Nathan Hale (colonel)

Not to be confused with Nathan Hale, the famous Revolutionary War spy.

Nathan Hale
Born	September 23, 1743(1743-09-23) Hampstead, New Hampshire
Died	September 23, 1780(1780-09-23) (aged 37) Long Island, New York
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1775–1780
Rank	Colonel
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War Battle of Lexington and Concord Battle of Bunker Hill Siege of Fort Ticonderoga Battle of Hubbardton
Relations	Enoch Hale (brother)

Nathan Hale (September 23, 1743 – September 23, 1780) was an American soldier. Born in Hampstead, New Hampshire, he soon moved with his father to Rindge, New Hampshire. Hale participated in the American Revolutionary War and fought in the Battle of Lexington and Concord, Battle of Bunker Hill, Siege of Fort Ticonderoga, and Battle of Hubbardton. In the latter one, Hale was taken prisoner by the British. He died on September 23, 1780.

Early life

Hale was the born on September 23, 1743 in Hampstead, New Hampshire from Moses Hale and Elizabeth Wheeler.^[1] He was the first born son.^[1] In 1760, Hale and his father moved to Rindge, New Hampshire.^[2] His brother was Enoch Hale.

Two years after Hale moved to Rindge, his father passed away.^[3] While in the city, Hale became a farmer and a merchant.^[3] On January 28, 1766, Hale married Abigail Grout.^[4] He became an officer of the peace of Rindge in 1768.^[2] From 1773 to 1775, Hale moderated of Rindge's annual town meetings.^[2]

American Revolutionary War

In 1774, Hale became the captain of a minute men militia.^[2] They went to the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775.^[2] The battle was between Massachusetts and Great Britain. Once Hale was told of the shot heard 'round the world, he and his fifty men marched to Cambridge, Massachusetts to help fight.^[5] Massachusetts won the battle and that was the start of the American Revolutionary War.^[6]

On June 2, 1775, Hale was commissioned into the army as captain of the 3rd New Hampshire Regiment.^[2] They battled in the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775.^[2] The battle was the militias of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island against Great Britian for the territory of Bunker Hill. The militias had about 2,400 men^[7] and the British had over 3,000.^[8][9] The colonies suffered 450 casualties^[10] and the British suffered 1,054 casualties^[11] in the British Pyrrhic victory.^[12]

Hale was promoted to lieutenant-colonel of the 2nd New Hampshire Regiment on November 8, 1776.^[2] In the same year, Hale served under George Washington.^[2]

He was promoted to colonel on April 2, 1777.^[2] In the same year he served with Major General Arthur St. Clair at the Siege of Fort Ticonderoga.^[2] The Siege took place from July 2–6, 1777 and was between the United States against the British. Arthur St. Clair led about 3,000 men^[13] against John Burgoyne and William Phillips who led 7,000 men^[14] as well as about 800 Indians and Canadians^[15] Not much was done in the battle and Burgoyne took over Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Independence while the Americans retreated.

Hale fought in the Battle of Hubbardton where he was taken prisoner by the British on July 7, 1777.^[16] His surrender there was the subject of controversy.^[17] Hale was arrested for treason but was never allowed a trial to explain himself.^[2] He was later let off on limited parole where Hale was not allowed to serve in the Army and he had to come back to the enemy lines after two years unless he was exchanged.^[16] He returned to Rindge on July 20, 1777.^[16] Since he was not exchanged, Hale went back to the prison on June 14, 1779.^[16] Hale died on September 23, 1780 in New Utrecht, Brooklyn while in prison.^[16]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Hadden et al., pp. 483–484
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} Hadden et al., p. 484
3. ^ ^{a b} Digby, p. 215
4. ^ Morse, p. 48
5. ^ Digby, p. 216
6. ^ Fischer, pp. 275–276
7. ^ Chidsey p. 122
8. ^ Chidsey p. 90
9. ^ Frothingham p. 137
10. ^ Chidsey, p. 104
11. ^ Frothingham pp. 191, 194.
12. ^ Clinton, p. 19
13. ^ Ketchum, p. 172
14. ^ Ketchum, p. 137
15. ^ .Pancake, p. 116
16. ^ ^{a b c d e} New England Historic Genealogical Society, p. 90
17. ^ Hadden et al., pp. 488–489

References

• Chidsey, Donald Barr (1966). The Siege of Boston. Boston, Massachusetts: Crown. OCLC 890813. 
• Clinton, Henry (1954). Willcox, William B. ed. The American Rebellion: Sir Henry Clinton's Narrative of His Campaigns, 1775–1782. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. OCLC 1305132. http://books.google.com/?id=H2AsAAAAMAAJ. 
• Digby, William (1887). The British invasion from the north: The campaigns of Generals Carleton and Burgoyne, from Canada, 1776-1777, with the journal of Lieut. William Digby, of the 53d, or Shropshire regiment of foot. J. Munsell's Sons. http://books.google.com/books?id=rWpjz9M6lswC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
• Frothingham, Jr, Richard (1851). History of the Siege of Boston and of the Battles of Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill (2nd ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Charles C. Little and James Brown. OCLC 2138693. http://books.google.com/?id=xl4sAAAAMAAJ. 
• Fischer, David Hackett (1994). Paul Revere's Ride. Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-508847-6. http://books.google.com/books?id=knC-kTFI9_gC. 
• Hadden, James Murray; Carleton, Guy; Burgoyne, John; Phillips, William (1884). Rogers, Horatio. ed. Hadden's journal and orderly books: a journal kept in Canada and upon Burgoyne's campaign in 1776 and 1777. Albany, New York: J. Munsell's Sons. ISBN 9780665051395. OCLC 77380241. http://books.google.com/books?id=mWUFAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
• Ketchum, Richard M (1997). Saratoga: Turning Point of America's Revolutionary War. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 9780805061239. OCLC 41397623. 
• Morse, Rev. Abner (1857). The Genealogy of the Descendants of Capt. John Grout. Boston: for the author. OCLC 123390520. 
• New England Historic Genealogical Society (1995). The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 1877. Heritage Books. ISBN 9780788402401. http://books.google.com/books?id=4ZHHdjDYyyYC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
• Pancake, John S (1977). 1777: The Year of the Hangman. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. ISBN 9780817351120. OCLC 2680804. 

Persondata
Name	Hale, Nathan
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	September 23, 1743
Place of birth
Date of death	September 23, 1780
Place of death