One Life to Lose

When I saw that June 6 marks the anniversary of Nathan Hale’s birth, I immediately began questioning if Nathan’s last words were really: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” Furthermore, is the entire doomed schoolteacher story that I was taught just a myth?  Background Born in Coventry, Connecticut in 1755, Hale was raised by devout Puritan parents who extolled the virtues of faith and hard work. At the age of fourteen, Nathan enrolled at Yale College where he excelled in literature and debating. Following his graduation in 1773 Hale became a schoolmaster. His teaching career ended abruptly with the dawn of the American Revolution. Continental Army leaders were impressed by Hale’s educational credentials as well as his patriotic fervor. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant and his unit was dispatched to Boston to support General Washington’s campaign against the British. Although Hale yearned to be part of the action, he was relegated to administrative duties and would continue serving as a non-combatant when Washington moved his troops to New York.  Washington had successfully forced the British to evacuate Boston however his troops began suffering heavy losses in New York. Concerned that the British were planning an invasion of Manhattan, Washington asked intelligence expert Thomas Knowlton, leader of Knowlton’s Rangers, to send a spy to Long Island to learn about British attack plans.  Nathan Hale eagerly volunteered for the assignment. Donning a plain brown suit, he assumed the character of a Dutch schoolmaster and arrived on Long Island on September 16, 1776. Yale classmates would later remark that Hale lacked the cunning to be a spy. Furthermore, Hale’s superiors never trained him in codes and ciphers. Instead, the young Yale graduate maintained his notes in Latin, a language known to many well-educated British officers. Knowlton provided no backup support for the woefully unprepared and naïve spy. Just after landing, Hale met a man who claimed to be an American soldier stranded in British territory. The gullible aspiring spy bought the man’s story and immediately began sharing details of his undercover mission. Unfortunately, Hale’s new acquaintance was a loyalist officer who was setting a trap for the suspected rebel. Hale was arrested and taken to New York City where he was hanged on September 22, 1776.  One Life to Lose Observers were impressed by Hale’s calmness and dignity on the gallows but there were no eyewitness reports of him saying “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country”.  His dying words were first reported decades later by the daughter of a Yale classmate who had heard the tale from a British observer of the execution. Thus like most history we learned in school it must be taken with a grain of salt.  Hale’s sacrifice and execution went unacknowledged for the rest of the war. However, in the next century, writers became obsessed with American heroism and thus romantic tales about Nathan Hale, Paul Revere, and George Washington’s cherry tree became widely read.  Adding Insult to Injury As it turns out Hale’s undercover assignment was totally unnecessary. On the day that the young man set out for Long Island, the British began their invasion of New York City. Washington didn’t need updates on British plans when he could see the advancing Redcoats with his own eyes.   Hale’s failed mission was not without benefit to the Colonists. Washington realized that he could not continue to send untrained solitary men to infiltrate the British. Under Washington’s direction, the Culper Spy Ring was created, and the intelligence network recorded many successes over the next five years including the uncovering of a planned British attack on Rhode Island and the apprehension of British Spy, John Andre. Nathan Hale helped pave the way for improved American intelligence gathering. Maybe that’s why his statue stands in front of the CIA’s Langley Headquarters.  Have a great weekend. Remember that Father’s Day is June 21st. For a great gift, go to www.tedcurtinstories.com to obtain copies of my book, “Get Smarter- Be Amazed”.                                                          .

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