Nathan Hale

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Nathan Hale

“I only regret I have only one life to lose for my country”. Written by Nancy Hale, ”Nathan Hale” tells the short but heroic story of her great-great grand uncle during the Revolutionary War.

At the age of twenty-one a teacher right out of New Haven headed off to war to fight for his peoples independence. With the enemy ahead them of the George Washgton asked for someone who would volunteer to be a spy to obtain information on enemy lines. Each of the soldiers thought of spying as something that degrades a person, a task for a person who thought nothing of pride and self-dignity. Out of a mist of negative comments there came the response of Nathan Hale, the schoolteacher from a patriotic family. "But his idea was, the job was necessary. That was the great thing. Its being necessary seemed to him to make it honorable”.

With this he was sent off to the enemy side’s disguised an s a Dutch schoolmaster. After be captured by the enemy with the information on him he was asked if he was a spy and he responded with yes. The next day he was hung in the morning. When asked if he had any more words left to say he said his only regret was only having one life to give for his country. Nathan hale symbolizes all the American men that fought and died willingly for our country during the war.

Nancy hale lived in a farmhouse and was required to go down to the cellar to get coal for the kitchen. Being just a child Nancy brought the statue of Nathan down to the cellar with her. Believing if there were any wolves or robbers near by Nathan would protect her. “He was a hero you could take along with you into the cellar of a New England farmhouse. You felt he'd be likely to say, "Aren't any wolves or robbers back there that I can see”. If she believed that Nathan would protect her from the dark, dose that not make him the hero that fights the darkness.

Is Nathan hale a hero? He did what needed to be done even though it was very unappealing to the eye and others around him. He knew what would happen if he were to be caught but he accepted regardless of the consequences. Being only a regular citizen that joined the army and died doesn’t make him unclassified to be considered a hero. He was Nathan hale who only had one single life to give for his country.