The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-05
LODGES IN WAR TIMES,
A LODGE wHBRB YANK AND NM,
MET ON THE LEVEL

Prsbably the s~tranrcst Masonic csthcr,.r a.,
necord-erew out or . Snake Chnrn.s,.
Trich-He was Prisoner In n Rebel stoo..
sas-A led6e on Folly island. Z. e
If Charter Oak Lodge is in existence in Ma
York, - said q man from up the State, 1T ouph,
to have the furniture Of a lodge which was belS
during tho war in tho Geld. 1t was on Foil,
leland, s. O., and had Its charter and .nsc,,,
dispensation from tho Grand Lodge Of Indian.
There wero in camp on the island tho TbIr
teenth Indiana Infantry and tho ll2th ana
teeth New York Infantry. Soon afterward m.
First New York Independent Engineer. moved
down, and they built . rustic Masonic
temple. Tho altar and chairs and fur.
niturc wero made Of the wood OF IN.
island. ana some Of the furniture made n,
tho natural twist and bend of tho wood vns
unique. The floor was covered with what 4,
known as pine noodles, and the mosaic carpe.
was a tent fly. on which squares were painted.
The globes at the entrance Of the temple wers
15.inch mortar shells, and they rested on two
sawed-off palm trees. 1 know that all this fur.
nituro was sent to Charter Oak Lodge in New
York" When this was told, a man whose man.
ner and talk located him from the South said:
II was present at a meeting of O Grand Lodpo
that was held in the woods OF Texas. The foor
was tho sand. There was but one globe, and
that was the sun. And the strangest part OF all
was that the men who formed that communities.
ton were Confederates and Federals. | place the
Confederates first because they were holding the
tockade in which several thousand Federalu
were prisoners. 1t was in the Red River country.
We had a lot of clever Yanks in that stockada.
and they were nearly all intelligent. Many
were of the first enlistment. 1t was funny how
tho stockade, sentry and prisoner. built up q
hrothnrhood ,pliLa anythinn I rncLn, 49,
happened during the war.
"one of the prisoners was q long haired Yank
who was noted for playing tricks. He was a
sort Of magician and used to entertain the
officers of the stockade with his performances,
Ono afternoon. after he had exhibited his art in
handling snakes-we had trapped some FOR him
the commander Of tho stockade asked the
Yank II he could tame any snake, and the Yank
said he could. The commander said he would
day was set for the trial. All the Officers and
pen not on duty were, there: and the ,Yank
appeared, stripped to the waist. A big black.
Yank had q forked stick. He fitted the fork
over that snake. aust back OF its head, quicker
until he grabbed it where he had fitted the
stick. and then he twirled Mr.. Snake in the
S %ss "p 1iled la'6 asi. it The e00 s,oct pnitl e ssS snake 4.
. ssst liz h ased: a. @ Sss The he eG %HH%sHaS;
CllCl i hhu " pICboiO INV ullASi ~ olslbltu
tack. two tin cups of whiskey, and some long
was served in the shade Of the stockade.
when it was over that Yank carried away
with him a pass as, from re- the cor e"mm 4hid y
permitted the Yapk to pass out of the stockade,
without guard. whenever he wanted to. Tho
inside by sunset. And he never failed.
II must tell you Of a trick he played on some
Of the guard, and then l will tell you how he
got the nasg He WAS IN the outside Of tha
stockado one morning when he saw some of
the Johnnies cooking breakfast They had essg{s.
vas very fond Of g One Of the
s sohe.! The gepYl!s sak ' said he Suse thought 70 get e,
would, and that the ones he saw would suit.
The The s5 nn sm,; s . they :: &. i.dn mot: w The Ssins
The Yank called out: Il like egrs.' and as he
sack which he wore for a shirt, and placed It by
the eggs: The Johnnies scampered away. and
the ! anf io @sa an af, egg , R1sa incident we were in.
iers, that a Grand Lodge would be held in a spe-
day. l was a high roller in my lodge at home,
and as | was close to the commander OF the
had important functions in the lodge Of tho
wilderness. Whom should I see most con.
s YpaeI snake sea esSrm on q He eee Ess the but m Sst
efficient man in his place I ever saw, And our
commander, who was q judge, said that he had
never met a brighter Mason. I also recognized
in that lodge a number of our Yank prisoners.
l knew then how the snake charmcr got his
pass. And l knew why he was so often at the
commanders quarters, and why they we're SO
intimate. That was the only Grand Lodge ever
held out of doors.
Gentlemen. you couldn't have made that
stockade fight one another after that II Lee and
Grant had gone there in person and ordered it.
l have heard and read a good many stories
about when and where the war closed. That
part of the war which had been waged in and
about that section OF which / have told you
closed when that Grand Lodge met. II was in
the last few months of the struggle. anyway.
But i remember when the time came TO dis.
charge the Yanks our commander and that
YanE embraced, and, as they turned their backs
on, one another. each one put a hand to his eyes.
"A few years ago | was sitting in the corridor
OF the Auditorium Hotel in Chicago watching
a fashionable crowd file by an entrance on lis
way to the opera. l saw one man whose hair
was like snow and whose evening dress was
correct. | asked the clerk II he knew him.
YES was the reply. That's 10 Day. one
OF our regulars, and the swell tailor OF the city.
Best dressed man in town, always. Has more
suits than anybody. Changes his dress as many
times in n day as his wife changes hers. But
good fellow all the same
10 Day. said TO myself. The Yank snake
charmer Of the rebel stockade on Red River.
In the Wilderness"