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

every Bragg and Beauregard who broke a
: soIliesi g oath two years ago, and OF every
Ianry and Barron Mo broke 4 sailors. do
not know how often they have -repeated
| do know that they have depe all tliat in
them lay that they might have ~ country
That all the honors, associations, memories
and hopes which belong TO {" country" might
be broken up into little shreds and distributed
to the winds | know, too, that their punish
ment, as they yegetate through what is left of
life to them in wretched Bouloenes and Lei
cester Squares, where they are des lined to
upbraid each other till they die, viii have all
the agony of Nolan's, with the added pang
that every one who sees them will see them
to despise and to execrate them They viii
have their WISH like him.
For him, poor fellow, he repented CT his
folly, and then, like man, submitted to the
fate he had asked for. He never Intentionally
added TO the difficulty or delicacy of the
charge of those who had him in hold. Acct
dents would happen; but they never happen
ed from his fault. Lieut.. Truxtou told me.
that, when Texas was annexed, there was a
careful discussion among the officers whether
they should get hold of Nolan's handsome set
of maps, and cut Texas out OF it-irom the
map OF the world and the map of Mexico
The United States had been cut out " hen the
atlas was bought tor him. But it was voted
rightly enough, that TO do this would be vir-
tually to reveal TO him what had happened, or
Harry Cole said to make him thiuk Old
Burr had succeeded. SO it was from no fault
of Nolan's that great botch happened ut my
own table, when, for short time, | was in
command OF the George w aShington corvette
on the South American Station. We were
lying III the La Plata, ard some of the officers,
who had been on shore and had lust Joined
again, were entertaining us with accounts of
their misadventures in riding the hat Wild
horses of Buenos Ayres. Nolan was at table
and was in unusually bright and talkative
mood. Some story Of tumble reminded
him of an adventure of his own, when he was
catching wild horses in Texas, with his bro
ther Stephen at a time when he must have
been quite boy. He told the story with a
good deal of spirit-so much so that the 81
lence which often follows a good story hung
over the table for an instant to be broken bv
Nolan himself. For he asked, perfectly I'M
consciously, Pray, what has become of
Texas? After the Mexcans got their indie
pendence, thought that province of Texas
would come forward very fast. !twas really
one of the finest regions on earth; it is the
Italy of this continent. But have not seen
or heard word of Texas for near twenty
years"
There were two Texan officers at the table.
The reason he had never heard of Texas WAS
| that Texas and her affairs bad been painfully
cut out OF his newspapers since Austin began
his settlements so that while he read of
Honduras and Tamauiipas and, till quite
lately of California, this virgin province, in
which his brother had travelled so far and,
believe, had died, had ceased to be to him
w alters and Williams, the two Texas men
looked grimly at each other, and tried not to
laugh Edward Morris had his attention
| attracted by the third link in the chain of
the Captains chandelier. Watrous was seized
with CONFUSION of. sneezing. Nolan him
self saw that something was TO pay he did
feast had to say
Texas is out of the map, Mr.. Nolan. Have
you seen Captain Backs curious account of
Sir Thomas Roe's Welcome 2"
After that cruise | never saw Nolan again
| wrote to him at least twice wear, for in
that voyage we became even confdentiaIlv
intimate; but he never wrote TO me- The
other men tell me that in these fifteen wears
he aged very fast, well he might indeed
but that he was still the same gentle, uncom-
planning, silent sufferer that he ever was,
bearing as best he could his self-appointed
punishment-ratherl less social perhaps, with
new men whom ne did not know but more
anxious, apparently, than ever to serve and
and betriend and teach the boys, some of
whom fairly seemed to worship him And
now 1t seems the dear old fellow is dead
He has found home at last, and country
Since writing this, and while considering
whether or no | would print it, as a warning
to the Young Nolans and Vallandighams and
Tatnalls of to-day, of what it is to throw away
country, | have received from Danforth
who is on board the Leyant, 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 should 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 a man to do Should he
let hum 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 action for false imprison-
ment or kidnapping against every man who
had him i'll charge | urged and pressed
this upon Southland, and | have reason to
think that other officers did the same thing.
But the Secretary always said as they so
often do at Washington, that there were 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 disayowed " Well as Danforth
says, all that is over now, though do not
know but expose myself to a criminal prose
cution ON the evidence of the very revelation
| am making.
Here is the letter:
"LEvANT, 2 dig. ? min. S. 90 l3l deg. w.
DEAR FRED: try to find heart to tell YOU
that 1t is all over with dear old Nolan | have
been with him on this voyage more than |
ever was, and / can understand wholly now
the way in which you used to speak of the
dear old fellow. | could see that he was not
strong, but | had no idea the end was so near.
The doctor had been Watching him very care
fully, and yesterday morning came and told
me that Nolan not so well aud had not
left his stateroOm--a thing | never remem-
Der before. He had let the doctor come and
see him as he lay there the first time the
doctor had been in the state-room-and the
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 Interpid
days? Well, | went in, and there, to be sure,
the poor fellow lay in his berth, smiling
pleasantly as he gave me his hand. but look
ing very fraii. | could not help glance
round, which showed me what a little shrine
he had made of the box he was laying in.
The stars and stripes were triced up above
and around picture of Washington and he
int. Il