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

, Z
Maury and Barron who broke sailors Ido
! not know how often thew have repeated.
| 90 know that they have dol.e all that ia
! shen lay mat they might have no country
| that all the honors, associations. memories
and hopes which belong to country" might
| be broken up into little shreds and distribnted
to the winds | know, too, that their punish
ment, as they vegetate through what is left of
life TO them in wretched Boulognes and Lei
cester Squares, where they are destined 10
upbraid each other till they die will have all
the agony OF Nolan's, with the added pang
that every one who sees them will see them
to desplae and to execrate them. They will
have their wish, like him za
For him, poor fellow, he repented of his
folly, and then, like man, submitted to the
fate he had asked for. He never Intentionally
added to the difficulty or ielicacy of the
charge OF those who had him in hold. Acct
dents would happen; but they never happen
ed from his fault. Lieut. Truxton told me.
that, when Texas was annexed, there was
careful discussion among the officers, whether
they should get hold of Nolan's handsome set
OF maps and cut Texas opt of it-from the
map OF the world and the map of Mexico,
The United States had been cut out when the
atlas was bought for HIM But it was voted
rightly enough, that to do this would be vir-
tualiy to reveal to him what had happened, or
as Harry Cole said, TO make him think Old
Burr had succeeded SO it was from no fault
OF Nolar's that great botch happened at nv
own table, when, for short time, | was in
command OF the George Washington corvette,
on the South American Station, We were
| lying in the La Plata, and some of the officers.
who had been on shore and had lust ieined
again, were entertaining us with accounts of
their misadyentures in riding the half wild
| horses OF Buenos Ayres. Nolan was at table
and vas in all unusually bright and laxative
mood. Some story of a tumble reminded
| him OF an adventure of his own, when he was
| catching wild horses in Texas, with his bro
| Their Stephen, at time when he must have
| been quite boy, He told the story With
| good deal of spirit-so much SO that the ST.
| lence which often follows a good story hung
| over the table for an instant, to be broken bY
Nolan himself, For he asked, perfectly I'M
consciously, "Pray, what has become of
Texas? After the Mexicans 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 a word of Texas for near twenty
| years" -...... ....-.
| There were two Texan officers at the table.
|
| 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 Tamaulipas, 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.
| Walters and Williams, the two Texas men,
| looked grlmly 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
not know what. And |, as master of the
| feast, had to say
| "Texas is out of the map, Mr. Nolan Have
| you seen Captain Backs curious account of
| Sir Thomas Roes Welcome ?"
After that cruise | never saw Nolan again.
| [ wrote to him at least twice year, for in
| that voyage we became even contidentially
! intimate; but he never wrote to me. The
| other men tell me that in these fifteen wears
| he aged very fast, as well he might indie ed,
| but that he was still the same gentle, uncom-
| planning, silent sufferer that he ever was.
| bearing best he could his self-appointed
| unishInent-rather less social, perhaps, with
new men whom he did not know, but more
anxious, apparently, than ever to serve and
| and befrend and teach the boys, some of
| whom fairly seemed to worship him. And
now it 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 Levant, letter which
pI Of
removes all my doubts about telling this
story.
TO understand the first words of the letter
the non-profes5ional reader should remember
that after 1877 the position of every officer
who had Nolan IN charge was one of the
greatest delicacv. 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 imprison-
ment or kidnapping against every man who
had him III charge? | urged and pressed
this upon Southard 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
CpSNiS'i
on our wnjudgment. That means If YOU
succeed, you will be sustained if you fail,
you will be di5avowed. Well, as Danforth
says, all that is over now, though do not
know but | expose myself to a criminal prose
cutlon on the evidence of the very revelation
| am making.
Here is the letter:
"LEvANT, dig. min. S. q l3l deg. w.
''DEAR FRED: I try to find heart to tell YOU
that it 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 80 near
The doctor had been watching him very care
fully, and yesterday morning came and told
me that Nolan was not so well, and 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-a and the
sad he should like to see me. Oh, dear do
you remember the mysteries we bows 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 frail. 1 could not help a glance
round, which showed me what little shrine
ne mad made OF the box he was LAYING in.
Inc stars and stripes were triced up above
and around picture of Washington. and he
had painted majestic eagle, with lightnings
blazing from his beak and his foot Just clasp
ing the whole globe, which his wings over
Swallowed. The dear old bow saw.nv e,Iauca