FREEMASONRY AND THE CIVIL WAR

FREEMASONRY SURVIVED THE CIVIL WAR

CONTENT

Introduction

Stories from "House Undivided"
By Allen E. Roberts

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The debate over the origin of
the bugle call "Taps"

Stories from "Freemasonry and the Civil War"
By Justin Lowe

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Stories of Brotherhood During the Civil War

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So Mote It Be!

The following are excepts from "House Undivided -
The Story of Freemasonry and the Civil War"
By Allen E. Roberts
^{Interested in reading more? Please purchase
the book or borrow it from your lodge or local library}

Lodges met within the sound of guns and the din of battle. Masons wearing blue, joined hands with those clad in gray, in peace and harmony. The sounds of war were stilled while southern Masons buried their brothers from the North. Grand Lodges in the north sent money to Grand Lodges in the south to help destitute families where the scenes of battle were vivid. Masons of both sections were merciful angels about the prison camps. Churches and other organizations were torn apart, but Masons had been taught toleration, and helped on another. And when the war was over, it was Freemasonry that helped to heal the wounds of ill willed and aided in bringing the north and south together.

"For Men Must Brothers Be"

Then blood was shed, and there was slaughter,

Staining the soil of our brave new world;

When brothers, to defend their freedom as they knew it,

Cruel canister at one another hurled.

Still sleep the brave

Who fell so long ago.

But life is love

And love they gave

Who saw a Brother in the foe.

A chosen few, with hopes despairing,

Insisted yet that Craftsmen try

To build the House of Brotherhood. In North and South

With love they wove, strands of the Mystic Tie.

Now sleep the wise

Who labored long ago.

For life is love

And love they gave

Who knew a Brother, though a foe.

Bright symbol of those war-time mercies

Was Brother Mackey, Charleston's pride.

Begging his townsmen for some simple comforts

For lonely captives from the Union side.

Now sleep those hearts

That loved so long ago.

But life is love

And love they gave

Who served a Brother, though a foe.

But men still wage a bitter warfare

Against the powers of hate and greed.

Ignorance spawns anew her coarse and spiteful soldiers;

Yet brothers everywhere our love still need.

Now wake the souls

Of those who dare to see

That life is love

And love will win

Wherever men must Brothers be!

- Conrad Hahn

" The Fraternal Tye";

Tired with the long day's marching,

A Union soldier stood

By the banks of a rushing river,

In a dim old Kansas wood.

The gnarled roots of the oak trees

Grew snaky along the ground;

The vines with their purple burden

In the giants' arms were wound.

The songs of the birds in the coverts

Came sweet to the soldier's ear;

The medley of songs in the woodland

Gushed forth without not of fear.

The sunbeams stole through the branches

Over the turbulent stream,

And gilded the snowy wave tops

That fleeted away like a dream.

But scarce had these joys impressed him,

When loud through the forest broke

The taunts and the bitter curses

That Quantrell's guerrillas spoke.

He turned; and his deadly rifle

Was poised in his supple hands;

"Ha, ha! We have trapped a Blue Back;

Empty his brains where he stands."

Sharp was the click of their pistols;

Certain the aim that they took.

Vain to contend with the ruffians;

Fierce was the hate in their look.

He glanced at the eager bloodhounds;

One hope illumined despair;

He tried them' a rebel sprang forward:

" A brother! Harm him who dare.

Pistols were dropped in an instant;

Unharmed, in the dim old wood,

By the banks of the rushing river,

The Union soldier stood.

A Colonel who had rendered himself conspicuous, was after a hard fought battle, taken prisoner and conducted to headquarters for court-martial, when it was confidently expected that his life would pay the forfeit of his unenviable notoriety. An officer who knew him to be a brother declared that he would die before the prisoner should be injured. The court sat, and for some inexplicable reason, his judges were lenient and the prisoner was released.

I saw a poor fellow brought into camp as a spy. He protested his innocence, and pled to be allowed to return to his unprotected wife and children, who were suffering in his absence. But all in vain. Finally he resorted to a mystic sign, when the commander saw the force of his arguments and turned him loose.

In Little Rock, Arkansas, through the ties of brotherly love the Masonic library of a Confederate general, Albert Pike, was saved from destruction when the Thomas H Benton, Jr. Grand Master of Iowa, a Federal colonial, placed a guard about the building to keep it from being burned.

Two days after the battle of Manassas, Colonel, Robert E. Withers (Grand Master of Virginia was in camp near the battle ground when a captured Union soldier was brought in. He was brought up to headquarters and examined by the Colonel, to who he rather reluctantly stated that the Colonel of his regiment, who was severely wounded, was concealed in the woods. He knew he would die unless he could receive surgical aid. A detail of men was sent to bring him in. They returned with Colonel Benjamin Wood, who was suffering from a gun shot would of the pelvis. While conversing with him, Colonel Withers observed a Monsonic pin on the bosom of Colonel Wood…finding that the prisoner was indeed a brother in distress, Colonel Withers countermanded his first order to convey the wounded officer to the field hospital at the Lewis House and had him carried into his own tent, which he surrendered to him and his attendant who had been paroled to wait on him The surgeon from Colonel Wood's regiment was paroled to assist his colonel, and when he was able to be moved safely, he was transferred to a hospital at Charlottesville where members of the organization called "Freemasonry" again saw to his comfort. He later stated he would never "fight" again the men who had so generously befriended him," a statement made after he had been promoted to the rank of brigadier general.

