Week 2 Wikipedia Topic-Nathan Hale

I am distantly related to Nathan Hale and have had an interest in his story for a long time.
Nathan Hale was born in Coventry, Connecticut in 1755 and after an uneventful, ‘average’ childhood, was sent with his brother Enoch to Yale University in 1769 . He graduated with honors in 1773 and obtained a job as a school teacher, serving in two posts. Upon the start of the Revolutionary War he signed up with the Connecticut Militia. The following year, 1775, Hale joined the regular army in the 7th Connecticut Regiment and was promoted to the rank of captain in 1776. He served honorably and participated in the defense of New York City. In September of 1776 the Americans needed more information on the movement and placement of the British Army around the New York City area. What they actually needed was a spy. (In the 18th century spying was considered a despicable thing, and an activity certainly not worthy of a gentleman. For that reason no one would volunteer to do it.) Hale, seeing the necessity of the operation, volunteered to do it, even though his friends tried to dissuade him from going on the mission. He decided to use his civilian persona as a schoolmaster, and set out for the British lines on Long Island. He was able to pass through the British lines undiscovered, and was also able to travel about and gain the needed information. He foolishly hid the information which he had written down upon his person, and set out to return to the American lines. He was captured by the British on September 21, 1776, was searched, and the incriminating papers found. Hale was immediately brought before Sir William Howe, the supreme commander of British forces in North America. Howe ordered him hung as a spy the next day. The article goes on to say that there is no evidence for Hale's famous words, " I regret that I have but one life to give for my country." ( which was a tag line from a popular play of that time), however, in research that I have done I found that he spent his last hour while the British constructed his gallows, with a Colonel John Montressor. Later that day Montressor was part of a group of British officers who went under a white flag to the Americans on some other business, while there, he reported to one of the American officers what had happened to Hale. When the Americans had prepared their reply to the British , one of Hale's friends managed to get a place on the delegation traveling to the British camp, and that man was able to meet with Colonel Montressor. According to the man, Montressor told him what had transpired with Hale, and the man then told the rest of Hale's friends.