Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-25
ANTIQUITY LODGE.
THE ROMANCE CONNECTED WITH AN
OLD MASONIC BODY.
The Regalia Twice Captured in War,
Returned by Washington
and Napoleon.

one OF Inc most interesting MasOnlc
gatherings which has ever been held in
this city was the recent meeting of An
tiquity Lodge, writes the Montreal CORE
spondent of the Boston Herald The
Lodge is the oldest in Canada, having been
established May 4, 1852, with travelling
warrant obtained from the Grand Lodge
of Ireland by Masons in the old Forty
sixth Regiment, now the Duke of Corn
wallis Light Infantry, then stationed in
Ireland. 1t is claimed by the Star that
George Washington was made a Mason in
this Lodge, and there are perfectly au-
thentic records of the Lodge regalia hav-
ing been twice captured by enemies of the
brave regiment in which it was fostered,
first by the Americans, and subsequently
by the French. As the Lodge was a reei-
mental one, it accompanied the Forty
sixth through all its campaigns, and a
history of the Lodge is practically his
tory of the regiment. In 1856 the regi-
ment was ordered to Nova Scotia, signif-
cant fact that the Lodge should hold its
] first meeting outside of the immediate ter
ritory of its parent Grand Lodge in the
country in which, after brief sojourns and
great perils in ali parts of the world, it
was ultimately to find home. The regi-
ment took part in the conquest Of Canada,
and it is understood that Antiquity Lodge
! held its first meeting in Montreal in 1850,
when the Forty-sixth Res iment formed
part of the victorious British forces 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 Bar
BADGES, was on service. in Havana in 1862,
and returned to this continent in 1894, re-
naming 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 before the
bullock trunk with brass mountings which
carried the lodges regalia throughout its
wanderings was again packed to accompany
! the regiment to America il 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 location of the lodge.
| Shortly after landing the Forty-sixth was
actively engaged against those who, on the
occasion of their former services on this
continent, had been their friends, and in
some cases brethren and visiting brethren
of the regimental lodge. The regiment
! greatly distinguished itself all through the
| irving campaigns which followed. 1t
shared in all the operations against New
York, White Plain and Fort Washington,
and participated in the dashing pursuit of
Washington's forces across New Jersey to-
ward Philadelphia. 1t wintered at AM
boy, where regular communications of the
lodge were held.
1t was present at Peak Hills on March
/ %, 1777, and, embarking at Sandy Hook,
was present at the gallant affair at Brandy
wine on September 18th. During this
campaign the regiment gained distine-
ton of which its members to this day are
particularly proud. An American brigade
| of 800 men under General Wayne being
posted so as to greatly annoy the British
| force the light companies of the regiment
were ordered to dislodge them. These 300
men made a night attack, inhicting a
bloody defeat on the Americans. The
heaviest portion of the fighting fell on the
company of the Forty-sixth, and the
| Americans were so enraged over the defeat
as to VOW vengeance on the regiment. The
men of the Forty-sixth laughed the boastful
! threats to scorn, and considerably notified
| them that if they were particularly
anxious for revenge they were welcome to
/ il, and that to enable them to distinguish
| the men of the regiment at the next en-
| gagement their shake balls would be stained
/, red. Sure enough the next time the
armies met the white balls in the shakos
of the Forty-sixth we're dyed red, it is
said, by dipping them in blood. The
| Forty-sixfh wore red shake balls all
through the Revolutionary war, and when
the regiment returned to England the
men were allowed to continue to wear red
''pompons" in their shakos in commemora-
ton of their particular gallantry on this
| occasion and their distinguished services
throughout the whole of the American
war. The distinction has been kept up to
this day, in spite of army reforms and reg
mental changes.
The regiment is also popularity known
as the "Lacedemonians," from an incident
which occurred duling the French war in
| Canada. The men were holding an ex-
posed position against an overwhelming
force, when the Colonel, coolly standing on
an elevation in full view of the French
| sharpshooters, delivered learned lecture
to his men on the Lacedemonians, urging
them to initiate the warriors of olden
times The Forty-sixth was quartered in
| Philadelphia during the winter of 11f7-1S,
and the lodge resumed its regular meet
ings. In the spring it was engaged in ar
duous 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 forces
at Monmouth Courthouse. The regiment
was afterward at Martha's Vineyard, and
the end of the war found it at New York,
with the proud record of having clean
| deserters' sheet, not a man having de-
serted to the enemy during the war. All
| through the war, despite fatiguing
marches and the exigencies of the service,
the regimental lodge kept up its commu-
| nications, giving fresh impetus, to many
of the established lodges of the districts in
which the regiment happened to be sta
toned. The bullock trunk, carrying the
regalla and lodge books, accompanied the
regiment when practicable, but in some
cases, for want of transport, it had to follow
some DAYS behind. On one Of these occa-
sions the chest fell into the hands of the
Americans, but was returned by Washing
ton to the regiment under a flag Of truce
and escorted by guard of honor.
This incident is considered, by some
authorities as of great Importance, in view
of the controversy which took place many
years ago as to George Washington having
been made Mason, or having taken some
degree in the lodge of the Forty-sixth
Regiment, or the "Lodge Of Social and
Military Virtues" as it is officially known.
In 1881 Lieutenant Colonel Lacy of the
Forty-sixth discovered an old Bible which
had been used in the lodge, and on the fly