Nathan Hale

Nathan Hale

Nathan Hale 1755-76, American soldier, hero of the American Revolution, b. Coventry, Conn. A young schoolteacher when the Revolution broke out, he was commissioned an officer in the Connecticut militia, served in the siege of Boston, then went to take part in operations in New York. He volunteered for the dangerous mission of getting information about the British forces on Long Island, where he went in the natural disguise of a schoolmaster. Inexperienced, he revealed his mission to a former British officer, was captured, and was hanged without trial. He is remembered especially for the statement he is said to have uttered on the gallows, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

Bibliography: See biography by H. P. Johnston (1914); M. Pennypacker, General Washington's Spies on Long Island and in New York (1939).

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"Nathan Hale." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Nathan Hale." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Hale-Nat.html

"Nathan Hale." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Hale-Nat.html

Learn more about citation styles

Hale, Nathan

Hale, Nathan (1755–76), born in Connecticut, graduated from Yale (1773), became a captain in the Revolutionary War, and volunteered to serve as a spy among the British forces on Long Island. Apprehended and sentenced to be executed, before he was hanged he uttered the famous words, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” He was the subject of a popular song of the period, and later of a play by Clyde Fitch.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Hale, Nathan." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Hale, Nathan." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-HaleNathan.html

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Hale, Nathan." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-HaleNathan.html

Learn more about citation styles

Hale, Nathan

Hale, Nathan (1755–76) Revolutionary soldier, patriot, and spy, born in Coventry, Connecticut. Hale joined the Continental army in 1775 and volunteered for a spy mission shortly thereafter (1776). He was apprehended by the British and condemned to be hanged. His final words, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country,” made him a hero of the revolution and a symbol of the patriot cause.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"Hale, Nathan." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Hale, Nathan." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-HaleNathan.html

"Hale, Nathan." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-HaleNathan.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

Nathan Wechsler & Company P.A.(FINANCIAL SERVICES)(appointment of Kelsea J....
Magazine article from: New Hampshire Business Review; 1/30/2009
Hale smothers West Seattle; Nathan Hale 56, West Seattle 26; Depleted...
Newspaper article from: The Seattle Times (Seattle, WA); 9/11/2010
Franklin prevails over Nathan Hale in Metro battle; Franklin 20, Nathan Hale...
Newspaper article from: The Seattle Times (Seattle, WA); 9/18/2010
Hale, Nathan images
Nathan Hale. (Image by Americasroof, CC)