The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-27
fifth canto, stopped a moment and drank some
thing, and then began. without a thought of

thing, and then began. without a thought Of
what was coming:
"Breathes there a man with soul so dead.
Who never to himself hath said
'It seems impossible to US that anybody ever
heard this for the first time; but all those fellows
did then, and poor Nolan himself went on, still
unconseiously or Mechanically
This is my own, my native land!
Then they all saw something was to pay; but he
expected to get through, / supposed, turned q
little pale, but plunged on
Whose heart hath ne'er within him burned,
As home his footsteps he hath turned
From wandering on a foreign strandf
Ii such there breathe, go, mark him we'll.
He gagged a little, colored crimson, and stag
gered on
For him no minstrel ~raptures swell;
High though his titles. proud bis name,
Boundless his wealth as wish can claim.
Despite these titles, power and pelf,
The wretch, concentered all IN self
"And here the poor fellow choked and could
not go on, but started up, swung the book into
the sea, vanished into his state-room, and we did
not see him for two months again"
On one occasion the vessel on which Nolan was
confined overhauled a dirty little schooner in the
South Atlantic which had slaves aboard. The
captain took Nolan, who could speak tolerable
Portuguese, and proceeded to take charge Of the
schooner. Returning from his vessel to their
Own, a MILDLY, who was aboard of the same
dinky with him, relates the following pathetic
and pitiful story:
Nolan began abruptly
.fYoungster," said he, 'let that show you what
it is to be without a family, without a home,
without a country. And if you are ever tempted
to say q word or do a thing that shall put a bar
between you and your family. your home and
your country, pray God in His mercy to take you
that instant home to His own heaven. Stick by
your family, boy; forget you have a self while
you do everything for them. Think of your
home, boy; write, and send, and talk about it.
Let it be nearer and nearer to your thought the
further you have to travel from it; and
rush bach to it when you are free, as
that poor black slave is doing now. And
for your country, boy"-and the words rat
tied in his throat-'and for that fag"-and
he pointed to the ship-'never dream a dream
but of serving her as she bids you, though the
service carry you through a thousand hells. No
matter what happens to you, no matter who fiat
tiers you or abuses you, never look at another
flag. never let a night pass but you pray God to
bless that flag. Remember, boy, that behind
all these men you have to do with, behind Off
GERS and government, and people even. there is
the country herself, your country, and that you
belong to her az you belong to your mother.
Stand by her, boy, as you would stand by your
mother, if those devils there had got hold of her
to-day" And in a whisper he said, "Oh, if
anybody had said so to me when l was of your
age
Here the writer says that in 1880 he moved
heaven and earth" at Washington to get poor
Nolan discharged, with no success. Mr.. Hale
expressed the opinion Of thousands when he said
tin 1885,
II know Of but one fate more dreadful. 1t is
the fate reserved for those men who shall have
one day to exile themselves from their country
because they have attempted her ruin. The
wish of poor Nolan, as we all learned to call him,
not because his punishment was too great, bat
because MS repentance was so clear, was pre-
cisoiy the wish of every Bragg and Beauregard
who broke a soldiers oath two years ago, and OF
every Maury and Barron who broke a sailar's."
Many incidents in the life of this man Nolan |
would like to give, but my article is already too
long. A few extracts from a letter written by
Danforth, commander, Ipresume, of the Levant.
never to come forth again. He sends for Dan
forth, and the ~latter's letter will explain Nolan's
last hours. We'll, 1 went in, and there, to be
sure, the poor fellow lay in his berth. smiling
pleasantly as he gave me his hand, but looking
very frail. The stars and stripes were triced up
above and around a picture of WASHINGTON, and
ne had painted a majestic eagle. with his foot
just ~clasping the whole globe, which his wings
overshadowed. The dear old boy
saw my glance. aud said, with
country He had a great map of the United
States, as he had drawn it from memory.
Quaint, queer old names were on it in large let
tiers: Indiana Territory Mississippi Territory.
etc. o Danforth,' he said, L know l am dying.
I cannot live long. Surely you will tell me some
thing now. There is not in this ship, there is
not in America-God bless her,-a more loyal
man than |. There cannot be a man who loves
the old flag as 1 do. or prays for it as l do, or
hopes for it as | do. There are thirty-four stars
in it now, Danforth. I thank God for that,
though do not know what their names are.
There has never been one taken away. | thank
God for that. know by that that there never
has been any successful Burr. But tell me, tell
me so~mething-tell me everything, Danforth,
before l diet"
M Nolan" said I, 81 will tell you every
Thing you ask about; only, where shall l beging
Nolan then for the first time in fifty three
Says he was wild with joy, and alternately
laughed and wept in historical delirium. After
spending more than an hour with him, Danforth
went away, with this injunction from Nolan, the
very last words he ever heard from the lips of
the poor exile:
Look in my Bible, Danforth, when / am
gone"
In an hour, says Danforth, when the doc
tor went in gently, he found Nolan had breathed
his life away with q, smile. He had something
pressed close to his lips. It was his fathers
badge of the Order of Cincinnati.
looked in his Bible. and there was a slip
of paper. On it was written:
BURY me in the sea; it has been my home.
and l love it. But will not some one set up a
stone to my memory at Fort Adams or at Or
leans, that my disgrace may not be more than |
ought to bear9 Say on it:
sin memory of
"PHILIP NOLAN,
Lieutenant in the Army of the United States.
HE loved his country as no other man has loved
her; but no man deserved less at her hands. ~
pnny.luttO, 1r arran Gsks1.