“One Life to Lose” Stretched Canvas Print - Our Story

One Life to Lose — Nathan Hale

Hands of Providence Collection

In September 1776, at just twenty-one years old, Captain Nathan Hale volunteered for one of the most dangerous assignments of the American Revolution: crossing behind British lines near New York to gather intelligence for General George Washington. He was discovered, captured, and condemned to death as a spy. 

One Life to Lose imagines Hale during the final hours before his execution—stripped of his military coat, confined beneath guard, and kneeling alone in prayer as he prepares to surrender the only thing he has left to offer.

The lantern beside him casts a small light across the darkness. His hands are clasped. His future has narrowed to a matter of hours. Yet the young schoolteacher-turned-soldier who had willingly accepted a mission behind enemy lines now faces death with the same conviction that led him there.

Hale has long been remembered for the words attributed to him at the gallows: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” Contemporary documentation of the exact wording is uncertain, but accounts of his composure and resolve at his execution helped make Hale an enduring symbol of sacrifice in the American Revolution. 

Part of the Hands of Providence collection, One Life to Lose reflects the faith woven throughout the American story—the moments when men and women faced circumstances larger than themselves and reached toward God for strength, wisdom, and guidance.

Historical Figure: Nathan Hale
Historical Moment: Capture and execution, 1776
Collection: Hands of Providence

Product features
- Matte cotton-poly canvas with archival Greenguard Gold latex inks
- Stretched on renewable radiata pine inner frame
- Soft rubber dots and included back hanging for secure mounting
- Available in horizontal, vertical and square formats across many sizes
- Printed with non-toxic, non-flammable latex inks; slight size tolerance ±1/8"

Care instructions
- If the canvas does gather any dust, you may wipe it off gently with a clean, damp cloth.