Execution of Nathan Hale
- When
- September 22, 1776
- Where
- Park of Artillery near the Dove Tavern, New York City
- Part of
- British Invasion of New York
Captured while gathering intelligence behind British lines, Continental Army captain Nathan Hale was hanged in New York City on September 22, 1776.
Nathan Hale, a Continental Army captain, volunteered on September 8, 1776, to go behind enemy lines and report on British troop movements, knowing spying was punishable by death. While he was undercover, New York City fell to British forces on September 15, and Washington retreated north to Harlem Heights. On the morning of September 22, 1776, Hale was marched along the Post Road to the Park of Artillery next to the Dove Tavern, at modern-day 66th Street and Third Avenue, and hanged. Accounts recorded by his brother Enoch Hale and later newspapers describe a spirited speech at the gallows in defense of his country.
Sources
- Nathan Hale Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-22
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