While the battle around the Masonic College in Lexington Missouri was raging, a happy note was struck in a Masonic hall in Minnesota…a baby was born in the lodge room! Samuel Adams owned a general merchandise store in Monticello and rented the upstairs portion to Monticello Lodge, No. 16. On the night of September 15, 1861, because the living quarters at the rear of the store were crowded, Mrs. Adams was moved into the lodge room. Soon after the expectant mother was settled in her new quarters, Dr. James Mulvey the junior warden of the lodge, was hurriedly called. He brought into the troubled world Henry Rice Adams. The baby was to grow up to have a Masonic career as unusual as his place of birth. Twenty-three years later he was made a Mason in the room in which he was born. In 1903 he became grand master of Masons in Minnesota. On March 30, 1927 he was fatally stricken while attending a communication of Minnesota Lodge, No 224. A highly successful Masonic life ended as it had started in a Masonic lodge.
Just previous to the battle of Shiloh, the 3rd. Ohio cavalry, commanded at the time by Lt. Col. Murray, took possession of Lawrenceburgh, Tennessee. The people of the place were understood to be all Secessionists, and the Lt. Col. Ordered his men to search all the houses, arrest all the men, and take possession of all guns and other arms…being careful to protect the women and children from all harm and insult. While this was going on, Col. Murray rode down the street, and while in front of the Masonic Hall, noticed that some of his men had been in the Lodge-room and taken possession of some articles belonging to the Lodge. Immediately ordered them to return every article to its place, and then placed a guard at the door to protect the hall from future violation.
At the battle of Shiloh, Capt. G.A. Strong, belonging to one of the Michigan regiments, was fatally wounded on Sunday, the 6th of April. Capt. Strong was a Mason - a Knight Templar…When he received the fatal wound and fell on the battlefield, he had on his person a fine gold watch, and wore a Masonic breast-pin, set with brilliants. A captain of a company of Texas rangers approached him, as he lay on the ground, and discovered the Masonic emblem on his person. Knowing that the wounded officer would be robbed, and perhaps murdered, if left where he had fallen, the Texan had him carried to a tent, where he bound up his wounds as well as he could, furnished him with water, and took means to protect him from insult and robbery. The battle was still raging, and was renewed on the next day, Monday, when the National troops succeeded in repulsing the rebel army, and in recovering the ground, tents, etc., they had lost on Sunday. On Tuesday, Capt. Strong was found in the tent where the Texan officer had left him, still alive and fully sensible, and with his valuables safe upon his person…It was observed by one, who gave an account of this occurrence, that "a Mason, though a rebel, and in arms against his government, could not do otherwise than protect and aid his wounded, dying opponent, with such a talisman of peace intervening between them."
The Editor of the Amherst Cabinet (Massachusetts) tells about an incident that happened after a battle at James Island, South Carolina: Maj. Sessions of the RI 3RD.was bearer of a flag of truce, accompanied by three officers, all happening to be Masons. The rebel officer that came down to meet them happened to be a Mason also. Maj. SessIons remarked, "I suppose by the tools you carry I have the honor of meeting a Craftsman, as well as an enemy in war?" The rebel officer replied, "You do, and I am happy to meet you as such, and regret that circumstance compel us to meet in any other manner than the former - but such are the fortunes of war." The rebel officer sent after some more Masons, and they cracked a bottle of wine and drank "to the health of the craftsmen, whether in peace or in war."
Joseph Fort Newton, in his autobiography, River of Years, writes that his father had been made a Mason in a military lodge, and during the course of a battle he, a Confederate from Texas, was captured by Union troops. He was subsequently taken to Rock Island, Illinois, where he became deathly ill in the prison camp there. He was able to let a Union officer know he was a Mason, and that officer, himself a Mason, took him to his home, nursed him back to health, and when the war was over, gave him money, and a gun, and saw him off for Texas.

On July 11, 1862, two days before Nathan Forrest drove the Federal forces out of McMinnville, Tennesee, he used the farmhouse of William Lusk, a fellow Mason, as his headquarters. During the day he paroled four Union soldiers who had been captured in civilian clothes. One of the parolees returned the following day with an advance troop of Federal cavalry to point out the house that had been Forrest's headquarters. They left when the main body arrived. The commanding officer rode up to Lusk and asked: "What time of the day, sir, did General Forrest leave here yesterday?" Lusk replied with a quivering voice, "I declare I don't know." The officer said sharply, "Sir your memory is damned short! Didn't he leave here precisely at twelve o'clock?" And he raised his pistol to the farmer's head. Lusk made a Masonic sign; the gun was lowered; the officer jumped off his horse, grasped the farmer by the hand, and the two of them with arms around each other, stood by the gate until the army had passed.

Among the men left behind at Manassas during the Federal retreat were three members of the 10th Regiment New York Volunteers. Capt. Robert Dimmick, Thomas Mosscrop and Corporal Edward Dubey were severely wounded, and for two days their cries for help went unheard. During the period they assisted each other to the best of their ability. Just as all hope seemed gone, Capt. Hugh Barr of the 5th Regiment of Virginia Riflemen, as he was attending wounded Confederates, stumbled upon the Federal soldiers. While aiding them he noticed a Masonic emblem on the shirt of Mosscrop, and redoubled his efforts to save the three men. A surgeon was summoned, removed the shot, and dressed the wounds of the enemy. They were taken by Barr on the following morning to the Van Pell house, which was being used as a hospital, and when their wounds had healed sufficiently, they were sent to Washington, D.C. Nineteen years later, the three New York Masons recorded for posterity the kind act of the Virginia Mason, who regarding a fallen foe as a friend in need, did all in his power to save their lives.

At South Mountain Maryland:

The groaning and low moans of the severely wounded were painful to hear. As the battle was over, and no action would probably ensue until daylight, I determined to assist the wounded on the field we had just charged over and taken from the enemy. It was very dark and difficult to tell the rebel from the Union wounded as they mixed together on the field.I was passing through some very dense underbrush, giving water from my canteen to the wounded, and assisting the "stretcher-bearers" to take the worst cases from the field, when someone sitting against a tree uttered in a clear, distinct voice the never-to-be-forgotten words accompanying the sign of distress among Masons, In a moment I was by his side, with my hand grasping his, proffering any aid in my power. A drink of cold water from my canteen was his first request, and then I bathed his wounds with the remainder of the water I had. He was shot through the right leg, and also through the shoulder, the latter wound being very painful. I tore away the skirts of his coat, and with my handkerchief bound up his wound to stop the blood, for he was quite weak and evidently bleeding to deathWhen I had succeeded in stopping the blood from flowing he seemed to revive and in a nervous manner asked me if I knew who I was attending to so kindly. I told him I did not have the honor of knowing and really cared very little to know as long as he was a Mason, He replied in a very desponding manner, "I an Col. C----of the ----South Carolina Regiment, instead of being a Union officer as you supposed."
I replied that I was happy to learn his name and as it was so very dark, I could not tell the color of uniforms and knew not rebel from Union wounded. "I will call the stretcher-bearers and have you taken to our hospital," "What, me!" said the rebel officer, speaking as if taken wholly by surprise. "Yes sir, YOU," said I emphatically. "I am not entitled to any such treatment," said he in a very decisive manner. You are entitled to all I can do for you, and to the kindest care and treatment our field hospitals afford," said I, "because you have proved to me you are a Freemason." He tried to speak but something choked his utterance. I thought it was blood from his wound, but he afterward told me it was his attempted utterance suddenly surprised by kindness which captured his finer feelings and led him a willing captive into a Masonic ambuscade. The stretcher-bearers were found and he was carefully taken to the nearest field hospital, where a surgeon had charge of it, who happened to be a Mason. I asked of the surgeon, as a personal favor, that this rebel officer might receive the best attention and if any expenses were incurred to charge them to me. A convalescent was detailed to take charge of him, his wounds were carefully dressed, nourishment was given him and I lay down to catch an hour's sleep before the hard duties of the morrow summoned me hence. Just before noon, I went back to the hospital and found Col. C. much refreshed and looking quite cheerful. He grasped my hand and kissed it, and the tear of a manly soldier stood in his eye hardly daring to fall. I never can forget the flash of those dark Southern eyes as he said: Please tell me for what reason you have been so kind to me?" I replied, "Because you are a Freemason-yes, a Royal Arch Mason." "I have taken in the old Granite State the same oaths that you have in a sunny Palmetto State, and we are therefore companions until death. Nothing on earth can separate us, or our attachment for each other. In war as well as in peace we are still the same. While thrones and republics are tumbling, and the world changing day by day, we as Masons, are now and ever will be the same without change. I love and respect you as a brother, and as you would peril your own life to save mine, I ask you if I have done any more than was my duty to you as a Royal Arch Mason?" He gave way to considerable emotion as this reply was made, but added with much sincere feeling: "But I have been fighting against you, and all such as you for a year, and aiding in all ways in my power to kill you." "Then go and sin no more," I added, " for this you should feel ashamed as a Mason. It is your country and not your State you have sworn to support and be a good citizen in, and you have been trying to subvert the best government ever framed by man, and blessed by Almighty God. It has done you no injury but has watcher over and protected you, as faithfully as a brother Mason. It has protected your life and property, and you owe it a debt of gratitude. Return then, to your allegiance, and be as true to your country as you have been false, It is your duty as a Mason." With one hand in mine and the other on his heart he said: "I swear by the God who has so kindly made you the instrument for saving my life, that if these wounds do not prove mortal, I will never be found in our army again." And turning to the surgeon who was just then coming up. "I will never cease to love the flag, I honored in boyhood, until we three, or three such as we, meet together in heaven."
The author adds this postscript: In the summer of 1864, while many of our officers were under our own artillery fire in Charleston, and our privates in prison were being starved in a systematic manner, which will stand on the pages of history as the most atrocious crime of modern times, a citizen of Charleston eight have been seen, going at all hours and in all places to these prisons and slave-pens where our soldiers were confined, and giving them the best that Charleston market afforded. All the delicacies were faithfully given to the sick and suffering, and surgical aid was often called at his own expense. He would often sit all night by the side of some sick or dying soldier, and watch over him with the tenderness of a mother. His countenance became familiar to all imprisoned in Charleston, and he was often asked why he dared perform such duties, being a native South Carolinian. He never gave a satisfactory reply. All imprisoned in Charleston will remember him a ministering angel, a nameless hero, who was wounded in the right leg and severely wounded in the shoulder.

