The Sunday globe., 1901-07-28
Revolutionary Boy of Twenty-One
Who Only Regretted
THAT HE HAD BUT ONE LIFE
To Give His COuntry-An Old Story Which will
Bear Repeating while the Right Brand Of
Patriotism Exists in the Grown and Is Taught
10 The Rising Generaiion-HiS Tragic Death
BY English Hangmen.

ANA AA+h NouAAA bAN lAN NlAbbN N'llNN 'N
that such self-sacrifes as Hales for
his native land can never be too often
placed before the rising youth to in
sDire them with the lofty patriotism
wnch he attested with his death.
General Washington wanted a man.
1t was in September 17lG. at the city
of New York, a few days after the
battle of Long Island. he swift and
deep East River flowed between the
two hostile armies, ami General Wash.
ington had as yet no system establish
ed for getting information of the en-.
emy's movements and intentions. He
never needed such information so
much as at that crisis
What would General Howe do next?
II he cross at Hell Gate. the Ameri-
can army, too small i'm numbers, and
defeated the week before, might be
caught on Manhattan Island as i'm q
trap, and the issue of the contest might
be made to depend upon a single bat
tlei for in such circumstances defeat
would involve the capture of the whole
army And yet. General Washington
was compelled to confess:
we can not learn. nor have we been
able to possess the least Information
Of late
Therefore he wanted a man. He
wanted an intelligent man. Co0lhead-
ed skillful, brave, TO cross the East
River to Long island. enter the en-
emy's camp and get information as to
his strength and intentions He went
to Colonel KnOwlton, commanding q
remarkably efficient regiment from
Connecticut, and requested him to as.
certain il this man so sorely needed
could be found in his command. Col.
onel Hnowlton called his officers to.
gether, stated the wishes of General
Washington, who without urging the
enterprise upon any individual, left
the matter to their reflections.
Capt. Nathan Hale, a brilliant youth
of p. recently graduated from the
Yale College, was one of those who re.
hected upon the subject He soon
reached a conclusion. He was Of the
very flower of the young men of New
England. and one of the best Of the
younger soldiers of the patriot army
He had been educated for the minis.
try and his motive in adopting for
time the profession of arms was purely
patriotic. This We know from the ia.
miliar records of his life at the time
when the call to arms was first heard
In addition TO his other gifts and
graces. he was handsome, vigorous and
athletic. an i'm an extraordinary de.
gree.
The officers We're conyersing i'm
group. No one had as yet spoken the
decisive word. Colonel Enowlton APP.
pealed to a French sergeant an old
soldier OF former wars, and asked him
to volunteer
mo. no." said he. Il am ready to
fight the British at any place and time
but l do not feel willing TO go among
them TO be hung up like a dog
Captain Hale Joined the group Of
officers. He said to Colonel knowltOn:
Il will undertake it,
Some Of his best friends remOn
strated. One OF them, afterwards the
famous Gen. William Hull, then cap
tain in WashingtOn's army, has re-
corded Hale's reply to his own attempt
to dissuade him:
Il think" said Hale, 81 owe TO my
country the accomplishment of an OBJ
ject so important. | am fully sensible
of the consequences of discovery and
capture in such a situation. But for a
wear have been attached to the army
and have not rendered any material
service, while receiving a compensa.
ton for which ! make no return. !
wish to he useful, and every kind Of
service necessary for the public good
becomes honorable by being neces-
sary."
He spoke, as General Hull remem-
bered. with earnestness and decision,
as one who had considered the matter
we'll and had made up his mind,
Having received his instructions, he
Travelled fifty miles along the Sound as
far as Norwalk, in Connecticut. one
who saw him there made a very wise
remark upon him, TO the effect that he
was too good looking to 90 as a spy.
He could not deceive. Some scFubby
fellow ought 10 have gone. At Nor
walk he assumed the disguise of a
Dutch schoolmaster, putting on a suit
of pIain brown clothes and round,
broad-brimmed hat He had no diff
oultv in crossing the Sound, since he
bore an order from General Washing.
ton which placed at his disposal all
the vessels belonging to Congress. For
several DAYS everything appears TO
have gone we'll with him, and there is
r.aeon 10 believe that he passed
tbrough the entire British army with
out protection or even exciting suspl.
cion.
Finding the British had crossed 10
Nou. York ne followed them. He made
his wav hack TO Long Island, and near.
Iy reached the point opposite NorWalk
,,,rera he had originally landed. Rem.
dored nerhaps. too bold boy success, be
vent into a well.known and popular
tavern entered into conversation with
he Guests and made himself very
agreeable The tradition is that be
,Tade himself too agreeable. A man
,,reeent sugpecting or knowing that
he was not the character be had as
eumed quietly left the room commu.
ricated his suspicious 10 the captain of
. Rritish ship anchored near who dis.
,,otcbed a boats crew 20 capture ana
Ering on board the agreeable stranger
ne true character was Immediately re
yaaIed Drawings OF some OF the Brit
isb works with notes In Latin. War"
forpd hidden In the sOles Of bis shoes
Nor did he attempt TO deceive bis cap
tors and the English captain, lament
inc as he said, that so fine = iello"
had fallen into his power. sent MIN
ia New York in one of his boats ana
with him the fatal proofs that hc was
spy.
September was the day on which
he reached New lOrk-tho day of mo
great fire which laid Onethird of th.
little city in ashes From the time OF
his departure from General Washing
toms camp TO that of his return 10 New
York was about fourteen days. DE
was taken TO General Howe's headQuar-
ters at the Beekman mansion, on the
East River, near the corner OF the pres
opt Fifty.hrst street and First avenue.