Nolan, Philip, 1771-1801

Born to Peter and Elizabeth (Cassidy) Nolan in Ireland, Philip Nolan (1771-1801) became a noted mustanger and possible filibuster in Spanish Texas. Before arriving in Texas, Nolan worked as a bookkeeper and shipping clerk for General James Wilkinson in Kentucky and New Orleans, where he learned of business opportunities in Texas. Nolan began mustanging in 1791, though suspicions grew among Spanish authorities about his true intentions due to his connections with Wilkinson and illegal trade. A year after marrying Frances Lintot in 1799, Nolan set out with a group of well-armed men on his fourth expedition to catch horses in Texas. After building a small fortification and corrals, Nolan began catching mustangs. He was killed, however, in March 1801 by Spanish forces sent to intercept him, while his captured men were tried and imprisoned.

From the guide to the Nolan, Philip, Papers, 1797-1808, (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)

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