The day after the battle of Antietam the 5th New Hampshire formed the picket line along the edge of the cornfield where Richardson's Division fought. The reserve as in one edge of the corn, and the pickets about middle way of the field concealed in the corn, as the sharpshooters of the enemy fired on all who undertook to walk around on the battle field at that locality. Early in the morning one of the wounded rebels who lay just outside the pickets called one of the N.H. men and handed him a little slip of paper, on which he had evidently with great difficulty, succeeded in making some mystic sign with a bit of stick wet in blood. The solider was begged to hand the paper to some Freemason as soon as possible, and he took it to Col. E.E.Cross of his regiment. The Colonel was a Master Mason, He sent for Capt. J.B. Perry, and several Brother Masons in the regiment, told the story, and in a few moments four "Brothers of the mystic tye." Were crawling stealthily through the corn to find the Brother in distress. He was found, placed on a blanket, and at great risk drawn out of range of the rebel rifles, and then carried to the 5th N.H. hospital. He proved to be First Lieutenant Edon of the Alabama volunteers, badly wounded in the thigh and breast. A few hours and he would have perished. Lieut. Edon informed his Brethren of another wounded Mason, who when brought out, proved to be a Lieutenant Colonel of a Georgia regiment. These two wounded rebel officers received the same attention as the wounded officers of the 5th and a warm friendship was established between men who a few hours before were in mortal combat.

Another Confederate wounded at Crampton Gap. South Mountain, was James Camp. He shouted the Masonic words of distress and a Federal officer responded: "Brother, what can I do for you?" Camp asked for water. The officer sent two of his men for it. They returned loaded down with canteens for the wounded Confederate and his companions. The Union officer remained with Camp until help arrived to take care of his wounds.

Capt. Marchand of Philadelphia, wounded at Fredericksburg, before dying, said to an attendant: I do not want to go home to die." The attendant responded, "I should wish to be with my friends. Don't you, Captain?" The response was: "Yes but if paroled and sent home, when death is morally certain, the enemy will get a well man in my place, and my government and country will lose one in any event. So I will stay here, "Captain Swearengen at his own expense spent twenty-five dollars for head-board etc, for his brave Masonic Brother, In the Libby burial ground at Richmond, set apart for the burial of deceased federal soldiers, the stranger will read the touching memorial of this brave Mason.

At the battle of Fredericksburg, Captain T. B. Weaengen, General Mead's Adjutant General, was wounded through the lungs, badly bruised, and was found senseless on the field by a North Carolina Confederate officer, who believing him to be a Mason by a jewel on his person, had him carried to a house used as headquarters, called a surgeon to dress his wound, which was thought fatal; yet by the kind care and watching of the craft he was soon able to proceed to Richmond. His blankets were returned by half-naked, blanketless soldiers, and nothing taken from him.

One afternoon in the prison enclosure at Savannah, which, by the way, was a paradise compared to others in the South owing to the large live oak trees whose luxuriant foliage protected the six hundred Union officers there confined from the burning sun by day and the heavy miasmatic dews at night, a Confederate captain of the 1st Georgia Regiment, the best set of men that ever guarded a prison while walking about the enclosure engaged in conversation with a comrade of mine, in the course of which they happily recognized each other as Masons. "What can I do to render your situation more comfortable?" I heard the Confederate ask my friend. "Well Captain," replied the Union prisoner, "if I could be provided with a couple of boards, I would be enabled to build a bunk for myself above the ground." The Southerner, after extending his hand, which was promptly grasped and significantly pressed, took his departure, and a couple of hours afterwards a wagon-load of smooth yellow pine boards was delivered to my companion, whose joy was so great that he divided the lumber among his friends, reserving scarcely enough to answer his own purposes.

The incident which I am about to relate took place in a small grove which laid between our corps and the Sixteenth Army Corps. The Rebels had planted a three-gun battery in the center of the only road running through the woods, which opened a galling fire, utterly preventing us from forming a connection with our comrades in the opposite side. At first we knew not what to do. There being no commissioned officer with us, we conferred together, and decided upon driving them from their position, if possible, at the point of the bayonet. There were some sixty of us all told, from different regiments, representing nearly every Union State. Each one of us took a tree, and then attempted to pick off the Rebels from our hiding-places, at the same time gradually approaching the battery. Before we had got within a hundred yards of it, we had lost nearly twenty of our crowd, and several others were wounded. At this point a color-sergeant of one of the gallant Maine regiments sprang to his feet, and waving the fragment of the tattered banner which he had carried through many a bloody fight, shouted, "Come on, boys!" The word was all that was wanted, and with a yell we approached the battery. When I had got quite near the guns, a lieutenant of an Alabama regiment sprang from a tree, and caught me by the shoulder. Already weak from loss of blood, having been wounded twice during the day, I felt that I was no match for the powerful Alabamian. As I drew my revolver, a shot from him shattered my right wrist. With my wounded hand I grabbed him by the waist as well as I could, while with the other I held his hand and prevented him from again firing. We stood transfixed, speechless, defiantly staring at each other, catching breath for a renewal of the deadly struggle. And as thus we stood, I happened to espy the square and compass on his breast. My situation was one of extreme peril; with Joy I discovered the brotherly emblems; and giving the grand hailing-sign of a Master Mason, he instantly relaxed his hold, and we grasped each other by the hand. Suffice it to say in conclusion that the battery was captured, and that the Alabama officer surrendered himself, of his own free will, a prisoner of war of the United States. Thurs Freemasonry was the means of saving my life.

