What happened to Philip Nolan?
I suppose that very few casual readers of the "New York Herald" of August 13th observed, in an obscure corner, among the "Deaths," the announcement, "NOLAN. DIED, on board U.S. Corvette Levant, Lat. 2° 11' S., Long. 131° W., on the 11th of May: Philip Nolan."
When was Philip Nolan born?
Nolan, Philip (1771–1801). Philip Nolan, mustanger and filibuster, son of Peter and Elizabeth (Cassidy) Nolan, was, according to his own statement recorded in the 1794 Nacogdoches census, born in Belfast, Ireland, in 1771. He apparently received a good education.
What is the plot of the story of Philip Nolan?
Masterfully blending history and fiction, Pfarrer tells the story of a young artillery officer, Philip Nolan, who becomes embroiled in Aaron Burr’s 1807 conspiracy to invade the territories of the Louisiana Purchase. Insinuating his scheme has official approval, Burr convinces Nolan to carry a coded message into the Orleans Territory.
What was the date of Christopher Nolan's final expedition?
In his memoir, Peter Ellis Bean, a member of Nolan's expedition, gave the date as March 22, 1801. His men were captured and tried, and spent years in prison for their part in Nolan's final expedition, the precise nature of which has not yet been satisfactorily explained.
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What happened to Philip Nolan?
He was killed there by troops from Nacogdoches sent out to intercept him. Historical sources conflict regarding the exact date of the attack and Nolan's death. Spanish commander Miguel Francisco Músquiz recorded the event on March 21, 1801, in his diary.
Where was Philip Nolan buried?
A Texas Historical Marker designates the spot many think Philip Nolan was killed by Spanish Soldiers in 1801. Local historian Chuck Lummus thinks he is buried in Live Oak Cemetery in Hill County.
What was Philip Nolan known for?
Nolan is sometimes credited with being the first to map Texas for the American frontiersmen, but his map has never been found. Nonetheless, his observations were passed on to Wilkinson, who used them to produce his map of the Texas−Louisiana frontier in 1804.
Where is Philip Nolan from?
Dublin, IrelandPhilip Nolan (professor)Philip NolanBornDublin, IrelandNationalityIrishKnown forChair of the NPHET Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group Director General of Science Foundation Ireland President of Maynooth UniversityChildren219 more rows
Was Philip Nolan a real person?
Yes, there was a real Philip Nolan, and the writer Edward Everett Hale was apparently remorseful over borrowing his name for the main character in his famous patriotic short story, The Man Without A Country.
Is the man without a country based on a true story?
During the course of research he discovered that the book was not based on a true story although it was inspired by the Aaron Burr conspiracy.
What was Philip Nolans crime?
Lt. Miguel Músquiz commanding 120 soldiers in the Spanish Army left Nacogdoches on March 4, 1801 in pursuit of Philip Nolan and his companions. Charging him with entering Texas illegally to steal horses and potentially, to spy for the United States, Spanish authorities had issued a warrant for Nolan's arrest.
What were Philip Nolans crimes?
Nolan acted as an agent in Wilkinson's tobacco trade in New Orleans, procured horses for the Spanish army making horse trading ventures into Texas, and was suspected of spying and plotting with Wilkinson for the conquest of Mexico.
What were the Philip Nolan expeditions?
In between 1791 and 1801 there were four expeditions made to Texas from Spanish Louisiana under Philip Nolan's leadership. These expeditions are thought of as filibusters, but really, Nolan undertook them to make money trading horses rather than trying to free Texas from Spanish rule.
What is the plot of the man without a country?
The Man Without a Country is the story of American Army lieutenant Philip Nolan, who renounces his country during a trial for treason and is consequently sentenced to spend the rest of his days at sea without so much as a word of news about the United States.
What was James Long the leader of?
James Long, leader of the Long expedition, was born in Culpeper County, Virginia, probably in 1793. He was taken by his parents to Kentucky and then to Tennessee.
What did James Long expedition do in Texas?
The Long Expedition was an 1819 attempt to take control of Spanish Texas by filibusters. It was led by James Long and successfully established a small independent government, known as the Republic of Texas (distinct from the later Republic of Texas created by the Texas Revolution).
What is the plot of the man without a country?
The Man Without a Country is the story of American Army lieutenant Philip Nolan, who renounces his country during a trial for treason and is consequently sentenced to spend the rest of his days at sea without so much as a word of news about the United States.
Where was Philip Nolan born?
Philip Nolan was born to Peter Nolan and Elizabeth Cassidy Nolan in Belfast, Ireland, in 1771. [1]
Who were Philip Nolan's parents?
Children. Maria Josefa. Philip, Jr. Parent (s) Peter Nolan. Elizabeth (Cassidy) Nolan. Philip Nolan (1771 – 21 March 1801) was a horse-trader and freebooter in Natchez, on the Mississippi River, and the Spanish province of Tejas (aka Texas).
