Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from Nathan Hale, 1776: Biography and Memorials
This additional material reaches the writer's hand through the courtesy of individuals and societies. His acknowledg ments are due to the Rev. Edward Everett Hale, of Rox bury, Massachusetts, for an unpublished letter from his granduncle, Nathan Hale, and for other letters credited in the Appendix. Dr. Hale's own contributions to the subject have been of signal assistance, a valuable addition being the diary of his grandfather, Enoch Hale, which throws light on the mooted question of Nathan's capture and exe cution. Through the favor of Mr. W. F. Havemeyer, of New York, we have Hale's letter with the list of the pro prietors of his New London Academy, also Hale's book autograph and other suggestive material from his collec tion. Hale's letter to Miss Christophers is from the col lection of the late John Mills Hale, Esq., of Philipsburg, Pennsylvania. Mr. Grenville Kane, of Tuxedo, New York, obliges us with a full copy of Hale's interesting letter - one of the best Specimens from his pen - writ ten to his uncle at Portsmouth. Hale's army commission is in the possession of Major Godfrey A. S. Wieners, of College Point, Long Island, who kindly permits its repro duction, necessarily in reduced form, in these pages. From him also we have a complete copy of Hale's letter with his schoolmaster autograph, which we believe is given here for the first time in facsimile. Mr. George E. Hoad ley, of Hartford, long interested in everything pertaining to Nathan Hale, possesses many of his army receipts and various relics from Coventry, as well as most of Stuart's manuscripts. From him we have interesting facts respect ing Alice Adams, to whom Hale was engaged at the time of his death.
The Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, is the fortunate possessor of much the larger portion of the letters written to Hale, as well as of his army diary, basket and powder - horn. We are under obligations to the society and its librarian, Mr. Albert C. Bates, for the free use of the papers, from which considerable extracts are given. The relics also are reproduced from the originals. At Yale University there are reminders of Hale's college life in the shape of minutes of his debating society, Limonia, kept in his own hand as secretary, and other records bearing on the four years of his course. Through the courtesy of Professors Van Name and Dexter, librarians, facsimiles and copies of some of these papers have been secured, and their items help materially in bringing out Hale's person ality. The New York Historical Society, Mr. Robert H. Kelby, librarian, contains in its invaluable archives one or more British orderly - books which throw light on disputed points respecting Hale's capture and execution, and add something to our knowledge of the military situation which he was endeavoring to unravel for Washington. Nothing more important has appeared of late years than Lord Howe's order announcing Hale's fate, a facsimile of Which, through the favor of the society, is here repro duced. The portrait of Captain Montressor, who pre served Hale's last words for us, is from a volume in its collection. In the unpublished logs of the British war ships, the Halzfczx and the Cerberus, London Record Otfice, we also find important items.
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