A very simple question; only a very brief answer is requested..

Years ago (in elementary school) I remember reading or hearing about a
person convicted of treason against the United States.  He was
arrested and convicted.  At his sentencing he made comments that
included something like "I hope that I never see America again."

In keeping with his request, he was placed on a departing Navy ship. 
He spent the rest of his life being transferred from one boat to
another, out of sight of land.  Thus, he never saw America again (and,
I seem to recall that towards the end of his life, he was said to have
regretted his request).

This story may not be true (and it seems a bit hokey that these ships would
coordinate themseles in such a manner), but if it's true then I would
like to know the name of the person, and prehaps a link where I can
read the story.

I got this from a Biblical website:

"In December 1863, Edward Everett Hale published a story in ATLANTIC
magazine titled, "The Man without a Country." This story, was about a
United States Army officer, Philip Nolan, who had been involved in the
Revolutionary war treachery of Aaron Burr. At his trial he was asked
if he wished to say anything in his defense to show that he had always
been faithful to the United States. But he cried out, "May God curse
the United States, I wish I may never hear of the United States
again." The judge decided to take Philip Nolan's request seriously. So
instead of sentencing him to death for treason, which he had every
right to do, he sentenced him to be imprisioned at sea on government
vessels with instructions to the officers that no one was permit him
to hear the name of or receive any information about his country. In
this fashion many years go by. He passes from ship to ship, always
transferred before the one he is riding on returns to the U.S. port.
Government red tape keeps him from getting pardoned, and at last he
dies at sea--but not before the supposed author of the story, a naval
officer, breaks orders and tells him about America and its remarkable
growth and prosperity during the preceding twenty- five years. Nolan's
last words are that no one ever loved a country as much as he."

Sounds like what you were describing, enjoy!


Search Strategy:

"ship to ship" treason exile on google:
://www.google.com/search?q=%22ship+to+ship%22+treason+exile


Additional Links:

http://www.unionchurch.com/archive/012499.html


Thank you for the opportunity to answer your question, if you require
more information, please clarify the question, or if you find this
answer satisfactory, please feel free to rate it. Thank you!
  
skermit-ga

---

Clarification of Answer by skermit-ga on 16 Jan 2003 16:56 PST

One of my fellow researchers, pinkfreud-ga sent me a link to the
original story which you may like to read again to refresh your
memory. The link follows below.


Additional Links:

"The Man without a Country":
http://www.bartleby.com/310/6/1.html


skermit-ga

Yes, this is certinally the story I recall reading.  Thanks!!!