How many horses did Nolan have?
Nonetheless, and after living with the Indians for two years, Nolan returned to New Orleans with fifty horses . He made a second trip to Texas in 1794−95, with a passport from the Louisiana governor. He made acquaintance with Texas Governor Manuel Muñoz and the commandant general of the Provincias Internas, Pedro de Nava.
Who was the boundary commissioner for the United States when Nolan arrived at Natchez?
It was on this trip that he met his first wife. He brought back 250 horses. In 1796, he worked for Andrew Ellicott, boundary commissioner for the United States, who was mapping the Missouri River. Governor Gayoso de Lemos was not pleased when Nolan arrived at Natchez accompanied by the surveying party.
Why were Nolan's ears cut off?
Nolan's ears were cut off as evidence for Spain that he was dead. The first-hand account of the expedition, capture and subsequent imprisonment is contained in the Memoirs of Ellis P. Bean, who was second in command of the expedition. A river and county were named after him.
Who was the Spanish governor of Louisiana and Spanish West Florida?
In 1791, using the influence of Wilkinson, he obtained a trading passport from the Spanish governor of Louisiana and Spanish West Florida, Esteban Rodríguez Miró. He left Wilkinson's employ and set out to trade with the Indian tribes across the Mississippi. The passport was void in Spanish Texas, and his goods were confiscated by Spanish authorities. Nonetheless, and after living with the Indians for two years, Nolan returned to New Orleans with fifty horses .
Who was the first person to map Texas?
Nolan is sometimes credited with being the first to map Texas for the American frontiersmen, but his map has never been found. Nonetheless, his observations were passed on to Wilkinson, who used them to produce his map of the Texas−Louisiana frontier in 1804.
Who is Philip Nolan?
Masterfully blending history and fiction, Pfarrer tells the story of a young artillery officer , Philip Nolan, who becomes embroiled in Aaron Burr’s 1807 conspiracy to invade the territories of the Louisiana Purchase. Insinuating his scheme has official approval, Burr convinces Nolan to carry a coded message into the Orleans Territory.
What happened to Nolan in the movie?
Nolan is sentenced to permanent exile aboard a series of U.S. warships, never again to hear news from or speak of his country. Decades pass. Shuttled from ocean to ocean, Nolan realizes he is a stateless person, estranged from his keepers and forgotten by his country.
What does Nolan teach the young officer in the movie?
As a rescue mission is launched, Nolan teaches the young officer a lesson about duty, loyalty, and the meaning of patriotism.
Who convinced Nolan to carry a coded message into the Orleans Territory?
Insinuating his scheme has official approval, Burr convinces Nolan to carry a coded message into the Orleans Territory. Nolan has no knowledge of the former vice president’s intended treason—and Burr has no idea that Thomas Jefferson has discovered his scheme.
Who is the author of The Man Without a Country?
Philip Nolan: The Man Without a Country is Chuck Pfarrer’s captivating adaptation of Edward Everett Hale’s American classic “The Man Without a Country,” first published in The Atlantic Monthly more than a century ago. Masterfully blending history and fiction, Pfarrer tells the story of a young artillery officer, Philip Nolan, who becomes embroiled in Aaron Burr’s 1807 conspiracy to invade the territories of the Louisiana Purchase. Insinuating his scheme has official approval, Burr convinces Nolan to carry a coded message into the Orleans Territory. Nolan has no knowledge of the former vice president’s intended treason—and Burr has no idea that Thomas Jefferson has discovered his scheme. Soon Philip Nolan is in military custody with Burr, charged an accessory to the plot.
Why did Nolan never hear of Texas?
The reason he had never heard of Texas was that Texas and her affairs had been painfully cut out of his newspapers since Austin began his settlements; so that, while he read of Honduras and Tamaulipas, and, till quite lately, of California, this virgin province, in which his brother had travelled so far, and, I believe, had died, had ceased to be to him. Waters and Williams, the two Texas men, looked grimly at each other, and tried not to laugh. Edward Morris had his attention attracted by the third link in the chain of the captain's chandelier. Watrous was seized with a convulsion of sneezing. Nolan himself saw that something was to pay, he did not know what. And I, as master of the feast, had to say,—
Why did Nolan find a hole in the paper?
Right in the midst of one of Napoleon's battles, or one of Canning's speeches, poor Nolan would find a great hole, because on the back of the page of that paper there had been an advertisement of a packet for New York, or a scrap from the President's message.
What did Burr ask Nolan to take out of his skiff?
Burr had not been at the fort an hour before he sent for him. That evening he asked Nolan to take him out in his skiff, to show him a canebrake or a cotton-wood tree, as he said,—really to seduce him; and by the time the sail was over, Nolan was enlisted body and soul.
Why did the boys in the garrison sneer at Nolan?
