The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1918-03-01
Continual.

to renew the order Of 1907 regarding
him. What was man to do? Should
he let him go2 What, then, If he
were called to account by the depart
ment for violating 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 ev-
cry man who had had him in charge?
urged and pressed this upon South
ard, and I have reason to think that
other officers did the same thing. But
the secretary always said, as they so
often do at Washington, that there
were no special orders to give, and
that we must act on our own judg-
ment. That means, If you succeed,
you will be sustained; If you fail, you
will be disavowed." Well, as Danforth
says, all that is over now, though
do not know but I expose myself to q
criminal prosecution on the evidence
Of the very revelation I am making.
Here is the letter:
"Levant, q 2" S. @ 1917 W.
"Dear Fred-I try to find heart and
life to tell you that it is all over with
dear old Nolan. have been with him
on this voyage more than ever was,
and can understand wholly now the
way in which you used to speak Of the
dear old fellow. I could see that he
was not strong, but had no idea that
the end was 80 near. 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-a
thing I never remember before. BE
Lad let the doctor come and see him as
he. lay there, the first time the doctor
had been in the stateroom, and he said
he should like to see me. Oh, dear!
do you remember the mysteries we
boys used to invent about his room, in
the old Intrepid days? Well, I went
in, and there, to be sure, the poor fel-
low lay in his berth. smiling pleasant
ly as he gave me his hand, but look
ing very frail. could not help a
glance round, which showed me what
a little shrine he had made of the box
he was lying in. The stars and stripes
were triced up above and around a
picture of Washington, and he had
painted majestic eagle, with light
nings blazing from his beak and his
foot just clasping the whole globe,
which his wings overshadowed. The
dear old boy saw my glance, and said,
with a sad smile, Here, you see, have
a country! And then he pointed to
the foot Of his bed, where l had not
seen before great map of the United
States, as he had drawn it from men,
DRY, and which he had there to look
upon as he lay. Quaint, queer old
names were on it, in large letters:
Indiana Territory mississippi Ter
ritory,' and Louisiana, as I supposed
our fathers learned such things; but
the old fellow had patched in Texas
too; he had carried his western boun-
Diary all the way to the Pacific, but on
that shore he had defined nothing.
"'Oh, Danforth,' he said, I know ]
am dying. I cannot get home. Sure.
~ you will tell me something now?
Stop! stop! Do not speak till say
what I am sure you know, that there
is not in this ship, that there is not
in America-God bless her Ia more
loyal man than I. There cannot be
man who loves the old flag as do, or
prays for it as do, or hopes for it as
do. There are thirty-four stars in
it now, Danforth. I thank God for
that, though / do not know what their
names are. There has never been one
taken away; thank God for that. ]
know by that, that there has never
been any successful Burr. Oh, Dan
forth, Danforth.' he sighed out, how
like a wretched nights dream boys
idea Of personal fame or of separate
sovereignty seems, when one looks
back on it after such 4 life as mine!
But tell me-tell me something-tell
me everything, Danforth, before die!'
Bingham, I swear to you that I felt
like monster that had not told him
everything before. Danger or no dan
ger, delicacy or no delicacy, who was
that I should have been acting the
tyrant all this time over this dear,
sainted old man, who had years ago
expiated, in his whole marhood's life,
the madness Of boys treason? Mr..
Nolan said I 4 will tell you everything
you ask about. Only, where shall I
beginr
"Oh, the blessed smile that crept
over his white face! and he pressed my
hand and said, God bless you! Tell
me their names,' he said, and he point
ed to the stars ON the flag. THE last
know is Ohio. My father lived In
Kentucky. But I have guessed Mich
tgan and Indiana and Mississippi-that
was where Fort Adams is-they make
twenty. But where are your other
fourteen? You have not cut up any
Of the old ones, hopper
"Well, that was not bad text, and
I told him the names, in as good Or
der as could, and he babe me take
down his beautiful map and draw them
In as best could with my pencil. He
vas Wild With dluGht about Texas,