Frederick MacKenzie – Day-By-Day America

Nathan Hale: Duty, Honor, and the Gallows

Nowadays, spying is considered dangerous, but it’s acknowledged worldwide as being not only necessary, but legitimate. Captured spies are sometimes killed, but they also might merely be jailed, or even exchanged.

Not so at the time of the American Revolution. In European (and, therefore, American) society, spies were used, but spying was considered dishonorable by many, and captured spies were generally hanged.

Nathan Hale was a young captain in the Continental Army. Above is his commission dated January 1, 1776, and signed by John Hancock. A friend wrote, “There was no young man who gave fairer promise of an enlightened and devoted service to his country”.

Softening up the Rebel Defenses

The British army had Long Island completely in their hands by the end of August. Their next step was to take York Island (that is, Manhattan), where most of the American forces were.

At the northwestern end of Long Island was the channel known as Hell Gate, due to its dangerous currents, eddies, and rocks. Across the channel, on what was known as Horn’s Hook, the rebels had built a fort, with artillery to guard the passage. On September 8, 1776, the British opened up two batteries — artillery emplacements, that is — and started firing at the fort, which answered in kind.