St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-27
A MASONIC ROMANCE
Early Days Of the Oldest
Lodge of Masons in the
Canadas.
1t Had It's Origin in the Old
Fopty-Sixth Regi-
ment.
The Capture of Fine Regalia
i by Americans and
French
And It's Return by President
Washington and Ma
poleon.

Montreal tQue.) Special.
One of the most interesting Masonic
gatherings which has ever been held in
this city was the meeting of Antiquity
lodge last week. The lodge is the
oldest in Canada, having been es-
tablished May 4, 1852. with a travelling
warrant obtained from the grand
lodge of Ireland by Masons in
the old FortY-sixth regiment, now
the Duke of CORVALLIS light in
fantry, then stationed in Ire
land. 1t is claimed by the Star that
George Washington was made Mason
in this lodge, and there are perfectly
authenticated records of the lodge re-
gala having been twice captured by
enemies of the brave regiment in which
it was fostered, first by the Ameri-
cans and then by the French.
As the lodge was a regimentaI
one it accompanied the Forty
sixth through all its campaigns,
and history of the lodge
is practically history of the regiment.
In 1756 the regiment was ordered to
Nova SCOTIA significant fact that the
llOlo AGS ll1Sb ulCCIlu&S Oul-
side of the immediate territory of its
parent Grand Lodge in the country in
which. after brief soiourns and great
perilS liz all parts of the world, it was
ultimately to find home. The regiment
took part in the conquest of Canada,
and 1t is understood that Antiquity
lodge held its first meeting in Montreal
in 1760. when the Forty-slXth regiment
formed part of the victorious British
force which saw the last act of the great
drama which ended in the cessiOn of
Canada to Great Britain. In 1761 the
regiment embarked for Barbados. was
on service in Havana in 1862 and re-
turned to this continent in 1864, remain
ing in some of the English colonies to
the south of Canada for four years. The
year 1867 saw the regiment once more
in Ireland, and eight years passed be-
fore the bullock trunk with brass
mountings, which carried the lodges re-
gala throughout its WanderingS, was
again packed to accompany the regi-
ment
TO AMERICA IN 1776
to join the little army with which Great
Britain expected to keep the population
of the United States in submission.
Staten Island was the next loca-
ton of the lodge. Shortly af-
w AohNtiLS7 bltO IOlby -SlAGA was
actively engaged against those who, on
the occasion of their former services on
this confident. had been their friends,
and IN some cases brethren and visiting
breth rem of the regimental lodge. The
regiment greatly distinguished itself
all through the trying campaigns which
followed. 1t shared in all the operations
against New York, White Plains and
Fort Washington, and participated
in the dashing pursuit of Wash
ington's forces across New Jersey
toward Philadelphia. 1t wintered at
Amboy, where regular communications
at Peak Hills on March %, I'M, and,
embarking at Sandy Hook. was present
at the gallant affair at Brandvwine on
Sept. II. During this campaign the
regiment gained distinction of which
its members to this day are par
ticularly proud. An American brigade
of l 800 men under Gen. Wayne being
posted so as to greatly annoy the Brit
ish force, the light companies of the
regiment We're ordered to diSlodge them.
These 800 men made night attack, in
fiicting bloody defeaton the Americans.
The heaviest portion of the fighting fell
the Americans were so enraged over
the defeat as to specially vow
vengeance on the regiment. The
men of the gallant Forty-siXtn laughed
the boastful threats of their
enemies to scorn, and consider
ately notified them that if they were
particularly anxious for revenge they
were welcome to it, and that to enable
them to distinguish the men of the regi-
ment at the next engagement their
shake balls would be stained red. Sure
l,n
shakos VIZ of " the Fo Sti1 had Ipd
been dyed red, it is said. by dip
ping them in blood. The Forty-sixth wore
red shake balls all through the revo-
lutionary war, and when the regiment
returned to England the men were al
lowed to continue to wear red pom
pOns" in their shakos in commemora-
ton of their particular gallantry on
this occasion and their distinguished
services throughout the whole Amerl-
can war. The distinction has been
KEPT UP TO THIS DAY,
in spite of army reforms and regimental
changes. The regiment is also popu-
lariy known as the ssLacedemonians.n
from an incident which occurred during
the French war in Canada. The men
were holding an exposed position
against an overwhelming force, when
the colonel. coolly standing on an
elevation full in view of the French
sharpshooterS, delivered learned lee
ture TO his men on the Lacedemonians,
urging them to initiate the warriors of
olden times. The Forty-siXth was quar-
tered in Philadelphia during the winter
of TITS, and the lodge resumed its reg
ular meetings. In the spring it was en-
gagged in arduous detachment duty, and
afterward took part in the fatigues and
difficulties of the march of the army from
Philadelphia, and in the repulse of the
American force at Monmouth conrt
house. The regiment YVES afterwards
at Martha's Vineyard, and the end of
the war found it at New York with the
proud record of having clean desert
ers' sheet, not man having deserted to
the enemy during the war. All through
the war, despite fatIguing marches and
the eXigeneies of the service, the
regimental lodge kept up its COM
munications, giving fresh i'm
petuS to many Of the established
lodges of the districts In which the
regiment happened to be stationed.
The bullock trunk, carrying the regalia
and lodge books, accompanied the regi-
ment when practicable, but In some
cases, for want of transport, it had to
follow some days behind. On one of
these occasions the chest fell into the
hands of the Americans, but was re-
turned by Washington to the regi-
mPUt under flag of truce