This intense and beautiful episode marked the beginning of my lifelong interest in Nathan Hale. I find it interesting that the cast list calls him "young Nathan Hale"; he was young of course, but he never lived to be old, since he was 21 when he died. (Neither did Brandon De Wilde, the actor who played him; he was killed in a car wreck a couple of years after this episode was made.) There are a few historical inaccuracies; Hale's family lived in Coventry, not Haddam, though he did teach school in East Haddam. It seemed a little ludicrous to me that they portrayed him being hanged wearing a cravat. He wasn't allowed to see a minister or have a Bible, so Henry's visit couldn't have happened. Howe wasn't present at the hanging, and they left out the role of John Montresor.
On the other hand, the dramatic exchanges between Nathan and Samuel, the cousin who betrayed him, (which may or may not be historically accurate) are wonderful.
On the other hand, the dramatic exchanges between Nathan and Samuel, the cousin who betrayed him, (which may or may not be historically accurate) are wonderful.