The Marquis de Lafayette wrote a letter to the Virginia legislature praising James and what he did.The quote said, “This is to certify that the bearer by the name of James has done essential services to me while I had the honour to command in this state. His intelligences from the enemy’s camp were industriously collected and faithfully delivered. He perfectly acquitted himself with some important commissions I gave him and appears to me entitled to every reward his situation can admit of.” -Lafayette. This won James his freedom and a pension. James took the name James Armistead Lafayette.