I only regret I have but one life to lose for my country, was said by:

Patriot Nathan Hale Was Hanged

September 22, 1776

"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." Have you heard this famous declaration before? American patriot Nathan Hale said it on September 22, 1776, his last words before he was hanged for spying on British troops. How did this come to pass? Hale, born in Coventry, Connecticut, on June 6, 1755, and a teacher by trade, joined his five brothers in the fight for independence against the British.

The quote, "I only regret I have but one life to lose for my country," was said by Nathan Hale. He was quoted as saying this prior to being hanged by the British for his efforts in supporting the colonial forces during the American Revolution.