798) was a Revolutionary War senior enlisted soldier in the Continental Army who became a double agent in an attempt to capture the American traitor General Benedict Arnold.

Champe was born in Loudoun County, Virginia. Handpicked by George Washington and Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee for the mission, Champe "defected" to the British side where he was introduced to Arnold. Champe formulated a plot to capture Arnold on his regular evening stroll, and came very close to succeeding, but at the last moment Arnold changed plans and the whole endeavor had to be called off.

After the failed attempt, Champe served in the British army for many months before finding a way to escape back to the Continental Army.

Upon rejoining the Americans, Champe voiced a desire to re-enlist and continue fighting the British, but Henry Lee dissuaded him from it—pointing out that if captured, he could now be hanged as a spy.

After the war, Champe retired to Kentucky, and then western Virginia (now West Virginia) where he died. He had seven children.

Legacy

Champe Rocks, Pendleton County, West Virginia near where Champe settled after the War, is named for him. His gravesite is nearby.

In the American Civil War, the Confederate rifle company from Aldie, Virginia, "Champe's Rifles", named themselves in honor of Champe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Champe_(soldier)

Biography

Champe was born about 1752 near what is now Aldie in Loudoun County, Virginia. Champe enlisted in the Virginia Cavalry from Loudoun County in 1776 and was made sergeant major in "Lee's Legion", a unit commanded by (then Major) Henry Lee III, later and better known as Colonel "Light-horse Harry" Lee (and father of Gen. Robert E. Lee). Champe's family was said to be well known to Major Lee. A plan was formulated to kidnap the defecting General Benedict Arnold and bring him back to American lines to face court martial. A key motivation for the operation was to obtain information as to the possibility of other high-ranking American officers being involved in the treasonous Arnold's activities. Handpicked by George Washington and Lee for the spy mission, in 1780 Champe "defected" to the British side where he was introduced to Arnold and soon gathered intelligence that established that there were no other American generals involved with Arnold. Champe formulated a plot to capture Arnold on his regular evening stroll, but before he could act the entire British unit, Champe included, embarked in New York on the Virginia Campaign of 1780-81. Thus, the whole endeavor had to be called off. After the failed attempt, Champe served in the British army for many months before finding a way to escape back to the Continental Army. Upon rejoining the Americans, Champe voiced a desire to continue his service fighting the British, but Lee dissuaded him from it — pointing out that if captured, he could now be hanged as a spy. Lee believed that Champe had acquitted himself well and had him discharged honorably from the Continental Army.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Champe_(soldier)
• https://www.loudounhistory.org/history/revolutionary-war-john-champe/
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2005/10/20/a-tribute-t...
• https://www.wikiwand.com/en/John_Champe_(soldier)