The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-12-24

| upon as he lay. Quaint, queer old names were
on it, in large letters Indian Territory"
mississippi Territory" and Louisiana Ter
r~itory," as | suppose our fathers had 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 defined nothing.
sob, Danforth, he said, Il know am dy-
ing. Icannot get home. Surely you will
tell me something now? Stop! stop! de
not speak until L say h l 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 /. There cannot be a man
who loves the old flag as do, or prays for it
as l do, or hopes for it as L do. There are
~thirty-four stars ia now, Danforth. l thank
God for that, though do not know what then
names are. There never has been one taken
away; | thank God for that. | know by that
that there never has been any successful Burr.
'Oh, Danforth, Danforth,' he sighed out,
chow like a wretched nights dream a boys
idea Of personal fame Or separate sovereignty
seems, when one looks back uponit after such
a life as mine! But tell me-tell me every
thing, Danforth, before | die ~
Bingham, l swear to you that | felt like a
monster that | had not told him everything
before. Danger or no danger, deIicacy or no
! delicacy, who was |, that l should nave been
acting the tyrant all this time over this dear
sainted old man, who had years ago expiated,
in his whole manhood's life. the madness of a
boys treason? "Mr. Nolan" said l, 81 will
tell you everything you ask about. Only
where shall l begin%
ooh, the blessed smile that crept over his
white face and he pressed my hand and said,
''God bless vou." Tell me their Names y
he said, and he pointed to the stars on the
flag. 'sThe last | know is Ohio. My father
lived in Kentucky. But | have guessed Mich
igan and Indiana and Mississippi-that is
where Fort Adams is-they make twenty
But where are your other fourteen? You
have not cut up any of the old ones, | hope p
''Well, that was not a bad text, and told
him the names, i'll as good order as | could,
and he babe me take down his beautiful map,
and draw them in as best could with ny pen
Gil. He was wild with delight about Texas,
told me how his brother died there; he had
marked a gold cross where he supposed his
brothers grave was and he had guessed at
Texas. Then he was delighted as he saw
california and Oregon that, he said, he had
suspected partly because he had never been
permitted to land on that shore, though the
ships were there so much. And the men"
said he, laughing, brought on a good deal be
sides furs." Then he went back-heavens,
how far!-to ask about the Chesapeake, and
what was done to Barron for ~surrendering her
to Leopard, and whether Burr ever tried again
and he ground his teeth with the only rage
he showed. But i'll a moment that was over,
and he said, God forgive me, for am sure l
forgive him" Then he asked about the old
war.-tOld me the story of his serving the gun
the day we took the Java, asked about dear
old David Porter; as he called him. Then
he settled down more quietly, and very hap
ply, to hear inc tell in an hour the history Of
fifty years.
GLOW | wished it had been somebody who
knew something But | did as we'll as could.
I told him of the English war. | told hin
about Fulton and the steamboat beginning.
| told him about old Scott, and jackson I
told him all | could think about the MISSISSIPPI
ri, and New Orleans, and Texas, and his own
Old kentucky. And do you. think he asked
{ who was in command of the ''Logion of the
West" | told him it was a very gallant
officer, named Grant, and that, by our last
news, he was about to establish his head
quarters at Vicksburg. Then, "Where was
Vicksburg p | worked that out on the map
it was about a hundred miles, more Or less,
above his old Fort Adams and | thought
Fort Adams must be a ruin now. lit must
be at old Vick's plantation said he; 'well
that is q change"
Il tell YOU, ingham, it WAS a hard thing to
conden8e the history Of half a century into
that talk with a sick man. And | do not
know what I told him-of emigration, and
the means Of it,-of steamboats, and railroads
and te!egraphs.-o inventions and books and
H., r. NJ ,o1Ia..o a,l Mast Doi,4
and the Naval SchooL-but with the queerest
/, interruptions that ever you heard. You see
it was Robinson Crusoe asking all the accu-
mulated questions of fifty-six years.
81 remember he asked all of a sudden, who
WAS President now aud when | told him, he
/ asked if Old Abe was General Benjamin Lin:
! coins son. He said he met old General Lin.
t coin, when he was quite a boy himself, al
e some Indian treaty. | said no, that Old Abe
f was a Kentuckian like himself, bnt could moi
! tell him of what family; he had worked III
g from the ranks. Good for him !" cried No
Ian 81 am glad Of that. AS have broodeC
, and wondered, have thought our danger wat
, in keeping I'D those regular SUGGESTIONS in the
/ first families" Then | got talking about my
y visit to Washington. | told him of meeting
the Oregon Congressman, Harding; | toiC
! him about the Smithsonian and the Explor
+ inc Expedition; | told him about the Capito
: and the statues for the p%ediment, -ant
Crawford's Liberty,-aud Greenough's Wash
? ~inotop; Inghain, | told him every thing
r could think of that would show the grandeur
+ of his country and it's prosperity; but coulC
not make up my mouth to tell him q wort
, about this Internal rebellion.
t sAnd he drank it in, and enjoyed it as
? cannot tell YOU. He grew more and more 81
= lent. vet | never thought he was tired anC
f faint. gave him a glass Of water, but hc
lust wet his lips, and told me not to go away
! Then he asked me to bring the Presbyterian
t Book of Public Prayer, ~ which lay there, ano
/ said, with a smile, that it opened at the right
: pIace.-and SO it did. There wac his double
t red mark down the page; and k neltdoWn
e and read, and he repeated with me,-'fol
t ourselves, and our country, 0 gracious God
I we thank Thee. that, Notwithstanding ouI
n manifold transgressions Of thy HoIylaws, Ihot
/. hast continued to us Thy marvellous kind
e pess.p-and so to the end Of that thanksgiv
t ing. Then he turned to the end Of the sam
book. and read the words more familiar K
e me.-"Most heartily we beseech Thee witt
Thv favor to behold and bless Thy servant tn
President of the United States, and all other
in authoritY,"-and the rest Of the EPiscopa
collect. "Danforth," said he, 81 have repeat
1 ed those prayers night and morning, it is nov
n ffty-fve years" And then he said he woul
v 90 to sleep. He bent me down over him AM
e kissed me and he said, "Look in my Bible
Danforth, when | am gone" And wen
:. away.
sBut had not thought it was the end.
d thought he was tired and would sleep.
knew he was happy, and wanted to be alone
'sBut in an hour, when the doctor went il
d gently, he found Nolan had breathed his lif
.e away with a smile. He had something press
Le ed to his lips. 1t was his fathers badge O
10 the order of Cincinnati.
sfWe looked in his Bible, and there was