NATHAN HALE
“I only regret that I have but one life
to lose for my country.”
JUNE 6, 1755 BORN IN COVENTRY CONNECTICUT
SEPTEMBER 10, 1776 VOLUNTEERS TO SPY FOR CONTINENTAL ARMY
SEPTEMBER 21, 1776 CAPTURED BY BRITISH SOLDIERS
SEPTEMBER 22, 1776 HANGED
Nathan Hale was an American soldier and spy for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. He was captured on September 21, 1776 and executed the following day.
Nathan Hale was born in Coventry Connecticut, on June 6, 1755. As a fun-loving teen Hale was active in sports, but could also be serious when necessary. By age 14 he enrolled at Yale and graduated with honors four years later. After earning his degree he found right away and became a very popular school teacher.
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Born on American soil at the prelude to the revolutionary war, young Nathan Hale observed several significant events. The Stamp Act (1765), The Boston Massacre (1770), the Boston Tea Party (1773), and in his final year of college, he would have heard about the Convocation of the First Continental Congress (1774).
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That same year he joined the local militia and was immediately voted to the highest rank available to a new recruit—first sergeant.
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In 1775, most of his squad headed towards the Lexington and Concord to help with trouble there. Hale did not go with them but instead transferred to the Seventh Connecticut Regiment and took charge as the group’s first lieutenant.
When he arrived, several of his men were packing and preparing to leave like so many others before them. Discouraged with the war effort and frustrated that despite promises from the Congress, they had not been paid for their service they were ready to give up. Hale implored the men to stay and even paid them from his own pocket in order to convince them to remain in the fight.
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When General George Washington reorganized the army in 1776, Hale was promoted to captain of the newly created Nineteenth Connecticut Regiment. A few months later, Hale was promoted again. This time as commander in a division of the “New England Rangers.” This group had been organized by Washington specifically for reconnaissance work.
In preparation for the Battle of Harlem Heights, General Washington sought for a volunteer who would go into enemy territory and gather information. On September 10, 1776 Nathan Hale answered the call. His friends and fellow soldiers desperately tried to persuade their young commander to change his mind. They reminded him that if he should be caught he would certainly face the gallows. During the discussion when a former Yale classmate and close friend William Hull, suggested that spying was dishonorable, Hale replied:
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“I am not influenced by the expectation of promotion or pecuniary reward. I wish to be useful, and every kind of service necessary for the public good, becomes honorable by being necessary.”
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And so, on September 12th, disguised as a Dutch school teacher, Hale crossed into enemy territory and began gathering valuable information about the British army and their movements. During this time Hale witnessed British troops as they invaded and captured the island of Manhattan on September 15th. Five days later after the city had been set on fire, British soldiers increased their search for sympathizers to the Patriot cause. The following day, September 21, while sailing the Long Island Sound in an attempt to return to American territory, Hale was captured and taken to the personal residence of General William Howe for questioning.
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During the interrogation, Hale stated his name, rank and purpose. A search of his person turned up incriminating evidence that he was indeed a colonial spy, prompting the British General to sentence him to be hanged the next morning.
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On Sunday, September 22nd, after spending a night as a prisoner in a nearby greenhouse, Hale was marched several miles to a tent where he would await his execution. Captain John Montressor stated that Hale exhibited “consciousness of rectitude and high intentions” as he anticipated his demise.
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During his wait Hale is said to have written two letters one to his mother and another to his brother Enoch. Neither letter has been found, and it is believed that they were destroyed by his captors.
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Robert MacKenzie was among those who witnessed Hale’s final hours. In his diary he said of the American spy: “[He] behaved with great composure and resolution, saying that he thought it the duty of every good officer to obey any orders given him by his commander in chief; and desired the [execution] spectators to be at all times prepared to meet death in whatever shape it might appear.”
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Finally, the gallows were prepared in Rutger’s Apple Orchard and Hale was led to the spot. When asked if he had any last words, this true Patriot courageously replied: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”
Above: The Untold Story of America's Bravest Spy, Nathan Hale
Below: One Life To Lose, Liberty Kids Video
