The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1864-01-30

though he did not yet know II, he lived as
MAN WITHOUT COUNTRY.
What Burr meant to do know no more than
you, dear reader. II Is none of our business
just now. Only, when the grand catastrophe
came, and Jefferson and the House Of Virginia
of that day undertook to break on the wheel
oil the possible Clarences of the then House ol
York, by the great trcason-trial at Richmond,
some of the lesser fry In that distant Mississip-
ri Valley. which was farther from US than Pu-
gets Sound Is to-day, introduced the like nov
city on their provincial stage, and, to while
away tho monotony of the summer ut Fort
Adams, got up, for spectdcles, string oi
court martials on the officers there. One and
another of the colonies and majors were tried.
and. to fill out the list, little Nolan. against
whom, Heaven knows, there was evidence
enough, that he was sick of the service, had
been willing to be false to It, and would have
obeyed any order to march anywhere with any
one who would follow him, had the order only
been signed, "By command Of His Exc. A.
Burr" The courts dragged on. The big flies
escaped rightly for all I know. Nolan was
proved guilty enough, as say; yet you aud
would never have heard OF him, reader, but
that, when the president Of the court asked
him at the close, whether he wished to say any
thing to show that no had always been faithful
to the United States, he cried out, in 1T OF
frenzy
"D-n the United States I wish may
never hear of the United States again -
suppose he did not know how the words
shocked old Col. Morgan, who was holding
the court. Half the officers who sat in II had
served through the Revolution, and their lives,
not to say their necks, had been risked for the
very idea which he so cavalierly cursed in his
the West Of those days, In the midst OF "Span-
| ;oh ,,1at N0rlpa no nlDf ~ md nil the -
He had been education, where the finest com
pany was Spanish officer or French mer-
chant from Orleans. His education, such rs II
was, had been perfected in commercial expedi-
tions to Vera Cruz, and think he told me his
father onoe hired an Englishman to be q private
tutor for winter on the plantation. He had
spent half his youth with an older brother,
hunting horses in Texas, and, in word, to
him, "United States" was scarcely q reality
Yet he had been fed by '.United States" for all
the years since he had been In the army lie
had sworn on his faith rs Christian to be true
to "United States" II was "Urited States"
which gave him tho uniform he wore, and the
sword by his side. Nay, my poor Nolan, 1t
was only because "United States" had picked
you out first as one of her own confidential
men of honor, that "a. Burr" cared for you q
straw more than the aat.boat men who sailed
his ark for him. I do not excuse Nolan on
| ly exDlulu tO why Hc uuulncu uis
country, and wished he might never hear her
name again.
| He never did hear her name but once again.
From that day, September %, 1907, till the day
he died, May II, 1869, he never heard her namc
again. For that half century and moro he was
man without country.
Old Morgan, rs said, was terribly shocked.
| II Nolan had compared George Washington to
Benedict Arnold, or had cried, "God save King
George" Morgan would not have felt worse
| He called tho court into his private room, and
returned In fifteen minutes, with face like .
sheet, to say ..u...
"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, aud the whole
room was hushed dead rs night for minute.
Even Nolan lost his swagger In moment
Then Morgan added
"Mr. Marshal, take the prisoner to Orleans
in an armed boat, and deliver him to the naval
commander there
The marshal gave his orders, and the prison
or was taken out OF court.
"Mr. Marshal, continued old Morgan, 'see
that no one mentions the United States to the
prisoner. Mr.. Marshal. make my respect to
Lieut.. Mitchell ut Orleans, and request him to
tUut uO OUe oIuit mtHtlOu tuV OHNoi
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 Is
adjourned without day."
l have always supposed that Col. Morgan
himself took tho proceedings Of the court to
Washington city. and explained them to Mr..
jefferson. Certain It Is that the President APP
proved them-certnin, that Is, II may believe
the men who say they have seen his signature.
Before the Nautilus got round from New Or
leans to the Northern Atlantic coast with the
prisoner on board. the sentence had been ap-
proved, and ho was man without country.
The plan then adopted was substantially the
same which was necessarily followed ever after.
Perhaps 1t was suggested by the necessity Of
sending him by water from Fort Adams and
Orleans. The Secretary OF the Navy-it must
have been the first Crowninshield, though he
is q man do not remember--was requested to
put Nolan on board n Government vessel bound
on long cruise, and to direct that he should
be only so far confined there as to make II GER
tain that he never saw or heard of the country.
was very much out of favor; and as almost oil
of this story is traditional, as have explained.
I do not now certainly know what his first
cruise was. But the commander to whom he
was sintrusted-perhaps II was Tingey or Shaw,
though think Il was one Of the younger men
I'VE are oil old enough now-regulated the
etiquette and the precautions OF the affair, and
according to his scheme they were carried out,
I suppose, till Nolan died.
When l was second officer OF the Intrepid \
some thirty years after, saw the original pa
per of instructions. have been sorry ever
since that did not copy the whole Of It, II
ran, however, much in this way:
"WAsHrYoroS," with the date, which
must have been late in lS07.)
"Sm You will receive from Lt. Neale the
person of Philip Nolan, late Lieutenant in
the United States Army.
"This person ON his trial by court.martial
expressed with m oath the wish that he might
never hear Of the United States again.
"The Court sentenced him to have his wish
fulfilled.
"For the present, the execution Of the order
is intrusted by the President to this depart
"You will take the prisoner on board your
ship, and keep him there with such precautions
rs shall prevent his escape. =,
UYou will provide him with such quarters,
rntions and clothing, as would be proper for an
oF;csr of hi, late rank, II hc were passenger
ON your vessel on the business OF his Govern
"Ibe gentlemen on board will make any ar
range ements agreeable to themselves regarding
his Society. He Is TO be exposed to no indigni-
ty of any kind, nor Is he ever unnecessarily TO
be reminded that he Is n prisoner.
"Dut under no circumstances Is he ever 10
hear OF his country or to see any inforrSation
regarding Il; and you will specially caution all
the Officers under your command 10 take care
that. In the various indulgcnces which may be
granted, this iulc. In which his punishment Is
involved, shall not be broken. '' q
eft IA the intention of the Government that