The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-22

Country" Every word of it carries con-
viction, and upon laying the book aside
1t is hard to believe that one has not
been reading a. record of facts told by a
careful and conscientious man without
literary pretenSons. Yet this simplicity
of style. this convincing effect was not
obtained by DIR. bale without great deal
of preliminary labor. It is not a long
story, but its writer spents months of
reading and exploration among the ar
chives and histories of the aimes of
which he treats in order that he might
produce his celebrated story in the man
ner in which it appeared. The story has
been translated into every language of
Europe and millions of copies of it have
been sold in England and on the CONT
nent.
I n those days when the Legion of the
West was a part of the Regular
Army of the United States-in the
DAYS when Aaron Burr was dazzling ana
corrupting men for his schemes of am
bition-there was stationed at little
fort on the Mississippi. Fort Massao,
which stood near where now stands the
citv of Vicksburg. one Philip Nolan, a
young lieutenant of family and fortune
He had a strain of French blood in him
and in those days the United States was
still spoken of in the plural number. The
idea of nationality was not so strong as
It has since become. Things were in
the making. When Burr made his first
dashing expedition down to New Orleans
in 1905 he stopped at the fort and, as
the devil would have it, met at dinner
this gay dashing and bright young fell
low. Burr marked him for his own,
talked to him, walked with him and, in
short. fascinated him. Burr's great
schemes aroused ambition and desire
for action in the heart of Philip No
Ian.
From the moment he met Burr he was,
although he did not know it, man with
out a country. Burr disappeared and
for the next year barrack life was very
stale and undressing for Philip No
lam Burr had given him permission TO
write to him and long, stilted letters the
poor boy wrote to his great friend. But
he received no reply. The other young
men of the garrison .sneered at Philip
because he was devoting to fruitless
correspondence with politician the time
which they devoted to Monongahela, haz-
ard and high-low- jack. Burbon, euchre
ana poker were then unknown as popular
forms of dissipation.
But one day Nolan had his revenge
Down the river again came the brilliant
Burr 1t was rumored that he had an
army behind him and an empire in front
of him Burr stopped at the fort, ana
before he had left it he had Phillip en-
listed body and soul. What Burr really
meant to do nobody knows. How far his
ambitious schemes were aided and abet-
ted by European governments has never
vet become a matter of public history.
The archives of those days relating to
his treason are in Madrid or in the secret
papers of the capitals of the northern
Mexican states. What came out at Burr
trial at Richmond was only hint at the
story which lay behind the evidence pro-
duced against him. But that Burr
dragged down to ruin many nobler men
than he in his fall is matter which
there is no dsputing.
The Mississippi valley then was further
from us than Alaska is today, and the
events which matured there were those
of a frontier country where men moved
worked plans of empire in the shadows of
virgin forests. Officers stationed there
were like officers stationed now in Min
danao, as far as loneliness went. They
were cut off from connection with their
followmen. So. many of them fell be-
meath the witehery of Burr. But the
United States struck then, as it will al
ways strike, and even in that remote re-
gion its power was felt. At Fort Adams,
a post near the one where Philip Nolan
was stationed, there was a eourtmartial
and men in officers uniforms were
brought before it for treason.
{ Colonies and majors were tried and
among the lesser fry was poor Philip
Nolan. Heaven knows there was enough
evidence against hin-that he was sick
of the service and was willing to be false
TO it and would obey any order to march
anywhither with any one who would fol-
low him had the order to march been
signed His Excelleney Aaron Burr"
was proved. Oh, yes, Nolan was guilty
enough. When the president of the court
asked him If he had anything to say why
sentence of death should not be pro-
nounced upon him the young man folded
his arms and cried out in fit of frenzy,
Damn the United States! I never want
to hear of the United States again"
Morgan was president of the court-old
Colonel Morgan, who had fought through
the revolution-and half of the officers
who sat at the table were also veterans
of that struggle. Old Morgan was ter
ribly shocked. Nolan had sworn upon
his faith as Christian to be true to
the United States, which gave him the
uniform he wore. She had picked him out
as one of her own confidential men and
given him the right to wear the sword.
Colonel Morgan called the court into his
own private room and there they took
counsel. He returned with the other men,
bers to the court room, his face pale with
emotion.
prisoner, hear the sentence of the
court. Subject to the approval of the
President of the United States this
court decides that you shall never hear
the name Of your country again" Nolan
laughed. But nobody else laughed. Nor
gan was too solemn and the room was
hushed in a minute. MI Marshal" con-
tinued Morgan, take the prisoner to New
to the naval commandant there. See
that no one mentions the United States to
the prisoner Make my respects to Lieu