The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1915-01-21

E0HlLlP NOLAN was rs fine a
III Young officer as there was In
III the Legion ~ the West as
IL the western division of our
army was then called When Aaron
Burr made his first dashiDg expedition
down 10 New Orleans In 1895 at Fort
Massac or somewhere above ON the
river he met as the devil would have
1t, this gay dashing, bright young Eel
low at some dinner party. thiak
Burr marked him. talked 10 him. walk.
al with him, took him a day or two's
voyage in his hatboat and. In short.
fascinated him. For the next year
barrack life was very tame 10 poor
Nolan. He occasionally awaited Of the
permission the great man had given
him TO write TO him The other boys
In the garrison sneered at him because
he sacrificed In this unrequited affec-
ton for politician the time which
they devoted 90 mOnongahela. sledgc
and high.low.jack Bourbon. euchrc
aud poker were still unknown Hut
one day Nolan had his revenge This
time Burr came down the river not as
an attorney seeking a place for his ~
fee, but as disguised conqueror II
was rumored that he had an army be-
hind him and an empire before him.
II was great day-his arrival-to poor
Nolan. Burr had not been at the fort
an hour before he sent for him. That
evening he asked Nolan 10 take him
out In his skin to show him cane
brake or a cottonwood tree. as he said
really 10 seduce him-and by the time
the sail was over Nolan was enlisted
body and soul From that time.
though he did not yet know H. he lived
As IA 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 some Of
the lesser fry in that distant Mlssis-
sippi valley 10 while away the mono
tony Of the summer az Fort Adams
got up for spectacles a string Of court
martials on the officers there. One
and another Of the colonies aud majors
were tried and. 10 fill OUT the list. little
Nolan. against whom. heaven knows.
there was evidence enough that he
was sick NJ the service. had been will.
ing Ia be- false Ia II aud would have
Obeved any order 90 march anywhither
with any one who would follow him
had the order only been signed. by
command IT His Exc 4 Burr" The
courts dragged On The big flies ~
capped rightly for all ! know Nolan
was proved guilty enough as say. yet
you aud ! would never have heard Of
him. reader. but that. when the presi
dent OF the court asked him no the
close whether he wished Ia say any.
thing 10 show that be- had always been
faithful to the United States he cried
out in a NJ " frenzy
d the United States. wish
may never hear Of the United States
again"
! suppose he did not know how the
words shocked old Colonel Morgan.
who was holding the court. Nolan
had grown ~ In the west Of those
days Ia the midst Of Spanish plot.
"Orleans plot" and all the rest He
had been educated on plantation
where the finest company was "A Span
ish officer or French merchant from
Orleans His education. such M il
was had been perfected Ia commercial
expeditions 10 Vera Cruz and think
he told the his father once hired an
Englishman Ia be- private tutor for a
winter on the plantation. lie had spent
half his youth with an older brother
hunting horses in Texas. and. In word
Ia him United states was scarce.
~ reality Yet he had been fed by
United States for all the years since
he had been In the army lie had
sworn ou his faith as u Christian 10 be-
true 10 United States" IL was Unit.
ed STATES" which gave him the uniform
he wore aud the sword by his side.
do not excuse Nolan only explain 10
the reader why he damned his country
aud wished he might never hear her
name again
He never did hear her name but
once again. From that moment. Sept.
-. 1897. III the day he died. May IL.
1888. he never heard her name sgain.
For that hail century and more he was
a man without country.
Old Morgan. as ! said. was terribly
shocked lie called the court into his
private room and returned In fifteen
with face like a sheet. to
say:
Prisoner. hear the sentence Of the
court The court decides. subject 20
the approval u the president TINT you
never hear the name Of the United
States again
Nolan laughed But nobody else