From a letter originally published in the National Freemason and reprinted in the Freemasons' Magazine:
My regiment left Washington, to join the Army for the Potomac. We have lost in killed and wounded of our regiment in this campaign more than tow-fifths of our number. On the 8th of May, our division formed the advance of the army on Spottsylvania, where we met Longstreet's and Hill's corps massed behind strong works---about two thousand of us against two corps of the rebel army-the audacity of the movement was all that saved us from annihilation or capture. Here Lt. Isaac D. Paull fell, mortally wounded and a prisoner, "he died half an hour after being carried within the enemy's lines, and was buried by a Brother Mason." On the same day Corp. Simpson of Company C. was badly wounded, and left on the field when the regiment retired from the enemy's works. He was recognized as a Mason by a rebel officer, who directed his men to fill his canteen, and placed him in a comfortable position, and said he could do no more for him---from which position, a few hours afterwards, we recovered him and carried him to the rear. Though very badly wounded, he yet lives. Thus we perceive the Masonic obligations are recognized by our enemies. May it ever be so on both sides, and soften, somewhat, the rigors of war in this unnatural strife.

Taken from The Masonic Monthly for July, 1864..reprinted from the New York Herald:
The remains of the rebel. Captain W.H. Gladding, who was arrested a year ago and over while attempting to run the blockade, who died in prison while detained as a spy by General Hunter, and who was buried by the Masons, were recently disinterred and carried across the line, under flag of truce, by a party in charge of Lieutenant-Colonial J.F. Hall. Provost-Marshall General. The party landed on a causeway opposite Port Royal ferry, and it was a notable circumstance that it was lined on both sides with the acadia, the funeral emblem of the Order. Near where the body was deposited to await transferal a large and fine one was growing. Colonel Hall plucked it, and has forwarded it to his lodge-Kane Lodge of New York. Captain Gladding's body was received by Capt. Walker, of the rebel army. A deputation of Masons from Savannah were to have received the remains, but by an inadvertence were not informed in season.

The town of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania was burned on July 30 by McCausland. That caused no end of resentment in the North, and was condemned bitterly in the South. One kind act stood out during that atrocity. The Masonic Temple, recently renovated, was saved. A Confederate officer, riding south of Second Street, thought he recognized the character of a building. He inquired in neighboring houses and found it was a Masonic Temple. He instructed guards to prevent its burning, then rode away.

A single soldier, coming from the direction of the enemy, with sword in hand, dashed into the Black Horse Troop, which composed one of the squadrons of the Fourth Virginia Cavalry, on the occasion was the color squadron, sabering the men right and left, wounding several…the bold assailant succeeded in forcing his way through the Confederate column, and might possibly have escaped, but a shot fired by a Confederate brought his horse down and he fell with it…in all probability he would have been slain on the spot, but the timely interference of Captain Henry C. Lee an aid of Colonel Munford, who seeing the struggle, rode up and put an end to it. It is said that Captain Lee recognized in the prostrate man a brother Mason, through some sign or cry used by the Masonic order in time of distress or danger. The hero of this affair, which sounds like a romance, turned out to be Capt. George N. Bliss, of the First Rhode Island Cavalry…at Waynesboro.

NOTE FROM ALLEN E. ROBERTS, AUTHOR - Masonry has not died. To the contrary, it has grown from about 4000,000 members when the war ended to more than 4,000,000 in the United States in 1960. Its tenets and precepts are practiced more widely in the free world now than at any other time in its long history. Unfortunately, the mistakes of the past have often been forgotten. Too many are still "stepping-on" their fellowman for a dollar or a vote. The old proverb "live and let live," is being constantly violated. Freemasonry's first tenet---Brotherly Love---is considered by far too many as so much sentimentality. Group is fighting group; religion is opposing religion; section is antagonizing section; competing ideologies are running rampant. The Civil War ended before the summer of 1865, but its repercussions have been felt ever since. The North has opposed the thinking of the South; the same is true in reverse. Politically, the Republican party, with rare exceptions, has made no headway in the former Confederacy. The treatment by members of that party almost a century earlier has never been forgiven. The North has not been forgiving either; no Southerner has been nominated by either of the two major political parties for the presidency since the surrender. In Masonic circles the opposite has been true. Masons have been quick to help, not only their own, but everyone deserving of assistance. They remember the charge that "every human being has a claim upon your kind offices." The living proof is plentiful. The house that was never divided, has remained a house undivided!

-So Mote It Be-

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The Origin of "Taps"

There has been much controversy over the origin of the military funeral bugle call "Taps". The following are the two stories, both with roots during the civil war. The most wide-spread believed is the story of Maj. General Daniel Butterfield, who was a Mason. The second story could easily fit in with the Masonic stories above, but no Masonic records have been found in reference to the individuals involved. I'll let you decide for yourself which of the stories you believe.

ONE: Major General Daniel Butterfield who commanded a brigade in the Army of the Potomac during the Peninsular Campaign of 1862. After a particularly hard fighting day as the weary troops settled down for the night along the James River near Richmond Virginia, the bugler sounded "Extinguish Lights" or what is more commonly called "Lights Out". On this night Butterfield felt that this bugle call was not as smooth, melodious, and musical as it should be. He felt that the day's final call should bring comfort and peace to tired troubled men. With the help of his bugler, Oliver W. Norton, Butterfield composed the music to what we know today as TAPS.

Later in the Peninsular Campaign a funeral was being held during a lull in the fighting. The bugler was ordered to play TAPS in place of the three volleys usually used to render the final honors to a deceased comrade. This was done because it was feared that rifle fire might cause the enemy to renew their attack. The playing of TAPS was eventually written into Army regulations as a part of the honors to be paid at a military funeral.

TWO: It began in 1862, during the Civil War, when a Union Army Captain, Robert Ellicombe, was with his men near Harrison's Landing, in Virginia. The Confederate Army was on the other side of this narrow strip of land. During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moan of a soldier who lay mortally wounded on the field. Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate soldier, the captain decided to risk his life and bring the stricken man back for medical attention.

Crawling on his stomach through the gunfire, the captain reached the stricken soldier and began pulling him toward his encampment. When he finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was actually a Confederate soldier--but the soldier was dead.

The captain finally caught his breath and lit a lantern. Suddenly, he went numb with shock. In the dim light he saw the face of the soldier--it was his own son! The boy had been studying music in the South when the war broke out and without telling his father, enlisted in the Confederate Army.

