Nathan Hale, M. William Phelps

Nathan Hale, M. William Phelps

You can find Nathan Hales sculptures in many places, the most appropriate in front of the CIA building.  And it is appropriate that it stands there since he is acclaimed as America’s first spy.  He is also credited with saying – I am sorry I have but one life to give for my country.  Of course that is not right, but what he did say before being hung is: “I am so satisfied with the cause in which I have engaged that my only regret is that I have not more lives than one to offer in its service.” - Proof that we can all use a good editor.

Hale was described as a handsome man, an intellectual with natural leadership qualities.  He came from a family that was patriotic to the rebel cause even before the revolution.  Nathan attended Yale and engaged in the classical groups that discussed philosophy, religion, literature, and politics and his friends from that group were important to him as he accepted teaching positions and eventually gained a captaincy in the rebel army.

He served under Washington at Boston and New York and though he saw limited action, his men demonstrated that he was organized and a good motivator.  This was appreciated and seen by Washington and the other generals, but what set Nathan apart was this conviction that whatever needed to be done he would do.

So when a spy was requested he stepped forward, even though a spy was considered the lowest of low by the men in arms.  This was “cheating” and spies were considered to be amoral characters – a description that certainly missed its mark with the religious Nathan Hale.

However, Hale was not James Bond.  The adventure to New York City succeeded in getting him in to the city, behind enemy lines, but the subtle subterfuge of spies was outside the skills of this too honest man.  In a bar he met Robert Rogers (of Rogers’s rangers in the French and Indian War).   Rogers was a rogue and this is why he was successful in all the wars he engaged in.

Suspicious of Hale the short version would be:  Rogers sat down at a table with Hale who could not suspect that anyone of duplicity since he could not be.  So Rogers indicated that he was sympathetic to the Rebel cause and Nathan poured out his story thinking he had an ally.

If he had not come close to making a statement that would become an American cliché he would probably not be remembered today.  Being the first spy, the first spy caught, and the first spy hung – all on his first mission probably would not garner real honors.  To make it worse, the information that he though Washington absolutely had to have was no longer needed by the time he entered the saloon, a fact he could not know.

This does not demean his commitment, his accomplishments or his intellect and respect, but it does put an historic player into perspective.  However, the author tells the story without drawing this conclusion.