MANY YEARS AFTER THE WAR HAD ENDED, A SON OF BROTHER L.J.
WILLIAMS OF DOWNSVILLE LODGE NO. 464 N.Y. REPORTED IN LODGE
OF A STORY HIS FATHER HAD TOLD HIM OF AN  MASONIC EXPERIENCE HE HAD DURING THE WAR.

     WHEN THE WAR BROKE OUT THE ENTERED APPRENTICE AND THE
FELLOWCRAFT DEGREES HAD BEEN CONFERED ON HIM IN NEW YORK.
HE WENT OUT IN DEFENSE OF HIS COUNTRY WITHOUT HAVING BEEN
RAISED TO THE DEGREE OF MASTER MASON. IT WAS HIS MISFORTUNE
TO BE TAKEN A PRISONER OF WAR WHILE AT OR NEAR SAVANNAH, GA.
     WHILE HE LAY IN THE SOUTHERN PRISON,  HE COMMUNICATED THROUGH LETTERS WITH SOME OF HIS FRIENDS IN THE NORTH. HIS
LODGE IN NEW YORK, THROUGH PROPER OFFICIALS, GOT IN TOUCH
WITH ZERUBBABEL LODGE IN SAVANNAH, AND MADE THE REQUEST THAT THE SAVANNAH LODGE, AS A FAVOR TO THE BRETHREN OF THE
NORTH, CONFER THE MASTER MASONS DEGREE ON THE FELLOWCRAFT
BROTHER, L.J. WILLIAMS.

     ONE NIGHT MY FATHER WAS TAKEN FROM HIS PRISON AND CONDUCTED TO THE SAVANNAH LODGE ROOM. IT WAS A REMARKABLE OCCASSION. HE WORE HIS BEDRAGGLED BLUE UNIFORM, A TOKEN OF HIS SYMPATHY WITH THE CAUSE OF THE NORTH. ALL OF THE CHAIRS WERE OCCUPIED BY CONFEDERATE OFFICERS. HE WAS SURROUNDED BY MEN WHO WORE THE GRAY. THEY WERE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF A STRUGGLE TO THE DEATH, BUT THEY WERE BRETHREN. THEN AND THERE HE WAS RAISED A MASTER MASON
AND ACCLAIMED A FRIEND AND BROTHER BY HIS ENEMIES.

     BUT THE MORE SIGNIFICANT FEATURE OF THE STORY WAS YET TO FOLLOW. FOR ON THE SAME NIGHT MY FATHER ESCAPED FROM HIS PRISON AND JOINED HIS COMPANIONS OF THE NORTH. I HAVE VISITED  SAVANNAH SINCE THEN AND LOOKED UP THE RECORD OF HIS RAISING. IN RED INK, ON THE SAME PAGE THAT RECORDS THE FACT THAT THE DEGREE WAS THERE CONFERRED, IS THE BRIEF ANNOTATION: " ON THIS NIGHT BROTHER WILLIAMS ESCAPED FROM PRISON ".

     I HAVE TALKED WITH MY FATHER ABOUT THE MATTER A NUMBER OF TIMES. WHEN ASKED ABOUT HIS ' ESCAPE ' HE ALWAYS SMILES PERCULIARLY. YOU MAY PUT IT DOWN AS AN ESCAPE, HE TOLD ME, BUT IT WASN'T AN ESCAPE, STRICKLY SPEAKING. FOR ON THAT NIGHT SOME MEN CAME TO MY PRISON. THEY PUT ME IN A BOAT AND CARRIED ME OFF SOME DISTANCE. THEN THEY DEPOSITED ME ON SOME NEUTRAL SOIL BETWEEN THE LINES. FROM THERE I FOUND MY WAY BACK TO MY FRIENDS.

     WHO MY RESCUERS WERE, I HAVE NEVER LEARNED. IT IS THEIR OWN SECRET, AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN DISCLOSED. BUT IN MY MIND I KNOW EXACTLY TO WHOM I MAY ATTRIBUTE THE 'ESCAPE' IN QUESTION. HIS NAME IS HIRAM.