The following morning the heartbroken father asked permission of superiors to give his son a full military burial, despite his enemy status. His request was partially granted.

The captain had asked if he could have a group of soldiers in the Army band play a funeral dirge for the son at the funeral. That request was turned down since the soldier was a Confederate. Out of respect for the father they said they could give him one musician. He chose a bugler. He asked the bugler to play a series of musical notes he had found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the dead youth's uniform. This was done. That music was the haunting bugle melody we know as "Taps".

While there are no official words to the bugle call itself,
the commonly used lyrics are derived from the following verses:

Fading light dims the sight,

And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.

From afar drawing nigh -- Falls the night.

Day is done, gone the sun,

From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;

All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

Then good night, peaceful night,

Till the light of the dawn shineth bright;

God is near, do not fear -- Friend, good night.

"Freemasonry and The Civil War: A House Undivided"
By Justin Lowe
[from http://ncmason.org/book/civilwar.htm]

"My father had been a soldier in the Union Army . . . He was made a Mason in a military Lodge. Taken prisoner at Arkansas Post, he was carried up the Mississippi River to Rock Island, Illinois. My father became desperately ill, and made himself known as a Mason to an officer of the camp. The officer took him to his own home and nursed him back to life.

"When the war ended, he loaned Father money to pay his way back to his Texas home, and gave him a pearl-handled pistol to protect himself. This experience of my father, when I learned about it, had a very great influence upon my life; the fact that such a fraternity of men could exist, mitigating the harshness of war, and remain unbroken when states and churches were torn in two, became a wonder; and it is not strange that I tried for years to repay my debt to it."

Joseph Fort Newton, D.D. in "River of Years" - [1]

The Civil War was the single most divisive event in our nation's long history. No other war, political event, or national crisis has ever approached the levels of animosity and hatred that the Civil War caused.

Brother fought against brother. Fathers against sons. Families were forever split over the idealism of the War. They were not alone. Major national organizations, notably the Baptist Churches, also broke up over the issues of slavery and States' Rights. The War seemed to destroy the bonds of any organization it touched.

All the organizations, that is, except one: Freemasonry. While the War raged around them, Freemasons held on to the ties and the idealism that brought them together in the first place. Thousands of Masons fought in the War, and many died. But the tenets of the Craft, those ideals and moral codes that we, as Freemasons,[2] strive to abide by, were able to overcome the hatred and the animosity that the War generated.

There are a number of reasons why this organization, more than any other, was able to survive the tumult that was the Civil War. A major reason is the long and storied history of the Craft. The beliefs and tenets of the Lodge predate not only the Civil War, but the Constitution, the discovery of the New World, and, according to some, even the birth of Christ. When a tradition of that many years exists, it is difficult to ignore.

A second reason why Masonry held together is that membership in a Masonic Lodge is by choice only. No man has ever been recruited into joining a Lodge. Our rules in fact prohibit Masons from actively pursuing someone for initiation. Instead, a man interested in becoming a Mason must, "of his own free will and accord," [3] actively seek out a member of the Lodge which he wishes to join and ask him for a petition for membership.

The third reason is the structure of the Craft itself. There are a number of internal rules and customs that helped the Lodge as a whole avoid the turbulent politics and divisiveness of the War. This allowed the Lodge to continue to function as a place a man could go when he needed help, or a quiet haven from the storms that raged outside the Craft. It was then, and continues to be today, a place where true brotherhood exists.

Perhaps the best example of these ties of brotherhood occurred on the battlefield at Gettysburg. [4] This battle, the turning point of the War, saw 93,000 Federal troops doing battle with 71,000 Confederates. Of those numbers, more than 35,000 were killed or wounded in the three days of fighting from 1 July to 3 July, 1863. Of the men who fought, 17,930 were Freemasons, including the roughly 5,600 who became casualties. [5] One of the most famous events that occurred at Gettysburg was the huge Confederate infantry push known as Pickett's Charge. On 3 July, Pickett (a member of Dove Lodge No. 51, Richmond, Va) led nearly 12,000 men on a long rush across open fields towards the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge. It has been called the last and greatest infantry charge in military history.

One of the men leading that charge was Brigadier General Lewis Addison Armistead, CSA. He was a member of Alexandria-Washington Masonic Lodge No. 22 in Alexandria. Originally from North Carolina, he had attended West Point, and fought with the US Army for a number of years before resigning his commission to fight for the Confederacy. During that time, he had occasion to serve with now Major General Winfield Scott Hancock, USA (Charity Lodge No. 190, Norristown, Pa.) while both men were in the west. The two had become good friends. However, with Armistead's resignation, it had been nearly two and a half years since the two men had had any contact. Until Gettysburg, that is.

It was Hancock who had taken command of the fragmented Union troops on Cemetery Ridge on 1 July, and organized them into a strong front that had withstood three days of pounding from the Confederate guns. And it was his position, in the center of the Union line, that was the focus of Pickett's Charge. During the action, both men were wounded. Armistead was shot from his horse, mortally wounded. Hancock's saddle took a hit, driving nails and pieces of wood into his thigh.

As the battle waned, it became clear that Armistead's injuries were fatal. Knowing that his old friend was somewhere behind the Union lines, Armistead exhibited the Masonic sign of distress. [6] This was seen by Captain Henry Harrison Bingham, the Judge-Advocate of Hancock's Second Corps (Chartiers Lodge #297, Canonsburg, Pa.). He came to the fallen Armistead, and declared that he was a fellow Mason.

The two men spoke for a time, and when Armistead realized that Bingham had direct access to Hancock, he entrusted some of his personal effects to him. Among them were his Masonic watch, the Bible upon which he had taken his obligations, [7] and a number of other items. Bingham said his farewells, and then returned to the Union camp to deliver the items.

Armistead died two days later.

The fact that Armistead chose to use the Masonic sign of distress signified that his war was over, and that there was another, more pressing matter on his mind, even on the field at Gettysburg. What could lead one of the highest ranking and most intelligent officers in the Confederacy to lay aside all of the ideology of the war and call for a brother of the Craft from the other side? It is this question which I will now address.

During the war, and in the years just prior to it, the questions of secession, slavery, and states' rights were as much on the minds of Masons in this country as anyone. There was almost no way of escaping the thoughts of imminent warfare between the states. The following is taken from a letter, drafted in June of 1861, from the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, sent in response to a communication received from the Grand Lodge of Tennessee decrying the situation that the country was in.

"As to the present deplorable state of this country, Masons cannot fail to have opinions as to the cause that produced it. It is to be feared that some of our brethren are in arms against the union of the States; others are in the ranks of its defenders. Taught by the history of he Order. . . they have carried these principles into the formation of opinions on the present crisis in our national history. But while Masons, as individuals, have been thus influenced and are acting in harmony with such views, Freemasonry is a silent, unimpassioned, abstracted observer of events. . .

