"Soldier's Fortune, April 26, 1778."

In 1779, the Lodge was held at the Green-BayTree Tavern, in Fair street. In that year, the said Joseph Burnham was taken prisoner, by the British, then in possession of New York. Of his capture and escape, I find the following among the archives: "It so happened that Joseph Burnham, a prisoner of war, who was brought to New York, and of course confined to prison, made his escape. But not knowing where to fly, fortunately found his way to the Green-Bay-Tree Tavern, in Fair Street, where St. John's Lodge was held, and indeed the only one held in this city at that time, where he was kindly received and brotherly protection afforded him by Brother Hopkins (commonly called Daddy Hopkins), the then keeper of the house. Brother Hopkins soon prepared a habitation of safety from the pursuers of the afflicted prisoner, by securing him in his garret. In this place he fed and nourished him for a considerable time, waiting an opportunity to convey him to the Jersey shore. One evening (a Lodge night), after the Lodge had convened, the prisoner, to pass the night, laid himself down to rest on some planks that formed the ceiling of a closet that opened directly to the center of the Lodge room. The boards being unnailed, naturally slipped from their places and the whole gave way; the door, too, being only fastened with a wooden button, flew open and gave the Lodge an unexpected visitor, for the poor brother stood aghast in the middle of the room. The brethren, chiefly British officers, enveloped in surprise, called in Brother Hopkins, who was also Tyler to the Lodge. Brother Hopkins explained all and acknowledged what he had done. They gave him credit for his charitable behavior to a brother and made a generous contribution, with their advice, which was that Brother Hopkins should transport him as secretly and as expeditiously as possible to the Jersey shore, which was accordingly faithfully performed."

Apart from the interesting nature of this episode, its recital furnishes us with one important point in connection with this history, to-wit, that when the Revolutionary struggle was at its height St. John's Lodge was the only one under the English Register (Mod

ern) which carried on its communications without serious interruption. Throughout the struggle, however, most of the members in favor of independence left the city, and during its occupation by the British prior to its final evacuation in 1783, only those of British sympathies, those lukewarm as to the outcome of the struggle, and British officers owning Masonic allegiance to the Grand Lodge of England were left to keep the lights burning around the altar of St. John's.

In fact the warrant of the Lodge was not in New York at that time, it having been carried away for safety by some of the officers and brethren who left with the provincial troops in September, 1776.

Daniel Shays, whose name is the first signed to the letter quoted, was the hero of "Shays' Rebellion," a noted incident in the early State history of Massachusetts. The pressure of taxation, the scarcity of money and lack of employment which existed at the close of the war of the Revolution, coupled with what was deemed the useless plurality and extravagant salaries of officials caused a spirit of disorder to spread widely over the State. Some wild schemes for the amelioration of the condition of the people were advocated, such as an immediate and bountiful issuance of paper currency, and, as usual aroused the demagogues who seem to lie in wait in every civilized community to fatten upon popular misconceptions. Among those then led astray was Daniel Shays, a native of Massachusetts, and a brave soldier, who faced the British at Bunker Hill and conducted himself gallantly through the war of the Revolution. With a force of armed followers he essayed the capture of the arsenal at Springfield, but was driven off easily and 150 of his adherents were taken prisoners, Shays escaped at the time but was ultimately captured. He was pardoned about a year later and retired to Sparta, N. Y., living in retirement there until his death, in 1825.

Of the history of the second Lodge which it has been claimed was warranted by George

as we know, all the Lodges in the city prior to 1760 were "Moderns," and as McClenachan has pointed out, the very name of Royal Arch was to them a painful one. For this reason, too, we would infer that this Lodge, in 1760, was, for the time, a powerful one, or the Provincial Grand Master would not have in some way acknowledged a fraternity bearing it as their distinctive cognomen and so giving it a recognized place among men and Masons.

But we have been dealing long enough with surmises and suggestions. Practically nothing

is known of the early history of this Lodge, except that the Grand Lodge acknowledged that it dated from Dec. 15, 1760, when it applied for admission into that body in 1784. The grounds on which this acknowledgment was based are not given, and there is nothing extant to guide us. Its earliest existing records only go back to 1784, but it was a working Lodge when admitted into affiliation with the Grand Lodge-then itself just independent and under the leadership of Chancellor Living

ston.

F we followed in detail the list we are now considering, we would have to follow the early fortunes of St. John's Lodge, No. 1, Fairfield, Conn., and Zion Lodge, No. 1, Detroit. But the history of these, as of St. John's, No. 1, at Norwalk (now No. 6), and St. John's, No. 1, at Stratford, Conn. (now No. 8), belongs to other jurisdictions than New York, and is therefore without the province of the present volume.

