The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-02-29
WHEN MASON MEETS MASON.
Two Incidents when Masons were
Saved by Fellow Masons.

Having seen in the Sunday News of
February +, communication with
the head lines when Mason Meets
Mason,' l am reminded of two Incl
dents along the same lines which l
will relate. In the spring of 1861,
near the time of the bombardment of
Fort Sumter, the war feeling being
at full height, Prof. Lowe made a bal
loon ascension from Cincinnati, and
he struck a current of wind that car
ried him at will and landed him in his
balloon on Pea Ridge, in Union coun-
ty, on the afternoon of the same day.
The balloon landed near where the
little town of Kelton now stands.
The neighborhood was thickly set
tied, and several people saw the bal
loon descend, and light on the
ground, and they soon gathered up
on the spot, and learning from Prof.
Lowe that he was right from Cincin-
natl over in Yankeedom, the crowd
branded him as a Yankee spy and
were threatening him with immedi-
ate death-the death of the spy.
About this time Esquire John P.
McKissick, a hot Secessionist, and
advocate of the war, as all others OF
the community were who lived near
by, appeared upon the scene ready
and willing to join the mob and mete
out to the professor the death that
spies deserve.
Prof. Lowe, being a Mason, and
Esquire McKissick being Mason al
so, the latter came to the relief of
Prof. Lowe, quieted the mob, sent and
had his wagon and team brought,
and carried Prof. Lowe and his bal
loon to Union Court House., ten miles
away, where he met with other Ma
sons, who treated him kindly and
permitted him to depart in peace,
and he made his way back through
the lines of the Southern Army to his
home in the North.
Another instance occurred during
the War Between the States at the
battle of the Crater, near Petersburg,
Va, on the 3Oth of July, 1864. Gen.
Grant used negro troops in this bat
tie, who charged our lines, and many
of them were killed, wounded and
captured. The officers of these negro
troops were white men, and the feel
ings of the Confederate soldiers were
wrought up to high pitch, because
these negro troops were being used
against them, and they were about
ready to declare no quarters, and in
fact but little quarters were shown
the negroes. One captain that COM
manded a negro company was cap
tured, and brought to our rear under
guard at the old ice house, near Pc
tersburg, where there were quite
number of wounded, and here the
guard set upon the captain, abusing
and threatening to kill him for lead
ing negro troops against them. They
would soon have carried out their
threats; the day was hot and the cir
cumstances made it more so, for the
Yankee captain, and the perspiration
was rolling from his face, when he
cried out in the anguish of his soul,
els there no Mason in this croWd?"
At the same time he gave the dis
tress sign of a Master Mason, and
Immediately one of the Confederate
soldiers and one of the guard, who
we're in the act of killing the cap
tain, stepped to the side of the cap
tain and called to his comrades to
hold up. He stopped the mob, saved
the captains life and had him sent
off safely, under guard as a prisoner
of war.-W. H. S. Harris, in the Sum
dow Nou,c