"Brethren -- We, with you, deplore the present unnatural and deeply distressing condition of our national affairs. . .But if this whirlwind threatens to overwhelm us, yet in this last extremity, the still small voice of Masonic faith will be uttered and heard, saying, Brethren, there is help at hand in this time of need. . .

"'Surely your God is our God; your faith our faith; your landmarks our landmarks; your joy our joy; your prosperity our satisfaction.' Then let us unitedly work together for the preservation and perpetuity of a common inheritance. . . We will aid in maintaining unity, peace and concord, among the brethren and citizens of united sovereign States in our glorious Union. If all bonds should be broken, all ties rent asunder; if discord, dissension, and disruption, shall mark the decline and fall of the most wise and wonderful of the governments of mankind, let the Masonic temple, in all States, kingdoms, lands, peoples or confederacies, be common refuge of an indestructible Masonic fraternity." [8]

These sentiments were echoed by virtually all of the other Grand Lodges at one point or another during this time period. Nobody wanted war. Negotiation was the overwhelmingly favored option. However, if war occurred, everyone hoped and believed that the Fraternity would be able to survive the conflict. But why? What was so special about Masonry that set it apart from other organizations similar to it?

The first reason is history of the Order. No other organization has the amount and the type of history that Freemasonry does. To truly understand the organization that exists today, it is imperative to examine and understand the history of the Craft.

There is no clear answer as to where the historical roots of Freemasonry lay. The first school of thought traces the Craft from the building of King Solomon's Temple in roughly the 10th century, B.C. At this point, before the advent of metal working tools, the construction of stone buildings required the work and planning of master architects. They had only stone and mortar to work with, and yet their plans were so well-designed as to stand for centuries.

There were relatively few masters, and the secrets of the trade were among the best-kept in the world. Masters knew that the demand for their expertise was overwhelming, and they guarded their knowledge well. Only a select few were elevated to the rank of master, and the process was a long and arduous one. A young man was first apprenticed to an established master, often for a period of several years. The apprentice learned the trade from that master, then set out on his own to practice his trade.

Eventually, a few of these craftsmen were elevated to the rank of master, but only after years of labor. This pattern is repeated through many different eras in history, no matter what the craft being learned.

The master architect involved in the construction of King Solomon's Temple was a man named Hiram Abif. He was murdered by a trio of men who aspired to be made masters of the craft. The story of his murder forms the basis for the Master Mason degree in modern Freemasonry. Abif would not relinquish the secrets of the master, and sacrificed his life to protect the sanctity of that honor. These and other ideals are explained in the Master Mason degree, impressing upon the new Brother the extent to which others have gone to uphold the fraternity. [9]

The second line of thought traces the Craft's development from the guilds of the middle ages. This follows closely the ideals of the other school.

Guilds of stonecutters were formed to protect the secrets of the actual profession of stonecutting. This was known as "operative Masonry." The first documented instance of a Masonic Lodge in England occurs in 926 A.D. These guildsmen could actually lay stone and build buildings. A person who was engaged in this profession was virtually forced to become a member of the guilds in order to secure work. It closely parallels the development of the "closed shop" labor unions in this country. Those who were not members could not find work.

As time went on, these guilds gained considerable power and influence. They began to develop allegorical meanings for the tools and terminology of the profession. They also developed secret signs, words, and modes of recognition so that one Mason could recognize another, no matter where they went. These insured that only those who were eligible could sit in on the meetings of the guilds. This allowed the mason to travel to other parts of the world, and still be recognized as a master stonecutter. This led to the coining of the term "Free & Accepted Mason," shortened to "Freemason." The mason, as a member of one of the guilds, was free to travel where he wanted and continue to earn a living as a stonecutter.

In the 17th century, when cathedral building was on the decline, some of the individual Lodges began to admit members who were not actual masons. These included civil and religious leaders, government officials, and other dignitaries. These dignitaries realized the power and influence of the Lodges, and gained membership to have a say in that power. Hence, a new type of organization developed. No longer were these guilds of operative masons. Here we see the development of what is know today as "speculative Masonry." Speculative Masonry kept the allegories and the secrets that the operative Masonic guilds used, but merely expanded the rolls of membership to include those who were not employed in the profession.

With a history as long and storied as this, it is little wonder that the ties that bond a man to all of his Masonic brethren are not taken lightly. They are solemn vows, taken in the presence of God and the members of his Lodge. This set of traditions, stretching back over many centuries, is not easily disregarded in favor of such fickle and transient notions as politics. Tradition, however, was not the only reason that the Craft remained together.

A second important reason why Masonry stood apart from other organizations is the way in which a man becomes a Mason. Freemasonry is unique in that we do not recruit new members. In order to gain admittance to a Lodge, a man must come to either the Lodge as a whole, or to an individual member of the Lodge, and request of them a petition for membership. The process itself is controlled by the Lodge after that point, but the important thing to remember is that the prospective member must make the initial query.

This tradition has drawn some criticism in the last few years, as membership has started to decline. Up until roughly the 1960's, membership in virtually all fraternal organizations was incredibly high. This included Freemasonry and all of its appendant bodies, Greek fraternities and sororities on college campuses, and other organizations such as the VFW, the Elks, Moose, Eagles, etc. After the 1960's, however, membership in all of these began to decline, and did so for nearly a generation. It has only recently began to level off, and in some cases, began to rise again. Many of the Grand Lodges, which are the governing bodies in Masonry, have relaxed regulations about discussing membership with prospective members. The rule has remained in place, however.

This is an important distinction for several reasons. First of all, there is a major difference between a group that you choose to join and one that you are coerced into joining. Often, in the other organizations, men were almost forced into becoming members. Perhaps they had a relative, a father or uncle, who was a member, and the younger man was naturally expected to join.

Certainly, this happens in Masonry to some extent, but there is still the element of choice. Throughout the ceremonies of initiation to the various degrees of the Masonic Lodge, the new Brother is repeatedly asked if this choice, to become a Mason, is "of his own free will and accord." This same question is asked no fewer than three times in each degree. [10] There is ample opportunity for a man to voice his objection if he feels he is being forced or coerced into joining.

Another difference is the one between a group a person chooses to join and one that he or she is born into. This is perhaps the most important difference in this context. When a person is born into a society, or a group, or a religion, he or she does not have this element of choice involved. This is one of the reasons that many of these other organizations did not hold together when the war came. A number of the people in the organization decided that they did not want to be in the organization anymore, and as they had never asked to be there, they felt that they were entitled to leave.

The best example of this is the political division between North and South. One of the reasons that some of the secessionists gave for wanting to leave the Union was that they did not have the same loyalty to the Union and the Constitution that the original founding fathers did. Those individuals made the choice to form this new national government, and to abide by the rules and the regulations thereof.

During the time of the Civil War, however, there was a serious question of what bound the new generation of Americans to the federal Constitution. There was a good deal more significance paid to the individual state identities. People would identify themselves as a Virginian first, and then as an American. This question of dual citizenship would plague this country until the question was settled through the bloodshed of civil war.

