Long Island Chapter SAR

10/19/2026

Happening next weekend, October 24th and 25th.

10/18/2026

Happening tomorrow, October 19th.

🖊️ the first Culper letter 🖊️

On October 31, 1778, Abraham Woodhull signed his alias: Samuel Culper, to the earliest letter we have from him to General George Washington and describes his first trip to New York.

Author and Setauket native Bill O'Byrne will guide a deep dive into the details and references contained in the First Culper Letter.

Discover his unexpected interview, the conditions and destinations of the British Army & Navy, and his concerns for the secrecy of his identity -- all in one letter!

🗓 Monday, October 19

🕖 7:00 PM
doors open at 6:45

📍 Setauket Neighborhood House

This lecture is free and open to all - reservations recommended!

Long Island 250 programming at TVHS is generously sponsored by Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay, Jane & Rob Taylor, and Catherine J Minuse

📌 save your seat here:
https://www.tvhs.org/lecture-series

10/18/2026

Saturday, November 21, 11am - 3pm at the Manor of St. George in Shirley, NY.

10/09/2026

A great group of local organizations is teaming up to put on March for Liberty, a community celebration around the Manor of St. George. Registration is now open for the community walk. Vendors are welcome to apply for the craft fair.

ONLINE VENDOR APPLICATION: https://suffolkcountyny.jotform.com/262386005921051

REGISTER FOR THE WALK/MARCH: https://suffolkcountyny.jotform.com/262535777746068

10/09/2026

This is coming up on Saturday, October 17th.

Hear stories about Revolutionary Patriots - Caleb Smith, Epenetus Smith, Obadiah Smith, Zephaniah Platt and other original settlers of Smithtown from the 1700 and 1800’s.

The Smithtown Cemetery Association will be having a historic cemetery walk on October 17th at 11am and 1pm. See below flyer for how to purchase tickets.

LOCATION: Smithtown Cemetery, North Country Road (Route 25A). Just north of Main Street and the Smithtown Library.

CHECK IN: Check in tent will be just inside the exit located on North Country Road directly across the from the Caleb Smith house. Please arrive 1/2 hour early.

Hear stories about the original settlers of Smithtown from the 1700 and 1800’s.
The Smithtown Cemetery Association will be having a historic cemetery walk on October 17th at 11am and 1pm. See below flyer for how to purchase tickets.

LOCATION: Smithtown Cemetery, North Country Road (Route 25A). Just north of Main Street and the Smithtown Library.

CHECK IN: Check in tent will be just inside the exit located on North Country Road directly across the from the Caleb Smith house. Please arrive 1/2 hour early.

10/09/2026

This is coming up tomorrow, Saturday October 10th.

Please register to attend: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/prison-ship-martyrs-memorial--2026

09/23/2026

September 22, 1776 — Nathan Hale Is Captured and Executed

Two hundred and fifty years ago today, Captain Nathan Hale was executed by the British after completing one of the Continental Army’s earliest intelligence missions.

For nearly two weeks, Hale had moved behind British lines on Long Island disguised as a schoolmaster, gathering information on British troop movements following the American withdrawal from New York. As he attempted to return to American lines, he was captured under circumstances that remain uncertain.

His arrest came amid extraordinary tension. The previous day, a massive fire had destroyed as much as one-quarter of British-occupied New York City. British authorities suspected Patriot agents had deliberately set the blaze, fearing that American operatives were active throughout the city. More than 200 people were questioned as officials searched for those responsible.

Hale was captured after the fire had begun, and the discovery that an American officer was operating secretly behind British lines only reinforced British suspicions that the rebellion relied on covert agents as well as armies. Whether Hale had any connection to the fire was never established, and no credible evidence has ever linked him to it.

Taken before General William Howe, Hale was found carrying notes and sketches identifying British positions. That evidence alone was enough. Recognized as a spy under the accepted laws of war, he was sentenced to death.

On September 22, 1776, the 21-year-old Connecticut captain was hanged.

According to long-standing tradition, Hale met his fate with remarkable composure, declaring, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” Although the exact words cannot be confirmed by contemporary evidence, they became one of the most enduring expressions of sacrifice associated with the American Revolution.

Washington’s need for intelligence did not end with Hale’s death. Instead, it highlighted the importance of espionage and ultimately led to the sophisticated intelligence networks that would later help secure American independence.

And that’s the way it was, September 22, 1776.