Litchfield enquirer., 1856-03-27
The Death of Hale, the Patriot Spy.

But in all that crowd there was not one face familiar to Hale--not one voice to 1 whisper word of consolation to his dying az ony. Yet though without fiend whom he knew, though deuied that privilege granted | usually to the meanest criminal, the attendance of chaplain-though degraded by every ex- ternal mark of infamy-yet did his spirit not give way. His gait, as he approached the gal lows, i'll spite of his pinioned arms was upright and steady. No offending soldier to whom the choicest penalty has been assigned, to receive the shot of his comrades, ever in the midst of sympathy, and the consciousness that he was allowed at least soldiers death marched more firmly to kneel upon his coffin, than did Hale to meet the felon's doom. Through all the hor- TOTS of his situation, he maintained department so dignified a resolution so calm, a spirit so excited by Christian readiness to meet his fate. aud the consciousness of duty done, and done in the holy cause of his country, that his face, we cannot but think, must have worn almost the as pect of seraph's, lifted as it was at frequent intervals to heaven, and so radiant with hope, heroism and resignation.
 Thus looking, he stood at last-the few sim pie preparations being ended-elevated on one of the rounds of the gallow's ladder ready for
  whose eye watched every arrangement, was now heard scofingly demanding from tis victim his dying speech and confession- as if hoping that the chaos of Eales soul at that awful mo- ment would lead him to utter some remark, strange or ridiculous, which might serve to glut the curiosity of the crowd, or be remembered as kind of self made epitaph by "rebel captain"
 oF purpose --reser victim endowed with utter- ance more sublime One glance, it is said, at Cunningham-one slight momentary contraction of his feature into contcmpt--and he turned his look filled again with holy energy and sweetness, upon the spectators now impressed, most of them, with solemn awe--and some of them, the females. not forbearing to sob aloud. With a voice full, distinct slow---which came nournfhl- ly from the very depths of his being-in words which patriotism will forever enshrine and every monument of IIale.s memory sink deepest into its stone, and every temple of liberty blazon on its entablature-at the moment when the tight ening knotted cord was to crush the life from his young body forever, he ejaculated-as the last immortal testament of his heroic soul to the world he was leaving:
 "I only regret that have but one life to lose for my country"
 Maddened to hear sentiment so sublime burst from the lips of the sufferer, and to wit ness visible signs of sympathy among the crowd, Cunningham instantly shouted for the -catastro- phe to close Swing the rebel off :" we con- caive We hear him vociferating even row-''swing him of v The ladder disappeared-the cord strained from the creaking Lough-and with sudden jerk, the body of Hale dangied convul- sivey in the air. few minutes fluttering to and fro-a few heavings of his noble chest-its manly limbs at moments sharply bent by the pang-it at last hung straight and motionless from it's support.
 All was still as the chamber of death
 The soul of the Martyr had fled