The North Carolina Mason

This past July 21 several citizens of my home county – Stanly – gathered to celebrate the 242nd anniversary of the Battle of Colson's Mill. The Battle of Colson's Mill is barely considered a footnote in most histories of the American Revolution. The battle, if it can be considered that, lasted for about an hour and began when Patriot Col. William Lee Davidson led a charge across the fields of John Colson near the mill that bore his name in pursuit of a band of Loyalists en route to Cheraw to join up with General Cornwallis' forces. Though Col. Davidson was wounded, his men knew their orders and chased the Loyalists into the forest and across the Rocky River. According to most accounts, "some were killed, some were captured, but most, knowing the country disappeared into the woods." The battle may have been small by national accounts of the American Revolution, but for those of us whose ancestors fought in the skirmish south of Norwood in the forks of the Pee Dee and Rocky Rivers, the deeds of that day are important and define our community. For all the conflict and war raging around what's now Stanly County – at Charleston, at King's Mountain, at Hillsborough, or Greensboro – the people of the upper Pee Dee River Valley rose up to make a stand for what they believed. And that victory, small as it was, likely broke the Loyalist resistance in the North Carolina backcountry. But, there's a twist to this tale, a thread of fact borne by local tradition. As the Loyalists retreated, their "captain" was killed by Patriot forces. His identity is not confirmed, but what stands out in this story is substantive, particularly for Freemasons According to the late J.P. Lowder, "In the battle… a good many soldiers on both sides were killed. The soldiers were buried… on a hill just about where the battle was fought. Among the soldiers buried was a young [Loyalist] officer who was given a Masonic funeral. At the head of his grave was placed a rock upon which was rudely carved a square and compass." The potency of that memory is remarkable. For nearly 250 years the people of a rural North Carolina community have recalled the battle fought on their land – of the brotherly love shone to those who might have otherwise remained at a perpetual distance – literal enemies. Think of the men who chose to honor a brother, but political enemy. Think of the non-Masons on the field who witnessed this act of kindness. The impact of that act has affected a community for more two and half centuries. What is the value of Masonry? Masonry is the ability to look past the differences of others and recognize the value in each human being. Masonry is love. Brethren, the world is a conflicted place. Politics divide us. Paranoia and skepticism drive us apart. Yet, we know better – because we're Freemasons. We're taught we all the children of God and that we all have a responsibility to each other. How we illustrate, share, and convey that love to our communities and the world is the basis of The Value of Masonry By Jonathan Underwood, Grand Secretary Masonic value. 14 | T H E M A S O N M AGA Z I N E

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