Speaking at the Campbellton Lodge

I had the pleasure of speaking at the Campbellton Lodge 76 F &AM, or as many lovingly refer to it the Old Campbellton Lodge, to a crowd of folks including several young people Saturday night.

Just to spend a little time in one of the last surviving buildings of Campbellton was enough, but they let me speak.

Imagine that!

The lodge building dates back to 1848. It is the oldest lodge in the state of Georgia still hosting meetings. Many of Douglas County's earliest citizens were members of this lodge.

A few weeks ago in preparation for my talk Worshipful Master, James (Rocky) Rothrock invited me to the lodge for a little tour.

The building is priceless with many original furnishings and historical artifacts. The blue color of the meeting room upstairs gives the lodge its other name - the blue lodge.

A bullet hole is very visible on one of the walls. Possibly a stray bullet from a skirmish or two when the Yankees crossed the Chattahoochee on their way south.

The downstairs area of the lodge building was used as a general store and post office when Campbellton was a thriving town. The original shelves still adorn the walls.

My topic Saturday night happened to be two of Campbellton's best known citizens - Thomas Coke Glover and his wife Lizzie. I've written about their importance to Confederate history here and here.

Joining me on the program were the Wool Hat Boys. During the Civil War the name was given to a group of men from the Sand Hill area of Carroll County who formed Company H of the 37th Georgia Infantry Regiment. When it came to name their group they thought of the hats made in John Carroll's factory at Sand Hill. They were "hard to wear out", and since the men wanted their group to be strong and "hard to wear out" as well they took on the name Wool Hat Boys.

Today's group are Masons who are also members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Various members discussed how the brotherhood of Masons crossed the lines of battle during the Civil War as terms such as North and South and Union and Confederate did not matter. If a man identified himself as a Mason the brotherhood between the two men took precedence over the uniform they wore.

Several of the members spoke including Charlie Lott.

As did Jerry Vogler, Jr.

and Mr. Gonzalez, who discussed the education programs the group presents to local students. 

It was a most enjoyable evening!