Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-06-19
Hale'S Execution as a Spy.

Hale's Execution as a Spy.
After the Long Island affair Washing
ton was totally at loss for proper in
telligence and suggested every tempo
rary expedient for securing it. Nothing
but the East River being now between
him and the powerful enemy, it was of
the utmost Importance that he should
be warned in ample time of their ad-
vance. Gas everything" he wrote to
Heath, at Kingsbridge, '' in a manner
depends upon obtaining intelligence of
the enemy's motions, do most earn
astly entreat you and General Clinton
to exert yourselves to accomplish this
most desirable end. Leave no stone
unturned, nor do not stick at expense,
to bring this to pass, as l never was
more uneasy than on account of my
want of knowledge on this score. Keep
constant look-outs," he adds. ''with
good glasses on some commanding
heights that look well on to the other
Shore"
1t was in this emergency, when a
successful accomplishment of Washing
greatest use to the army, that Captain
11dlO SLCppCo 1Ol w blo W OAOI LIS SCl "
ices. It happened that he had recently
volunteered to act as one of the officers
of Lieutenant-C Colonel Thomas Knowl-
toms new corps of Rangers, organized
to scout between the lines, feel the enc
my's position and report directly to the
Chief. Knowlton was a
gallant officer, near townsman of
Hale's, and must have known his worth,
or he could not have accepted him for
the Rangers. Early in September,
when Washington's suspense was keen
est, the Colonel broached the matter of
obtaining the desired information to his
own officers, in the hope that some one
of them might be able to serve the
chief. The suggestion appears to have
deeply impressed Hale, who, after the
interview with Knowlton went to
talk the subject over with his fellow
officer and college friend Captain VIM.
Hull, of Webb's regiment. This we
know from Hull himself. The two
Captains discussed the question of un-
dertaking the role ola spy. Hull used
every argument to dissuade Hale from
the DANGEROUS service, and appealed to
him as a soldier not to run the risk of
closing his promising career with an
ignominious death. Hale, however, al
though fully sensible of the conse-
quences of capture, could think of moth
ing but duty. He told Hull that for a
| year he had been attached to the army
| and had rendered no material service;
| that he wished to be useful; was unin-
fiuenced by the expectation of promo
ton or pecuniary reward; and so far as
cerned he felt that ''every kind of serv-
| fo fhn V,rtf.lin rrnnd ho-
came honorable by being necessary.
Calmly and firmly deciding the ques-
ton for himself, Hale soon after report
ed to Washington his readiness to en-
ter the British lines in disguise. What
instructions, what advice, what cautions
he received from the General there are
no records to tell us. These facts only
we know certainly: that he suddenly
disappeared from camp, passed up the
! Connecticut coast, changed his uniform
for a school-master's garb, crossed to
Huntington, Long Island, and then
made his way to the enemy at Brooklyn
and New York-never to return. After
making satisfactory observations, taking
sketches of works and writing his notes
in Latin, he was on the point of return
ing to the Connecticut shore, when he
was seized and held as a spy. A boat
was to have met him at Huntington Bay
and on the morning of the 18th or 10th
of September, as he was waiting neal
the shore, the supposed craft made its
appearance; but he approached it only
to find that it was yawl from Brit
ish cruiser lying below, and that retreat
on his part was impossible. Ordered
to surrender, with the guns of the ma
rines leveled at him he yielded to the
| %o1r 10 fl1ov ofxx
conveyed to New York and there deliv
cred to the military authorities.
At New York, Hale was brought be
fore Sir William Howe, the Englisl
Commander-in-Chief. An American
spy at that time was likely to receive
but triaing consideration. Hale re
ceived none. Four years later whe1
Andre was captured, every attention
and comfort was accorded him by
Washington officers during his con
finement and trial. He himself ex
pressed his grateful appreciation o
their tenderness. But Andre was th
Acknowledgement of the British arm,
and mixed up with Arnold and Clinton
in dazzling plot to obtain an Ameri
can stronghold. He was out on ''offi
eial'' business. In addition, in 178
both sides were treating eacl
other with more military respect thai
in the first years of the war. In III
poor Hale was wretched Continental
rebel as well as spy-and punishmen
could be neither too swift nor too sc
we're. Possibly in 1776 an English off
Ger, caught in the American camp un
der Hales circumstances, would hav
received like treatment, so far as imme
diate condemnation was concerned. /
Hale's case certainly the treatment wa
summary as well as peculiarly heart
less. The only relief in the picture
the noble bearing of the prisoner. In
stead of attempting a defense. or es
: planning the papers found upon his pei
. son, he frankly declared his rank i
Washington's army, and the object c
r his visit to the British camp. If trad
{ ton and meagre records are correct
the scene of his examination and ser
tence was the little greenhouse in tn
garden of old Beekman mansion, o
Fifty-second Street near First Avenue
, where Howe had fixed his headquarters
. Upon this confession the British Con
. mander-and it is difficult to see ho'
he could have done otherwise pro