The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-06-23

Siocheu. IL Noidn nau compared
George Washington to Benedict Ar
mold, or had cried, God save King
George" Morgan would not have felt
worse. He called the court into his
private room, and returned In fifteen
minutes, with a face like a sheet, to
say:
Prisoner, hear the sentence of the
court. The court decides, subject to
the approval of the president, that you
never hear the name of the United
States again."
Nolan laughed. But nobody else
laughed. Old Morgan was too
solemn, and the whole room was
hushed dead as night for a minute.
Even Nolan lost his swagger in a mo-
ment. Then Morgan added: "Mr.
Marshal, take the prisoner to Orleans
in an armed boat, and deliver him to
the naval commander there"
The marshal gave his orders, and
the prisoner was taken out of court.
"Mr. Marshal" continued old Nor
gan, "see that nj n mentions the
United States to the prisoner. Mr..
Marshal, make my respects to Lieu
tenant Mitchell at Orleans, and re-
quest him to order that no one shall
mention the United States to the pris-
oner while he is on board ship. You
will receive your written orders from
the officer on duty here this evening.
The court is adjourned without day"
I have always supposed that Colonel
Morgan himself took the proceedings
of the court to Washington City, and
explained them to Mr.. Jefferson. Ger
tain it is that the president approved
them, certain, that is, if / may believe
the men who say they have seen his
signature.
The plan then adopted was sub
Stantially the same which was neceS-
sarily followed ever after. Perhaps
it was suggested by the necessity of
sending him by water from Fort
Adams and Orleans. The secretary of
the navy was requested to put Nolan
on board a government vessel bound
on a long cruise, and to direct that he
should be only so far confined there
as to make it certain that he never
saw or heard of the country. We had
few long cruises then, and the navy
was very much out of favor; and as
almost all of this story is traditional,
as I have explained, 1 do not know GER
tainly what his first cruise was. But
the commander to whom he was in
trusted-perhaps it was Tingey or
Shaw, though I think it was n Of
the younger men-we are all old
enough now-regulated the etiquette
and the precautions OF the affair, and
according to his scheme they were
carried out, l suppose, till Nolan died.
When l was second officer of the In
trepid some thirty years after, 1 Saw
the original paper of instructions. I
have been sorry ever since that I did
not copy the whole of it. 1t an, how
ever, much in this way:
washington" with the date, which
must have been late in 1900.
"Sir-You will receive from Lieu
tenant Neale the person of Philip No
Ian, late a lieutenant in the United
States army.
"This person on his trial by court
martial expressed with an oath the
wish that he might never hear of the
United States again.
1.-THE court sentenced him to have
his wish fulfilled.
"For the present, the execution of
of this department.
"You will take the prisoner on board
your ship, and keep him there with
such precautions as shall prevent his
escape.
"You will provide him with such
quarters, r%ations, and clothing as
would be proper for an officer of his
late rank, if he were a passenger on
your vessel on the business of his gov
eminent.
"The gentlemen on board will make
any arrangements agreeable to them
be exposed to no indignity of any kind
nor is he ever unnecessarily to be re-
minded that he is a prisoner.
"But under no circumstances is he
ever to hear Of his country or to see
any information regarding it and you
will especially caution all the officers
under your command to take care that,
in the various indulgences which may
be granted, this rule, in which his pun
ishment is involved, shall not be
broken.
at is the intention of the govern
ment that he shall never again see
the country which he has disowned.
Before the end of your cruise you will
receive orders which will give effect
to this intention.
Respectfully yours,
"W. SOUTHARD,
"for the Secretary of the Navy"
If I had only preserved the whole
of this paper, there would be no break
in the beginning of my sketch of this
story. For Captain Shaw, if it was he,
handed it to his successor in the
charge, and he to his.