This concept was what allowed secessionists to declare that they had a more compelling allegiance to the state than to the nation. While this idea may seem strange to modern Americans, to our mid-19th century forefathers, it was perhaps foremost in their minds. For all the talk of slavery being the major cause of the war, the fact remains that the actual debate started over the question of states' rights. Overly simplified, the South was not fighting to preserve slavery, but rather to enforce states' rights. By the same token, the North did not go to war to end slavery, but to preserve the political and economic union.

The secessionists did not feel the same degree of loyalty to the Union, because they had not made a conscious decision to join that group. They felt powerless and on the outside of the political process. This led to a great deal of resentment towards the national government from the Southerners. They were inside a political system that they could not change, and when they tried to escape, a war was waged to keep them in.

On the other hand, the process for becoming a Mason was much different. With this element of choice being so heavily prevalent, each man in the organization was able to feel that he really belonged, that Freemasonry was a place in which he had some say over the government of the organization.

The government of Freemasonry and the way the organization is set up is the third reason that it was able to hold together. Every member in good standing had an equal vote in the affairs of the Lodge. [11] The whole process is very egalitarian. When a Lodge meets, it meets "on the level," meaning that no member is any higher than any other. The newest Brother has the same voice and the same voting power that the oldest does. The Master of the Lodge, who presides over the affairs of the body, is not a supreme dictator. Rather, he rules only by the consent of the members. In elections and other affairs requiring votes, his counts no more than any other.

Another advantage built into the structure of Masonry are the taboos that exist within the Lodge. While it is true that the Lodge is designed to be an open forum for members to express their opinions and to debate matters of importance, there are certain subjects which, as a rule, are not discussed.

By tradition, the only two taboo subjects are Religion and Politics. Our Masonic forefathers deemed them too divisive and the discussion of them as too temperamental and banned them from the Lodge. One of the purposes of the Lodge is to provide a safe haven for rational and intellectual debate. It also tries to encourage a state of harmony within the Lodge itself. To ensure this harmony, these two issues were banned. Our forefathers were well aware that there had never been a conflict that could not be traced to one of these two forces. So by not discussing them, they hoped to provide for this harmonious state that existed within the Lodge.

This stipulation helped to keep peace within the organization. The firebrands and masters of rhetoric that so infected governments and towns found no refuge within the Masonic fraternity. Levelheadedness and reason more often than not were able to prevail upon the leadership of the fraternity. That is what could lead the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania to declare that "Freemasonry is a silent, unimpassioned, abstracted observer of events." [12]

The very structure of the Grand Lodge system lends itself to the preservation of the Craft through national crises. The Grand Lodge is the governing body of Masons in any particular jurisdiction. It is made up of representatives from the various Lodges within that jurisdiction. However, the point to remember is that the Grand Lodge of one jurisdiction owes no allegiance to that of any other. Neither does it subject itself to the rule or authority of any superior body. Each Grand Lodge holds absolute sovereignty within its jurisdiction.

The first of the Grand Lodges was the United Grand Lodge of England. In 1724, four Lodges met in London and formed the first governing body. They understood even then that the relation to the national government was an important issue: "A Mason is a peaceable subject to the Civil Powers, wherever he resides or works, and is never to be concerned in plots and conspiracies against the peace and welfare of the nation, nor to behave himself undutifully to inferior magistrates; for as Masonry hath been always injured by war, bloodshed, and confusion, so ancient Kings and Princes have been much disposed to encourage the Craftsmen, because of their peaceableness and loyalty, whereby they practically answered the calls of their adversaries, and promoted the honour of the Fraternity, who ever flourished in times of peace. So that if a Brother should be a rebel against the State, he is not to be countenanced in his rebellion, however he may be pitied as an unhappy man; and, if convicted of no other crime, though the loyal Brotherhood must and ought to disown his rebellion, and give no umbrage or ground of political jealousy to the government for the time being; they cannot expel him from the Lodge, and his relation to it remains indefeatible. [13]

"The foregoing is a copy of Section II of the Constitution of Masonry as written by James Anderson for the Grand Lodge of England, and adopted by that grand lodge and printed on "this 17th Day of January, 1724." It was the article most frequently quoted in Masonic circles throughout the Civil War." [14]

These men who authored this Grand Lodge certainly understood the importance of loyalty to both the state and to the Fraternity. But the most important contribution that they made to the preservation of the Craft was the invention of the Grand Lodge system.

There is debate as to when the first Masonic Lodge was formed here in America. Some estimates trace it back to the 1650's or before. [15]

Certainly, however, there were Lodges in place by the early 18th century. The first Grand Lodge in the Americas, in Massachusetts, was chartered in 1733. Importantly, it was totally sovereign from the Grand Lodge of England. By the time of the Civil War, 38 independent Grand Lodges existed in the United States. [16]

Each of these Grand Lodges was independent from all of the others, and absolutely sovereign within its own jurisdictional boundaries. This lack of a national leadership is a major reason why Freemasonry as a whole did not fracture along geographical boundaries, as did many of the other organizations. In those cases, groups like the Baptist Churches, the Presbyterian Churches, and others, all had some sort of national leadership council, comprised of representatives of all of the various regions throughout the country. And as the war fractured the country along a definitive line, so too did it divide the national committees of these various groups. It is not logical to assume that any organization, no matter how deeply held their convictions are, no matter how dedicated to their ideals the membership might be, could survive intact. In such a situation, where the leadership of the group is so deeply and obviously split, is it any wonder that the individual group members themselves broke away?

This element was missing from Freemasonry, however. There was no "Grand Lodge of America" to oversee the ones in the states. There was no national committee of leadership to look to for guidance. The individual Grand Lodges were on their own. The rules and regulations that they laid down were only valid within their jurisdiction.

Therefore, a Mason in Georgia did not have to be concerned with the views of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts on the issues of slavery and states' rights. He only had to be concerned with those of the Georgia body. Such a man would have a definite and palpable interest in the affairs of his state's Masonic body, and, importantly, he would have an avenue to make his thoughts and feelings on the various subjects heard. It could be easily said that he had a more direct link to the business and affairs of the Grand Lodge of his state than to the government of the United States. This brings me to my final reason. The Masonic brotherhood is founded on three basic principles that we use to provide a moral guideline for our lives. Those three tenets are Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. The concepts themselves seem simple enough. The first teaches us that we should love and respect all of our brethren of the earth, regardless of whether they are members of the Craft or not. The second teaches that we should do all that we can to help those who need our assistance. The third teaches us that we should ever seek the light of knowledge, for only in knowledge can men be truly free.

During the Civil War, Masons on both sides of the line had opportunities to display those virtues. The story of Armistead, Bingham, and Hancock is only one of hundreds of anecdotes that can be related about Masonic brotherhood overcoming the hatred and animosity of the Civil War.

