The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-06-28

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BowLDER AT HADEsDALE, N. Y, MARKING
THE SPOT WHERE NATHAN HALE WAS
CAPTURED. s-
New Mexico and California. st. Angus
tine, the oldest town in the country.
was founded in 1865. Santa Fe, N. NJ,
is nearly as old, and some of the Ro-
man Catholic mission towns in south
ern California have reached a great
age. The landing of the pilgrim IA
theirs at Plymouth, Mass, was in 1920
The Dutch landed in the Hudson river
valley little before that date. A trad
ing station was established by them on
Castle island, just below Albany, in
1914, and Albany was founded, under
the name of Fort Orange, in 1923. AL
bany was chartered as a city in 1856.
New Amsterdam has recently observed
the two hundred and fiftieth anniversa.
~ of its beginning So Huntington.
founded in 1853 by Puritans from the
New England settlements, can claim
an antiquity almost as great as that of
any town in the United States.
The Dutch who set up their homes at
New Amsterdam and on the western
end of Long Island spread to the east
and met in the vicinity of Huntington
the westward growth Of the English
communities, and Huntington numbers
among its old families descendants of
Immigrants Of both nationalities.
During the Revolution regiment of
British soldiers was quartered at
Huntington, and many a minor en-
gagement was fought hereabouts. The
Huntingtonians. being mostly of Eng
lish descent, were suspected by their
neighbors across the sound of harbor-
ing the British willingly, and they suf-
fered from numerous acts of supposed
reprisal from the patriots of Connect
cut. To disprove this allegation of
ToryisIn the annals of Huntington can
show no end of occasions on which
British soldiers were betrayed into the
hands Of the Continental armies by
the youths Of the village.
One historic event of which Hunt
ington was the scene and which has
been commemorated by the latter day
citizens of this village with two nota-
bic monuments was the cap ture of Ma
than Hale. the patriot spy. The gen
orally accepted place OF Hale's capture
Is on the shore of Huntington bay
about two miles from the town The
house in which he was taken has long
since disappeared. but its site is mark
ed by a huge granite boWlder erected
in 1897. On one side of the boWider is
the date of its erection, with the in
scription, Nathan Hale; In EverIas.-
Ing Remembrance" Upon another are
cut the words with which he accepted
the commission to reconnoiter. single
handed, the position of the British
troops about New York in the face of
almost certain and ignominious death
and beneath them his last utterance as
he was being hanged by his British
captors. Il only regret that I have but
one life to give for my country The
third tablet bears these facts about
Hale: His ancestors were the Hales of
Kent, England; be was born at Coven-
try, Conn. June 6. 1865. graduated
from Yale college Sept. s. 1773; enlisted
Is lieutenant, Seventh Connecticut reg
ment, July 8. 1775; appointed captain
Sept. /, 1175; volunteered as spy in
September, 1776; captured by the Brit
sh on this shore September. 1776. exc
.uted at New York Sept. %, 17T6.
Another reminder of Hale and his
connection with the history of Hunt
ngton is the beautiful memorial foun-
ain in the center of the town. This
S "a granite Staff, with drinking
ountain attached, erected in 1891 1t
'tands opposite the Public library.
,uiit a few years ago in honor of the
men from Huntington who went to the 1
ront in the war between the states.
A little distance into the country
rom the center of the town the house
if Walt Whitman, the poet. is still
tanding. It is an interesting old strnc-
ure, rapidly falling into decay. There
las been talk of a concerted public eff
ort to purchase and preserve it. but
lothing definite has been done. The
Id cemetery Of Huntington has much
historic interest. It was used as a
amp ground by the British during the
revolution. At the close Of the war
'eneral Washington paid visit of |
tate to Huntington, remaining over
light, and the old chronicles contain
vivid account thereof.
a. w. FERRIN.