Tombstone epitaph., 1917-06-03

n, 1888, he never heard her name again. For that half century and
 more he was . man without . coun- try.
 Old Morgan. as I said. was terribly
 shocked. If Nolan had 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. Mfr. Marshal" continued old Nor | gan, Ssee that no one mentions the ! United States to the prisoner. Mir
 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" have always supposed that Colonel
 Morgan himself took the proceedings
 explained them to Mir. Jefferson. Ger
 tain 1t 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 l 1t 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 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 l few long cruises then, and the navy was very much out of favor; and as almost all of this story is traditional, | as have explained, do not know cer- l tainly what his first cruise was. But the commander to whom he was in- l trusted-perhaps 1t was Tingey or | Shaw, though I think 1t was one 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, I suppose, till Nolan died When I was second officer of the h. trepid some thirty years after, l saw the original paper of instructions.
 have been sorry ever since that did
 not copy the whole of 1t. It ran, how
 ever. much in this way:
 Washington" twith the date. which | must have been late in 1S0D. "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.
 "The court sentenced him to have his wish fulfilled.
 For the present, the execution of
 the order is intrusted by the president
 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, rations, 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 ernment.
 "The gentlemen on board will make i any arrangements agreeable to them ! selves regarding his society. He is to 
 be exposed to no indignity of any kind nor is he ever unnecessarily to be re minded that he is prisoner.
 "But under no circumstances Is he
 ever to hear of his country or to see any information regarding 1t; 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.
 Tt 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"