The other boys in the garrison sneered at him, because he sacrificed in this unrequited affection for a politician the time which they devoted to Monongahela, sledge, and high-low-jack. Bourbon, euchre, and poker were still unknown. But one day Nolan had his revenge.
Did Nolan laugh at Morgan?
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 moment. Then Morgan added,—
Who was Philip Nolan?
The name " Philip Nolan " belonged to the business secretary and bookkeeper for James Wilkinson, a Spanish spy who was first an associate of Aaron Burr and then an informer on Burr. That Nolan was killed by the Spanish Army while he was stealing Texas mustangs in 1801, years before Burr's trial.
Who played Philip Nolan in the 1947 drama?
A four-part dramatization was recorded in June 1947 and issued by Decca on two coupled 12" 78 rpm discs. Bing Crosby provided the narration, and Frank Lovejoy portrayed Philip Nolan. Later that same year on November 26th, a dramatization was performed on Philco Radio Time, with Crosby (the program's star and host) again providing narration.
What happened to Nolan when he was tried for treason?
When Burr is tried for treason (that historically occurred in 1807), Nolan is tried as an accomplice. During his testimony, he bitterly renounces his nation and, with a foul oath, angrily shouts, "I wish I may never hear of the United States again!".
What does the dying man ask for in the book of public prayer?
The dying man asks desperately to be told the news of American history since 1807, and Danforth finally relates to him almost every major event that has happened to the US since his sentence was imposed; the narrator confesses, however, "I could not make up my mouth to tell him a word about this infernal rebellion" (the Civil War ). Nolan then asks him to bring his copy of the Presbyterian Book of Public Prayer and to read the page at which it automatically opens. Here are the words: "Most heartily we beseech Thee with Thy favor to behold and bless Thy servant, the President of the United States, and all others in authority." Nolan says, "I have repeated those prayers night and morning, it is now fifty-five years." Every day, he had read of the US but only in the form of a prayer to uphold its leaders since the US Navy had neglected to keep that book from him, which is the supreme irony of the story.
What does Nolan learn from his country?
Deprived of a homeland, Nolan slowly and painfully learns the true worth of his country.
What is the bald eagle on Nolan's bed?
Over his bed, Nolan has painted a bald eagle, with lightning "blazing from his beak" and claws grasping the globe. At the foot of his bed is an outdated map of the United States, showing many of its old territories that had, unbeknownst to him, been admitted to statehood. Nolan smiles, "Here, you see, I have a country!".
What is the sentence for Nolan?
Nolan is to spend the rest of his life aboard US Navy warships in exile with no right ever to set foot on US soil again and with explicit orders that no one shall ever again mention his country to him. The sentence is carried out to the letter.
Overview
Philip Nolan (1771 – 21 March 1801) was a mustang trader and freebooter in Natchez, on the Mississippi River, and the Spanish province of Tejas (aka Texas).
Early life
Philip Nolan was born to Peter Nolan and Elizabeth Cassidy Nolan in Belfast, Ireland, in 1771.
Career
As a teen, he went to work for the Kentucky (part of Virginia until 1792) and Spanish Louisiana entrepreneur James Wilkinson as his business secretary and bookkeeper (from 1788 to 1791). He handled much of Wilkinson's New Orleans trade and became conversant in Spanish. During this time, he became acquainted with Manuel Gayoso de Lemos, the district governor of Natchez during the final years of Spanish control there.
Personal life
He had an out-of-wedlock relationship with Maria Gertrudis Dolores Quiñones, with whom he had a daughter Maria Josefa, born August 20, 1798, in what is now San Antonio, Texas. Philip was separated from Maria before July 1800.
He married the former Frances Lintot, a daughter of Bernard Lintot, a prominent Natchez citizen, on December 19, 1799. Frances bore him a son Philip Nolan, Jr., in July 1801, after he had left o…
Death
On March 21, 1801, a Spanish force of 120 men under the command of Lieutenant M. Músquiz left Nacogdoches in pursuit of Nolan, whom they encountered entrenched and unwilling to surrender just upstream from where the current Nolan River flows into the larger Brazos (now in Hill County, Texas). Several of Nolan's men surrendered immediately to the Spanish and after Nolan was killed, the remainder yielded. Nolan's ears were cut off as evidence for Spain that he was dead. T…
Notes
1. ^ Entry in the Census of Nacogdoches by Antonio Gil Ybabro, December 31, 1792.
2. ^ Descendants of Joseph Quiñones at the Wayback Machine (archived May 10, 2005), as compiled by Steve Gibson, updated August 2, 2004.
3. ^ Handbook of Texas Online: "Nolan, Philip" by Jack Jackson, uploaded on June 15, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association, accessed March 13, 2016.
External links
• Philip Nolan at Find a Grave
• Philip Nolan in the Handbook of Texas Online
• Henry Raup Wagner Collection of Philip Nolan Papers. Yale Collection of Western Americana. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.