Download General Cornwallis - Grand Encampment, Knights Templar

Ed
Samaulson
The Templar
Tribune
ND Supplement
As most Americans from our era at least remember, was his final
defeat at the Battle of Trenton and his ultimate surrender. He was
also known for his prowess on the battlefield against General
Washington and a number of American commanders during the
Revolution. What is not known is that prior to the war, during his
military service he was recognized as a hero for his service during
the Battle of Hannover against the French. Gen Cornwallis was
well liked among his men which was rare during that time within
the British Army. He was known to care for his soldiers and during
the Revolution, displayed this many times over.
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General Cornwallis
General Cornwallis, the British General from the Revolutionary
War is one of those major players in history that has controversy
swirling around him on whether he was a mason or not. Reginald
V. Harris, historian of Freemasonry in Nova Scotia, searched for
years, but could never satisfy himself that Charles Cornwallis was
a Mason. At the same time, The Grand Lodge of British Columbia
and the Yukon claim he was a Mason. There are numerous
articles about his cousin who was also named Charles Cornwallis
was known to start at least two lodges and the two are confused.
Therefore the question does remain whether he was a freemason.
Whether or not he was a freemason he did play a part in the
history of freemasonry in the United States at least being the major
foe of General George Washington. He was definitely not the
type of man portrayed in the movie
“Braveheart”. Prior to the revolution,
he was one of the five British
members of parliament who voted
against the Stamp Act. He also
supported the colonists in their
dealings with the king and Parliament
out of sympathy for their cause until
the beginning of the revolution.
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Though he did not participate in handing his sword to General
Washington, he did have one of his masonic generals present it to
Washington. What is generally not known is that the next evening
he did have an evening and meal with General Washington.
History has recorded the evening as friendly and genteel.
Cornwallis never did lose the confidence of the British Government
after the Revolution. In part was his skill on the battlefield and
praise of most of his superiors, the British did realize their main
effort during the Revolution was not fighting the Americans but
rather the French in a major world war. In fact, after the war in
1786, he became Lord Governor and Commander in Chief of India.
During his term in India he was known as a reformer in the area of
military, civil, and corporate administration. His reforms stayed in
place virtually unchanged until the change of colonial government
to one of self rule. He was known for his benevolence to the local
populace and the abolishment of the virtual slavery of the weavers
within India by the British India Company. In addition, he ended
the centuries long custom of child slavery. He codified the Muslim
and Hindu legal codes into English and started the Indian School
of Sanskrit that lasts until today.
In his final role for the British Government he was Lord Lieutenant
of Ireland. Most were afraid his liberal tendencies were going to
allow the Catholics too much latitude. He eventually won favor
with both sides through skillful diplomacy. He prophetically did
comment that the problems in Ireland would not subside until full
emancipation of the Catholics. Whether or not he was a mason he
would have been a great addition to the fraternity.
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