In Union Lodge, however, which follows in order after the two first named above, we meet with a body which, as Union Lodge, No. 1, of Albany, and later as Mount Vernon Lodge, No. 3, not only has played a stirring part in the history of the fraternity of the State, but still holds a prominent and an honored position in its councils. The history of this Lodge from first to last presents many interesting features, not the least of which will be the hint gathered from its early story or how, possibly, Independent Royal Arch, as well as several others of our early Lodges, started on their own existence. In 1758 and 1759 there was stationed at Albany, N. Y., the second battalion of the 1st Royals (now Royal Scots), which had left Great Britain for Nova Scotia in 1757. "Its officers," says "The Albany Hand Book," "were scholars and gentlemen, as they brought with them, and kept up, a large and valuable library of rare books, which they left here when the battalion was ordered away. Many, if not all, of the volumes are

now in the library of the Albany Female Academy." In the regiment was a Lodge of Freemasons, No.74* on the roll of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, and as the soldiers and citizens were on the best of terms, it would seem that many of the latter were received into the Lodge and duly initiated into its mysteries. When the command was ordered to a new field of duty, they carried their Irish warrant with them, but in accordance with a custom which was then permitted they caused an exact copy of it to be made which they endorsed as follows:

We, the Master, Wardens and Brethren of a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, No. 74, Registry of Ireland, held in the Second Battalion Royal, adorned with all the honors and assembled in due form, do hereby declare, certify and attest that whereas, our body is very numerous by the addition of many new members, merchants and inhabitants of the City of Albany, they having earnestly requested and besought us to enable them to hold a Lodge during our absence from them, and we, knowing them to be men of undoubted reputations, and men of skill and ability in Masonry and desirous to promote the welfare of the craft, we have therefore by unanimous consent and agreement given them an exact and true copy of our Warrant as above, and have properly installed Mr. Richard Cartwright, Mr. Henry Bostwick and Mr. William Furguson as Assistant Master and Wardens of our body, allowing

them to sit and act during our absence, or until they, by our assistance, can procure a separate warrant for themselves from the Grand Lodge in Ireland.

Given under our hands and seal of our Lodge, in the City of Albany, the eleventh day of April, in the year of Masonry 5759, and in the year of our Lord 1759.

ANIAS SUTHERLAND, Master. CHARLES CALDER, Senior Warden. THOS. PARKER, Junior Warden. JOHN STEADMAN, Secretary, No. 74 of Ireland.

The regiment, or battalion rather, never returned to the good old Dutch city, and it does not seem likely that the "indorsed" brethren ever applied to Ireland for a warrant, or that

ond array of officers of whom we have knowledge included Peter W. Yates, Master; John W. Wendell, Senior Warden, and Leonard. Gansevoort, Junior Warden. They head the roll purporting to begin in 1765. Of the two junior officers nothing is known in Masonic history beyond this one fact and they disappear with the passing of that annual record. Peter W. Yates, the Master, belonged to a family which was long famous in the history of the Mohawk Valley. He served as Master from Feb. 21, 1765, until Dec. 26, 1802, thirtyseven years, the longest on record in New York State. Then, feeling the weight of years, and possibly getting tired of sitting in King Solomon's chair, he asked to be released, but the Lodge insisted that he serve another term, which he did. He also served as Senior Grand Warden from 1784 to 1788, and we must infer that his family had at least some connection with Scotland, for in 1785 he became a member of the New York St. Andrew's Society, his name appearing on the roll as "Hon. Peter W. Yates," the prefix being given him by courtesy on account of his having represented New York in Congress from 1785 till 1787. He was a lawyer by profession and an undoubted patriot, and was as highly honored by his brethren of the bar as he was by those of the Masonic fraternity. It is difficult to determine exactly when Union Lodge became known as No. 1. McClenachan says, "An old document entitled 'The Charity Fund of Union Lodge, No. 1, of Albany,' for 1765, shows that the brethren, on entering, severally paid £3 4s, and the total cost to the time of raising was £4 12S, and that the yearly dues were 20 shillings, and that there were 'dues of the night 18 pence (about 36 cents) from each member.' About this time (1769) Union Lodge laid the corner-stone of the church at Johnstown. ** In accordance with an ancient document

their army friends thought any more about them; rather they recalled them with kindly memories and nothing more, for the business of a soldier in those days often thwarted good intentions and interrupted the smooth flow of the amenities of life. However, all this may be, there is no doubt that the brethren left in Albany kept up their form of organization as a Lodge and applied for a warrant to the Provincial Grand Master. This was granted February 21, 1765, and under the official designation of Union Lodge of Albany, the brethren brethren were fairly and regularly received into full affiliation with the Grand Lodge of England. The sec

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