St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-12-10

pentant loyalty Of manhood is we'll
brought out in the remainder Of the
story, which loses nothing Of its pathet-
ic beauty from the shrewd hint of the
writer that probably they may say at
the navy department that there never
was such a person. The. idea is a stri-
king one and developed with ability
and effect; and then, as the pseudony-
NOUS Frederick 1ngaham admits-''It
will not be the frat'thing in the service
Of which the department appears to
know nothing ~ -
This interesting narrative concludes
as follows: i
Since writing. this; and willie consid-
ering whether or NO would print 1t,
as a warning TO-: the young Nolans
and Vallandighams and Tatnalls of. to-
day of what it is to throw away coun-
try, I have received from Danforth,
who was on board the Levaut, a letter
which gives an account of Nolan's last.
hours. 1t removes all my doubts about
telling this story. ;.
TO understand the first words Of the
letter, the :non professional reader sho'd
remember that after 1917 the position
of every officer who had Nolan in
charge was one of the greatest delicacy.
The government had failed to renew
the order of 1907 Regarding him.
What was man to do? Should he
let him go? What, then, if he were
called to account by the Department
for: violating the order of 1907 ? should
he keep him.? What then, if Nolan
should be liberated some day, and
should bring an action for false impris-
onment or kidnapping against every
man who had hun in charge? urged
and pressed this upon Southland, and l
have reason to think that other officers
did the same thing. Bat the Secreta-
ry always said, as they so often do, at
Washington, that there was no special
orders to give, and that we must act on
our own Judgment. That means 'If
you succeed you will be sustained if
you fail you will be disavowed." Well
as Danforth says, all that is over now,
though I do not Know but Il expose
myself to criminal prosecution on the
evidence OF the very revelation T. am
making.
Here is the letter.
'.LEvASr, deg. min. S. g. lal deg. W,
"DEAn FRED.-l try to find heart
and life to tell you that it is all over
with dear old Nolan. [ have been
with him on this voyage more than l
ever was, and l can understand wholly
now che way you used to speak Of the
dear old fellow | could see that he
vas 'net strong, but I had no idea the
cnd was 80 near. The doctor had been
watching him very carefully, and yes
terday anorning came to me 'ahd told
me that Nolan was not so we'll, and had
not left his stateroom,-a thing l 'nev
er remember before. He had let the
doctor come and see him as he lay
there-the first time the doctor had
been ia the stateroom-and he said he
should like to see me. Oh dear do
you remember the mysteries We boys
'used to invent about his room in the
old Intrepid days? Well, 1 went in,
ard there, to be sure, the poor fellow
lay in his birth, smiling pleasantly as
he gave me his hand, but looking very
we'll. could not help glance round
which showed me what little shrine
he had made of the box he was laying
in. The stars and stripes we're traced
up above and around picture of Wash
ington, and he had painted a majestic
eagle, With lightnings blazing from his.
beak aud his foot just clasping the
whole globe, which his wings overshad
owed. The dear old boy saw my glance
and said, with a sad smile, Here, you
see, have a coantry!' And then
be pointed to the foot Of his bed,
where 1 had not seen before a great
map of the United States, as he had
drawn it from memory. and which he
had there to look upon as he lay
Quaint, queer old names were or it, in
large letters; Indiana Territory mis-
sissippi Territory and 'Louisiana Ter
ritory;' as suppose our fathers learned
such things; but the old fellow had
patched in Texas, too; he had carried
his western boundary all the way to the
Pacific, but on that shore he had defn-
ed nothing.
"Oh, Danforth," he said, 81 know
I am dying. l cannot get home. Sure
ly you will tell me something nowY
Stop! stop! Do not speak until I tell
you what I am sure you know, that
there is not in this ship, that there is
not in America-God bless her "a
more loyal man than I. There cannot
be man who loves the old flag as l do.
There are thirty -four stars in it now,
Danforth. I thank God for that,
thoug h I do not know what their names
are. There has never been one taken
away I thank God for that. I know
by that there has never been any sue
cessful Burr. Oh, Danforth, Danforth"
he sighed cat, *'how like wretched
nights dream a boys idea of personal
fame or separate sovereignty seems,
when one looks back upon it after such
a l;Eo no ,n:na T.. R,,k toll :u,o- toll nm