There are a number of documented stories of warfare being put aside for the purposes of Masonic funerals. In Galveston, a Confederate Major named Tucker performed Masonic funeral services for a Union Captain named Wainwright who had died in Tucker's prison. "A public procession consisting of 'both friends and foe wearing the insignia of the Order, and accompanied with a proper military escort' accompanied the body to the Episcopal cemetery." [17] In another case, a Masonic Union Naval commander named Hart was killed on board his vessel during a long bombardment. A small craft sailed into that Louisiana port under a truce flag, and asked for a Mason. W.W. Leake, the man who responded, immediately opened his Lodge and afforded Hart full Masonic rites.

Some Masons took to wearing the signs and symbols of the Craft on their uniforms, in the hopes that a Mason on the other side, upon recognizing him as a Brother, would spare him harm.

Masons were also very active in the hospitals and the care units at the sites of major battles. Often, the hospitals were located on the farms or in the buildings owned by Masons. The Masonic Temple in Vicksburg was used as a hospital first by the Confederates, and then by the Federals after the fall of Vicksburg on 4 July, 1863. [18]

There are many reasons why Freemasonry was able to survive the divisiveness of the Civil War. The sense of tradition that extends back over many centuries lends it an air of dignity and reverence that is very difficult to ignore. No other organization or government has so long and storied a tradition.

A man must choose to a Mason. He cannot be born or forced into it. In an organization that a person chooses to join, there is a more developed sense of loyalty to that group. Those in which there is no choice, such as governments and religions, have less of such a loyal following.

Finally, the structure of the Craft itself lends itself to an advanced sense of coherency. Politics and religion, two of the most divisive elements in human history, did not enter the Lodge room. Every Mason was able to have an equal voice in the running of the Lodge. Each of the Grand Lodges was independent of the others. While there were well-developed lines of communication, no state had to surrender sovereignty to any other. Neither did they submit themselves to the rule of a supreme council. Lastly, the three tenets of the Craft, Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, required Masons to act differently than non-Masons.

With all of these factors working in their favor, it becomes more evident why Freemasons were able to hold together as an organization more readily than many of their contemporaries. All of the traditions and history established Masonry as a legitimate organization. The attractive elements of Freemasonry itself made membership something that men were eager to embrace. And once these tenets of the Craft had been embraced, disobedience of them was unthinkable. So men, as Masons, were able to overcome all of the political strife and ideological turmoil, simply by holding true to a set of principles that were established long before there was a Union to fight over. A noble accomplishment, to say the least.

Bibliography

Munn, Sheldon A. Freemasons at Gettysburg. Gettysburg, Pa: Thomas Publications, 1993

Roberts, Allen E. Masonic Trivia and Facts. Highland Springs, Va: Anchor Communications, 1994

Roberts, Allen E. House Undivided: The Story of Freemasonry and the Civil War. Fulton, Mo: The Ovid Bell Press, Inc. 1961

Waite, Arthur Edward, ed. A New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry. combined ed. New York, NY: Weathervane Books, 1970

Motts, Wayne E. "Trust In God And Fear Nothing": Gen. Lewis A. Armistead, CSA. Gettysburg, Pa: Farnsworth House Military Impressions, 1994.

Chamberlain, Joshua Lawrence (Gen.) Through Blood & Fire at Gettysburg: My Experiences with the 20th Maine Regiment on Little Round Top. Gettysburg, Pa: Stan Clark Military Books, 1994 (Reprinted from Hearst's Magazine from 1913 on the 50th Anniversary of Gettysburg.)

Footnotes

[1] From Allen E. Roberts Masonic Trivia and Facts Highland Springs, Va, Anchor Communications, 1994. 87.

[2] I am a Master Mason of American Union Lodge #1, Free & Accepted Masons, in Marietta Ohio. I have been involved with Masonry (as a member of the Order of DeMolay) since I was 14 years old. I have always had a favorable opinion of the Craft, but I will attempt to view this subject from as objective a point of view as possible.

[3] This quote appears numerous times in the ceremonies of initiation for the Masonic degrees.

[4] Gordon Cook, personal interview. Columbus, Ohio, 4 November 1995; and Munn 6-19. Cook is a member of the Masonic Lodge of Civil War Research.

[5] Sheldon A. Munn, Freemasons at Gettysburg (Gettysburg, PA: Thomas Publications, 1993) 5.

[6] The sign of distress is a secret sign that is taught to a new Brother at the time of his raising to the degree of Master Mason. It is not a sign that is to be used lightly, but only in times of dire need.

[7] By tradition, a new Brother takes all of his obligations on the same Bible. He is then presented with this book at the time of his raising, as a reminder of all that he has passed through.

[8] Allen E. Roberts House Undivided: The Story of Freemasonry and the Civil War (Fulton, Mo; The Ovid Bell Press, Inc, 1961) 33-35.

[9] The general text and message of the Masonic degrees have not changed since long before the time of the Civil War. Therefore, the stories I heard and the events I witnessed in 1995 are little different than the ones that Civil War-era Masons experienced.

[10] The three degrees in the Symbolic Lodge, or Blue Lodge, which is the foundation of the Grand Lodge system, are Entered Apprentice, FellowCraft, and Master Mason. Any further degrees are attained through other bodies appendant to the Blue Lodge. Once a man is made a Master Mason, he is free to choose not to join any other organizations. Or he may continue on through either the York Rite or Scottish Rite bodies. See the attached sheet for a tracing of the various degrees in each organization.

[11] The elections and business of the Lodge are conducted on the Master Mason degree. By rule, only Master Masons are present. "In good standing" refers to the payment of dues. Therefore, Master Masons who are not delinquent in the payment of his dues are eligible to vote and to hold office in the Lodge.

[12] Roberts House, 35

[13] Roberts House, 2

[14] Roberts House, 2

[15] Arthur Edward Waite A New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry Combined edition, (New York, Weathervane Books, 1970) 461-463.

[16] Massachusetts, 1733; North Carolina, 1771; Virginia, 1777; New York, 1 781; Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, 1786; Maryland, South Carolina, 1787; Connecticut, New Hampshire, 1789; Rhode Island, 1791; Vermont, 1794; Kentucky, 1800; Delaware, 1806; Ohio, 1808; District of Columbia, 1810; Louisiana, 1812; Tennessee, 1813; Indiana, Mississippi, 1818; Maine, 1820; Missouri, Alabama, 1821; Florida, 1830; Arkansas, 1832; Texas, 1837; Illinois, 1840; Wisconsin, 1843; Iowa, Michigan, 1844; Kansas, California, 1850; Oregon, 1851; Minnesota, 1853; Nebraska, 1857; Washington, 1858; and Colorado, 1861 (from Waite 462)

[17] Roberts Trivia, 96

[18] Roberts Trivia, 97

This article was originally posted at the North Carolina Masonic website (http://ncmason.org/book/civilwar.htm).

Check out these links in regards
to Freemasonry and the Civil War

http://www.mastermason.com/thedaythewarstopped/

http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/Masonry/Reports/cw.html

http://www.webroveronline.com/56thnyvi/links.html