Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-12-09

cer or a IRENE merchant from Orleans His
education, such as il was, had been perfected
in commercial expeditions to Vera Cruz, aud
1 think he told me his father once hired an
Englishman to be private tutor for winter
on the plantation. He had spent half his
youth with an elder brother hunting horses
: IN Texas; and, in a word, to him 6 United
states " was scarcely a reality. Yet he had
been fed by q United States for all the wears
since he had been in the army He had
sworn on his faith a Christian TO be true
! TO Z" United States 1t was g 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 one of her own confidential
men of honor, that 80 \ Burr" cared for you
u straw more than for the hatboatmen who
sailed his ark for him. | 10 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
From 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 man without a country
Old Morgan a | said, was terribly shocked.
If Nolan had compared George Washington
10 Benedict Arnold, or had cried . God save
King George Morgan would not have felt
worse. He called the court into his private
room. ana returned IN Ntteeu minutes, with
face like sheet, to saw:
9 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 hushed dead as night for minute.
Even Nolan lost his swagger in a moment
Then Morgan added
" Il. ~. n.
leans IL 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 on board ship. You will receive your
written orders from the officer on duty here
this evening The Court = 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 a man without a
country.
The plan then adopted was substantially
the same which was necessarily followed ever
after. Perhaps it was suggested by the ne
cessity 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
Government vessel bound on a long cruise.
and direct that he should be only so far con-
fined there To make ii certain that he ner
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 Tingey or Shaw though
think 1T of the younger lnen, 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.
When | was second officer Of the Intrepid,
some thirty wears after, ] saw the original pa
per OF instructions. | have been sorry ever
since that | did not copy the whole of it. 1t
ran, however, much in this way:
'.WAsHrNeroN,'' Cvith the date, wbich2
must have been late in lSO7.)
.'SIE You viii receive from 1t. NaeIe the per
son OF Philip Nolan, late Lieutenant in the Uni
ted states Army
This person bis trial by court martial eS-
pressed, with oath, the wish that lie might
.ncy er hear OF the United states again
=. The Court sentenced him 20 have his wish full
nIled
For the present the execution Of the order is
Entrusted by the President TO this department.
% You viii take the prisoner on board your ship,
and keep him there with such precautions shan
prevent his escape
:. You viii provide him with such quarters, r.-
4Fs. "A
OF his late rank. il he were passenger your
vessel on the business OF his Government.
=. The gentlemen on board will max any arrauge-
reeable to thems regarding his society
tie Is To be exposed TO indEuity of any kind,
nor Is he ever unnecessarily to be reminded that
he l. a prisoner.
- But under circums tances is he ever to hear
of his country or TO see any information regarding
it aud you viii specially caution all the officers
under your command 60 take care, that, in the va
r3ous indUg euces which may be granted, this rule,
in which his punishment is involved, shall not be
broken.
1t Is the intention of the Government that he
shall never again see the country which he has dis
receive orders which win give effect to this nten-
tipu- Respectfully yours,
." ". 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 il was he, handed it to his success
sor in the charge, and be 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 a coun-
try was, | think, transmitted from the begin
ming. No mess liked to have him permanent.
iy, because his presence cut Off all talk of
home or OF the prospect of return, of politics
OF letters, of peace or of war-cut OIL more
than half the talk men like TO have at sea
But it 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
ard he chose. But he grew shy, though he
bad tavorites; | 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