Athens 1-3 August 08

[Arch Campbell]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Telegram received!

Folks, if you are on the fence about attending Athens, hesitate no more! You don't want to miss this! Though the Hairy Nation is there every year on the anniversary, the Big Fuss only happens once every three years!
MSG boys- will we be seeing the famed "artillery" again this year?

[Chihuahua]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Pards,
Either you're sound on the goose, or you ain't.
There's trouble brewing in Northeast Missouri. The righteous will be taking arms with Davey Moore's Home Guard to protect hearth and home from the Secesh pukes.
A cannon has been promised from the Committee for Public Safety in Keokuk. If Marty Green's guardsmen are fool enough to approach, we'll feed them hot lead.

Seriously, the Athens event is a load of fun. I won't miss it!
Mark Warren
Bloomfield, Iowa
"in the heart of the Hairy Nation"

[fahtz]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

The famed wooden artillery will be there. Bennett can not get enough of it, I guess!

[Arch Campbell]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

The fire from the Kahoka Home Guard always slacks off when we see you boys fussing with the wooden gun and preparing for its "debut"- no one wants to be looking away when it goes off!
My old pard Andrew Goode started a tradition that I still uphold there when the other (iron) gun is fired. I jerk my head rapidly over and to the rear, and "watch" the shot fly well overhead, as if over the river and into Croton!

[Hairy Nation Boys]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Arch, if you remember we even convinced the spectators that balls were flying over our heads.

[Arch Campbell]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

On Independence Day in 1861:

"troops [Home Guard]... assembled at Kahoka, in the heart of Clark County, Thursday morning, July 4. Such a gala Fourth the little town had never seen in its square! Festivities began in midmorning with a demonstration drill... After a picnic lunch, a drum and bugle corps played patriotic airs... The rest of the day was given over to a 'speaking.' [Captains] Hackney and Moore spoke in turn. Other addresses, equally unconditional in tone, were given by a young attorney from Athens, Hiram Hiller, and by the Methodist Protestant pastor... Charles Stuart Callihan. The latter made a special impression; although he was froman old Virginia slaveholding family, he was a devotee of Frederick Douglass..
"Climaxing the program was a caucus of captains to choose field officers for the regiment... David McKee of Athens... emerged as Major... The captains bestowed the lieutenant colonelcy on Callihan. For the colonelcy there was a brief holding action by supporters of [Moore's rival, wealthy native Virginian
and resident of Alexandria, William] Bishop, but they lost to the merchant of
Wrightsville [David Moore.]"

-Leslie Anders, The Twenty-First Missouri: From Home Guard to Union Regiment

[M_Kupsch]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

For those Masonic Brethren attending the Athens event, I would like to know how many of you want to meet on the level Saturday evening in the name of Brotherhood of the Craft. This would be open to all Brethren participating in the event. What a wonderful opportunity to meet Brothers in the hobby and lead to further gatherings as Masons for future events.

This gathering will not be tiled, nor will it be a Lodge meeting. As there will be no Junior Warden to handle refreshments, I would ask that each Brother bring something to share.

If you are interested, please let me know, along with your Lodge affiliation. I would request that if you are participating in this gathering, that you bring your current Dues Card to the event.

By the way, there was a Masonic Lodge located at Athens. The exact history I am unsure of at this time.

[Deborah Hyland]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

In the Cannonball House at Athens, you can see a lamp from the Athens Lodge.

[M_Kupsch]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Deborah,

Now that is something I did nto know, and will definitely make it a point to see. Thank you for mentioning it. Do you know any more about the Lodge that was there? I trust Brother Brenton will be there at Athens?

[Deborah Hyland]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

He will be there.

I wish I could tell you more about the lodge. I know I read a bit about it prior to the last event at Athens. If I recall, the 1887 History of Lewis, Clark, Knox and Scotland Counties, Missouri talks about it a bit, but only so far as to mention that it was there. I did a site visit a few weeks ago & spotted some Masonic graves up in the Athens cemetery. I did find one post-war masonic grave, and the last name was shared with several of the soldiers listed in Skim Milk Yankees as having fought in the Battle of Athens. I was short on time and didn't have a chance to really explore the cemetery much, unfortunately.

For those of you who have the chance, the cemetery is around the bend from the Widow Grey house, up on the hill overlooking the site of the battle in the cornfield.

I've loaned out my copy of Skim Milk Yankees; perhaps someone could look in there for any mention of the lodge.

[Arch Campbell]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Unfortunately, I don't think either Skim Milk Yankees or Anders mention the lodge at all, though I will check both to be sure.
The cemetery does have quite a few period graves, though several are, sadly, illegible these days. The highlight is definitely the grave of William French, David Moore's orderly/bodyguard throughout the war. His family's home is within the park now, though it orginally stood a couple miles to the south. It is the westernmost house in the park, the one nearest the church. Unfortunately, due to a lack of funding the foundation has yet to be reconstructed and the house is on blocks.

[M_Kupsch]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Currently. I have only 3 Masons that have expressed an interest in gathering Saturday evening. Holler, Arch..you boys want in on this?

[Arch Campbell]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Brother Michael- as long as I am not forgetting some commitment that we might have already made for Satuday evening, I'll be there. I'll drag Holler with me (he's not so good about attending lodge regularly :))

[M_Kupsch]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Brother Arch,

LOL..well drag him along. This will be a short and sweet gathering. The goal is to honor our fallen Brethren and to get to know some of the other Brothers within the hobby..with an eye on arranging future gatherings of this nature at various events, ie Boonefield Village in November would be nice.

Of course we do not have a dispensation to hold Lodge, but we can certainly gather as Mason and share in the Brotherhood of the Craft. This is something we try to do at WIG events, so I think it would be fitting to try and do similar at events in our region.

I plan for us to meet at dusk at the Widow Gray's house, then we will make the short walk to the Athens cememtary. This should last no longer that 30 minutes unless everyone wants to stay a bit longer.

[fahtz]

Re: Athens 1-3 August 08

Gentlemen,

The State Guard side of things are comign together with each passing day. From the look of things we have some super high quality guys in the ranks. The log gun will be operational and will shower rounds down on the home guard by dawn. We have an original 6pdr that will be on the field as well. I urge those of you who have not sent me the registration form, to do so ASAP. I will need a hard copy, e-mail me if you have any questions or concerns about getting me a hard copy.

See you in the mild temps of North Eastern Missouri in August!