Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-12-10

II
education, such as it was, had been perfected
in commercial expeditions to Vera Cruz, and
| think he TOLD me his father once hired an
Englishman 20 be private tutor Tor a winter
on the plantation. He had spent half his
youth with an elder brother, hunting horses
in Texas; and, in a word, to him g United
States " was scarcely a reality. Yet he had
been fed BY " United States for all the years
since he had been in the army. He had
sworn on his faith as a Christian to be true
to g United States" 1t was United States !
which gave him the uniform he wore, and the
sword by his side. Nay, my poor Nolan, it
was only because " United States " had picked
YOU out first as one of her own confidential
men of honor, that " A Burr" cared for you
a straw more than for the fatboatmcn who
sailed his ark FOR him.. l do not excuse
Nolan; only explain to the reader why he
damned his country, and wished he might
never hear her name again.
He never did hear her name but once again.
Fro.n that moment, September 23d, 1907, till
the day he died, May 18th, 1868, he never
heard her name again. For that half century
and more he was a man without country.
Old Morgan, as | said was terribly shocked.
If Nolan had compared George Washington
to Benedict Arnold, or had cried God save
King George" Morgan would not have felt
worse. He called the court into bis private
room, and returned in fifteen minutes, with d
face like a sheet, to say:
Prisoner hear the sentence of the Court.
The Court decides, subject to the approval Of
the President, that you never hear the name
OF the United States again"
Nolan laughed. But nobody else laughed
Old Morgan was too solemn, and the whole
room was hushed dead as night for a minute.
Even Nolan lost his Swagger in moment
Then Morgan added
Mr.. Marshal, take the prisoner to Or
leans in an armed boat, and deliver him to
the naval commander there"
The Marshal gave his orders, and the pris-
oner was taken out of court.
Mr. Marshall" continued old Morgan,
see that no one mentions the United States
to the prisoner Mr. Marshal make my re-
spects to Lieut.. Mitchell at New Orleans, and
request him to order that no one shall men
ton the United States to the prisoner while
he is Oh board ship. You will receive your
written orders from the officer on duty here
this evening. The Court is adjourned with
out day"
have always supposed that Colonel Nor
gan himself took the proceedings of the court
to Washington City, and explained them to
Mr.. Jefferson. Certain it is that the Presi-
dent approved them-certain that is, if may
believe the men who say they have seen his
signature. Before the Nautilus got round
from New Orleans to the North Atlantic coast
with the prisoner on board, the sentence had
been approved, and he was man without
country.
The plan then adopted was substantially
the same which was necessarily followed ever
after. Perhaps it was suggested by the ne
ccssity of sending him by water from Fort
Adams and Orleans. The Secretary of the
Navy-it must have been the first Crownin-
shield, though he is a man | do not remem-
ber-was requested to put Nolan on board a
Government vessel bound on long cruise,
and direct that he should be only so far con-
fined there as to make it certain that he nev
er saw or heard of the country We had
few long cruises then, and the navy was very
much out of favor; and as almost all of this
story is TRADITIONAL as | have explained, do
not know certainly what his first cruise was.
But the commander to whom he was intruSt-
ed-perhaps it was Tingev or Shaw, though |
think it one Of the younger men,-we
are all old enough now-regulated the Ell
quette and the precautions Of the affair, and
according to his schemes they were carried
out, l suppose till Nolan died.
W hen was second officer of the Intrepid
some thirty years AFTER I saw the original pa
per of instructions. | have been sorry ever
since that / did not copy the whole of it. 1t
ran, how ever, much in this way:
WAsUINGToN,' with the date, which
must have been late in 1900 :
''SIR You will receive from Lit. Naele the per-
son OF Philip Nolan, late a Lieutenant in the Uni
ted States Army.
This person on his trial by court martial ex-
pressed, with oath, the wish that he might
never hear of the Unit ed States again
The Court sentenced him to have his wish full
filled.
For the presen., the execution of the order is
intrusted by the President to this department.
:. You will take the prisoner on board your ship,
and keep him there with uch precautions shall
prevent his escape.
You will provide him with such quarters, ra-
lions and clothing as would be proper Tor officer
of his late rank. if he were passenger your
vessel on the business OF his Government
''The gentlemen on board will make any arrange
agreeable to themselves regarding his society.
lie is to be exposed to no indignity OF any kind,
nor is he ever unnecessarily to be reminded that
he is a prisoner.
But under no circumst ances is he ever to hear
of his country or to see any information regarding
it and you will specially caution all the officers
under your command to take care, that in the "a
rious ind uigences which may b. granted, this rule,
il which his punishment is involved, shall not be
broken.
1T is the intention of the Government that he
shall never again the country which he has dis
owned. Before the end of your cruise you will
receive orders which will give effect this nten-
ton. Respectfully yours,
wv. sOUTHARD, for the
Sec'y of the Navy.
If had only preserved the whole of this
paper, there would be no break in the begin
ming of my sketch to this story. For Captain
Shaw, if it was lie, handed it to his success
sor i'll the charge, and he to his, and suppose
the commander of the Levant has it to-day as
his authority for keeping this man in this
mild custody. .--
The rule adopted on board the ships on
which have met $ the man without coun-
try was, | think, transmitted from the begin
nin", No mess liked to have him permanent
because his presence cut off all talk Of
home or OF the prospect of return of politics
or letters, of peace or of war-cut off more
than half the talk men like to have at sea.
But 1t was always thought too hard that he
should never meet the rest of US, except to
touch hats, and We finally sank into one svs-
tenn. He was not permitted to talk with the
men, unless an officer was by. With officers
he had unrestrained intercourse, as far as they
and he chose. But he grew shy, though he
had tayorites | was one. Then the Captain
always asked him to dinner on Monday.
Every mess in succession took up the invita-
ton In its turn. According to the size of the
ship, you had him at your mess more or less
often at dinner. His breakfast he ate in his
own state room,-he always had a state room
which was where sentinel or somebody
on the watch could see the door. And what
ever else he ate or drank, he ate or drank
alone. Sometimes when the marines or sail
ors, had any special jollifcation, they were
Dprrrittnd 70 invita- p1air, RIr+foDc tbav