The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1869-04-16
"The Man Without a Country"

| AuO 1Aou WituOut SOuuSsy
Whether or not the person who bears
this pscudoym was the subject Of clcv-
crly cOncoctcd fable or not. il is mt least
II singular case. The person who was
said 10 have born this Tile was Phillip
. \ olan. a notice of whose death appeared
last year in Il New York journal. 1t
ran thus: Died on board the United
States corvet, Lcvant, on the lth day Of
May, Phillip Nolan" The story is a.
follows: When Aaron Burr made his
first dashing expedition down 10 New
lOrlcaus.in 1903. .lie met u lieutenant nam
Phillip Nolan, belonging to the Legion
of the West. The young officer became
infatuated with the brilliant statesman.
who enlisted in his reasonable schemes
The authorities suspected Nolan Of be-
ing an accomplicc OF Burrs. and. on the
,court-martial, the inpctuous youth cried
Out, in Il iii Of frenzy ID D--n the
United States. ! wish may never hear
of the United States again" These
words shocked the revolutionary offers
that formed the court-marti;il. and No
Il Ian was condemned 10 be sent on board
in vessel, where he was never again TO
hear The words United States. and the in
structions rccci, cd were as follows:
= WAsnISGroN." with the date whichl
| must have been la;c in lS07.)
"SR You will receive from Licutcn-
ant Ncale the person of Phillip Nolan.
late lieutenant in the United State
army.
| "This person on his trial by court
martial expressed with an oath the wish
that Ic might never hear of the United
States again.
1.-The court sentenced him 20 have his
wish fulfilled.
"For the present the execution Of the
order is inirustcd by the President to
this department.
You will take the prisoner on board
your ship. and keep him there with such
iioilcr precautions As shall prevent his
escape.
"Iou will provide him with such
quarters. rations and clothin. as would
be proper for an officer of his late rank.
il hc were a passenger on your vessel ON
the business of his government.
''Tle gentlemen on board will make
Iany arrangements agreeable TO them
selves regarding his society. lie is 10 he
Iexposcd 10 no indi.nity of any kind. nor
is ever unliccessariiv 10 bc reminded
that he is a prisoner. n.n
4 ..D"t "u'irr $50 circumstances Is nc
lever 10 hear of his country or see any
information regarding IL; and YOU will
specially caution all officers under YOUR
command to take care that. in the vari-
ouS indulocnrcs which may be granted.
this rule. in which his punishment is in
volvcd. shall not be broken.
1T is the intention of the Govern
mcni that he shall never again see the
country which lac has disowned. Before
the end OF your cruise YOU will receive
orders which will give effect 10 this in-
tcnlion. Respectfully. yours,
| Nv. THARD.
| "For tho Secretary of the Navy
! Nolan seems Ia have passed from YES
sci. TO vessel. and 10 have remained a
prisoner Tor over sixty years. and was
made the subject of innumcrablc tra'li-
tions. and lalpablc myths. lie was strictly
guarded, and the name of the United
States never mentioned 10 him. IL i
gcncrnlly supposed. however. thai this
myth was originated during the recent
war BY some highly imaginative inslivi-
dual who desired 10 institute colnIpari-
sons and SMILES between Nolan and the
rebel leaders. or course. Nolan rcpcn-
ted Of his folly. and died deeply regret
lting the incauiiOus words that condcni-
ned him Ia a life of fimprisonment.w W lich
was. probably more painful. al il pre-
vented him from interfering in the poll
tics of the country.