1887 Grand Commandery NJ Knights Templar Letter Elizabeth Field Day Price Mason For Sale

# Antique 1887 Grand Commandery NJ Knights Templar ALS Letter - First Field DayUp for sale is a premier piece of 19th-century New Jersey fraternal and civic history. This is an original, fully handwritten Autograph Letter Signed (ALS) dated 1887, penned on the official engraved letterhead of the Grand Commandery of New Jersey out of Elizabeth, NJ. The letter was written by sitting Grand Commander Edward W. Price and addressed directly to Edward Hopkins of Odo de St. Amand Commandery No. 12.### 📜 Historical Content & Verbatim Quotes:The correspondence serves as a formal commendation following a massive historical milestone: the inaugural New Jersey Templar Field Day Parade. Grand Commander Price writes to extend his appreciation to the Morristown fraters for their dedication, writing:"As your commandery is a small one, I feel that you did as well in proportion to your numbers as the larger commanderies. The true knightly spirit was there."This text offers a brilliant, candid glimpse into the competitive dynamics of 19th-century parade drill teams, highlighting how a smaller regional lodge successfully stood toe-to-toe with the massive city commanderies.### 🔍 Item Specifics:* **Date:** 1887* **Author / Signer:** Edward W. Price (Grand Commander, Elizabeth, NJ)* **Recipient:** Edward Hopkins (Odo de St. Amand Commandery No. 12)* **Context:** Commemoration of the 1st Annual New Jersey Field Day Excursion* **Format:** Single-page original handwritten manuscript letter on official executive letterhead
Historical Context & Verbatim Analysis

• The Sender: Edward W. Price of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was a highly influential military and fraternal leader who climbed the ranks to serve as the Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery of New Jersey from 1887 to 1888.
• The Recipient: Edward Hopkins was a key officer and eventual Eminent Commander of Odo de St. Amand No. 12.
• The Historical Event (The First Field Day): In 1887, the Grand Commandery of New Jersey instituted its very first statewide "Field Day Parade". This was a massive, high-profile event where thousands of Knights Templar in full dress uniform (complete with chapeaux, capes, and ceremonial swords) descended on a designated city to march in formation and drill. Because Odo de St. Amand No. 12 turned out in numbers and marched flawlessly, Grand Commander Price personally sat down at his desk in Elizabeth to write this letter, praising their "knightly spirit" and thanking them for making the debut state event a definitive success.