Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1881-06-10
Nathan Hale.
he eHero-Mnrtyro on the Revolution

The Hero-Mnrtyr OF the Revolution.
The early days of September, 1776, was a
| dark and distressing period in the history of
our Revolutionary war. Washington had
just been disastrously defeated on Long
Island and his stricken, dispirited army only
escaped entire destruction by his mastery
escape to the mainland of Westchester coun-
ty Threatened by overwhelming numbers,
Washington was in great perple1ity as to
where the next blow of the enemy would
fall. In his sore dilemma he applied to Col
onel Knowlton, of the Connecticut line, to
find some officer willing to penetrate the
British camp, ascertain their strength and, if
possible, fathom their designs. Knowlton
called a council of his officers and made
known the request of Washington, and ap-
peaIed to their patriotism in the hope that
some one would respond. They refused to a
man to take upon themselves such dangerous
service, to encounter the peril of discovery
and of meeting the ignominimous fate of
spy-'to be arrested one of them ex-
pressed it, land hung up like dog"
Knowlton was about despairing of success,
when from the rear of the room came the
slow. firm words: 81 will undertake it..
The speaker, having been ill, had but few
moments bs fore entered the room, the
wor is would have been heard sooner. A
thrill of anguish pervaded the throng as they
looked upon the pale. determined face of the
universal favorite, the young and noble Ma
than Hale. This young man had just passed
his 21st birthday. He was born in Coventry,
Conn, graduated at Yale college two years
before the battle of Lexington opened the
war; and was designed for the ministry. He
was remarkable for his personal beauty and
nobility of disposition. He was five feet ten
| inches in height, and though slender his
chest was round and full and his form most
| gracefully symmetrical. His personal agil-
| ity was wonderful. For a long time tho
| bounds of prodigious leap he made on the
New Haven Green were preserved. He had
| blue eyes, brown hair, fresh complexion, and
every new emotion lighted his face with a
charm captivating to sll observers. every
| body" wrote lady who knew him.. loved
him, he was so sprightly, intelligent and
| kind, and withal SO handsome. His tutor at
| Yale. afterward the celebrated DIR. Timothy
| Dwight, the giant intellect of New England
| at the beginning of this century, had high
opinion Of his capacity, and has beautifully
| eulogized him in verse, opening with,
| ssThus while fond virtue wished to save,
| Hale bright and generous. found an early grave
With Genius living fame his bosom glowed,
And Science lured him to her sweet abode"
| When the news of the battle of Lexington
thrilled the country young Hale was teach
| ing the grammar school at New London. This
| was on the site of the present postofice
building He addressed the citizens in an
eloquent speech, and volunteered for the
war The next day he bade farewell to his
rupils and closed with an earnest prayer to
the Almighty for His blessings on them and
| on their country. He WIS commissioned as
a lieutenant in Connecticut regiment. On
accepting it he said to friend, quoting from
| the Latin the famous sentence: 'Dutce el
decorun est pro potria naori," Sweet and
| comely it is to die for ones country.) Al
| this time he wrote to his father: "a sense OF
duty urges me to sacrifice everything to my
countrye In this sentence we see the nobll-
| ity of the idea he crystallized in the last i'm
| mortal words of his life.
When Hale volunteered, at the council,
his brother officers closed around him to
| dissuade him from his purpose. The. love OF
| home the ties of kindred, future fame and
feIon's death were all urged in vain Among
| these was his old classmate Lieutenant, al.
1 terward General, Hull, who plead, almost
with tears. with him to abandon the project.
Hale calmly and firmly replied with these
memorable words IT think owe to my
country the accomplishment Of an object 90