The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-07-28


her as she bids you, though the service
carry you through a thousand hells.
No matter what happens to you, no
matter who f1atters you or who 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
and people even, there is the country
herself, your country, and that you be-
long to her as you belong to your own
mother. Stand by her, boy, as you
would stand by your mother if those
devils there had got hold Of her to-
dayv
1 was frightened to death by his
calm, hard passion, but l blundered
out that I would, by all that was holy,
and that had never thought of doing
anything else. He hardly seemed to
hear me, but he did, almost in a whis
per, say, ooh, if anybody had said so
to me when was of you age!"
l think it was this half confidence of
his, which 1 never abused, for never
told this story till now, which after
ward made us great friends. He was
very kind to me. When we parted
from him in ST. Thomas harbor at the
end Of our cruise I was more sorry
than 1 can tell. 1 was very glad to
meet him again in 1880, and later in life,
when l thought l had some influence
in Washington, moved heaven and
earth to have him discharged But it
was like getting a ghost out of prison.
They pretended there was no such man
and never was such man. They will
say so at the department now!
There is a story that Nolan met Burr
once on one of our vessels, when a
party Of Americans came on board in
the Mediterranean. But this believe
to be lie; or, rather, it is q myth, we'll
found, involving tremendous blowing
up with which he sunk Burr-asking
him how he liked to be without a
country -.--..,-----
After that cruise never saw Nolan
again. wrote to him at least twice a
year, for in that voyage we became even
confdentially intimate; but he never
wrote to me. The other men tell me
that in those fifteen years he aged very
fast. And now it seems the dear old
fellow is dead. He has found home
ut last, and a country.
Since writing this 1 have received
from Danforth, who is on board the
Levant, a letter which gives an ac-
count Of Nolan's last hours. It removes
all my doubts about telling this story.
To understand the first words of the
letter the nonprofeSsional reader should
remember that after 1917 the position
of every officer who had Nolan in
charge was one Of the greatest deli
cacy The government had failed to
renew the order of 1907 regarding him.
What was man to do? Should he let
him go? What. then. if he were called
to account by the department for vio-
lating the order of 1907? Should he
keep him? What, then. if Nolan should
be liberated some day and should bring
an action for false Imprisonment or
kidnapping against every man who had
had him in charge? The secretary al
ways said, as they so often do at
Washington, that there were no spe-
cial orders to give and that we must
act on our own judgment.
Here is the letter:
Levant, % 2" S. a 1879 w.
Dear Fred-I try to find heart and life
to tell you that it is all over with dear ole
Nolan. The doctor had been watching
him very carefully and yesterday morning
came to me and told me that Nolan was
not so well and had not left his stateroom
q thing l never remembered before. He
had let the doctor come and see him as ht
lay there, the first time the doctor haC
been in the stateroom, and he said hi
should like to see me. Oh, dear, do yol
remember the mysteries we boys used tt
invent about his room in the old intrepid
days? Well, 1 went in, and there to b.
sure, the poor fellow lay in his berth
smiling pleasantly as he gave me hi:
hand, but looking very frail. 1 could no
help a glance round, which showed m,
what little shrine he had made of tn,
box he was lying in. The stars and stripes
were triced up above and around pictur,
of Washington; and he had painted ma
jestic eagle, with lightnings blazing from
his beak and his foot just clasping tn
whole globe, which his wings overshad
owed. The dear old boy saw my glanc
and said, with a sad smile, Here, you see
have country" And he pointed to tn
foot of his bed, where 1 had not seen be
fore great map of the United States a
he had drawn it from memory and which
he had there to look upon as he lay
Quaint, queer old names were on it il
large letters. ooh, Danforth," he said, ''
know | am dying. L cannot get home
Surely you will tell me something now
STOP stop! Do not speak till / say what
am sure you know-that there is not il
this ship that there is not in America
God bless her!-a more loyal man than ]
There cannot be a man who loves the oil
flag as 1 do or prays for it as 1 do o
hopes for it as do. There are thirty fou
stars in it now, Danforth. l thank Go
for that though 1 do not know what thei
names are. There has never been on
taken away. 1 thank God for that.
know by that that there has never bee
any successful Burr. Oh, Danforth, Dan
FORTH" he sighed out "tell me-tell m
something-tell me everything. Danfortt
before 1 die!
Ingham, 1 swear to you that felt Xix
a monster that had not told him every
thing before. Danger or no danger, del
icacy or no delicacy, who was 1 that
should have been acting the tyrant a.
this time over this dear, sainted old ma
who had years ago expiated in his Who'll
manhood's life the madness of a boy
treason? ''Mr. Nolan" said l. Il will te
you everything you ask about, only wher
shall begin?'
Oh, the blessed smile that crept over hi
white facet And he pressed my hand an
said: God bless you'll Tell me thei
Names" he said, and he pointed to til
stars on the flag
Well, I told him the names in as goo
order as I could, and he babe me TAX