Masons in the Line

[Yankeeboy]

Gents
Does anyone know of any good reference books or research about Masons In the Civil war?

Thanks
1st Corp. Gregory J. Dodge
Co. A 7th Ky Vol. Inf U.S.

[BrianHicks]

Re: Masons in the Line

House Undivided: The Story of Freemasonry & the Civil War by Allen E. Roberts

"Befriend and Relieve Every Brother" Freemasonry during Wartime by Richard Eugene Shields, Jr.

"Freemasons at Gettysburg" by Sheldon A. Munn

"Confederate Veteran" by Samuel Roberts, Sr.

"The Mystic Sign" Masonic Sketches, by F. P. Strickland

"Friend to Friend" The Scottish Rite Journal, by M.W. Samuel E. Cowan

"Masonry Under Two Flags" Masonic Service Assoc. 1983 by Allen E. Roberts.

http://jason.burkins.net/civil.html

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

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

http://www.mastermason.com/falmr/mascw.htm

http://docsouth.unc.edu/masonry/masonry.html

[Canton Zouave]

Re: Masons in the Line

Mr. Dodge,

A good source for some local information about Mason's in the War is to take a look inside your local lodge, assuming you have access (& your lodge is old to have such records like mine). My Lodge, has been a great source of local CW Information for my Masonic Studies, especially related to the early years. Some good letters, and other little tidbits.

[Paul J. Hadley]

Re: Masons in the Line

Friend Dodge,

Brian has given you great references from which to begin, but I'm told that a couple of those books were penned by a man who is not a Mason nor a friend of the Masons -- he apparently would rather profit from revealing "truths" about the "secret" organization without the benefit of solid inside information about the fraternal group.

Your mileage may vary, but I would suggest you look up Brother Tim Kindred's address (should be in the Into the Woods event news or in the members list) -- he is very knowledgable re the Craft and should be helpful in your search.

My apologies to Mr. Hicks if you also have journeyed to the East. With your military and reenacting background, that would give yet another layer to your impressive pedigree.

Hope this helps.
Paul Hadley
2 B 1, Ask 1

[BrianHicks]

Re: Masons in the Line

I am a Travelling Man.

Arabian Lodge #882, Dhahran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
My Mother Lodge is in the Noble Ninth District, of the American and Candian Grand Lodge, AF & AM within the United Grand Lodges of Germany.

I am also a 32d in the SRSJ in good standing in the Valley of American Military, Orient of NATO Bases.

Of interest are the Masonic Civil War Lodges of Research:

Civil War Lodge of Research #1865
C/O William E. Copenhaver, Secretary
107 Columbia Circle Stephens City, VA 22655
Email: amexcope@mnsinc.com

http://www.bessel.org/cwlr/

Confederate Military Lodge of Research (Alabama)
C/O Clifton W. Crisler, Secretary/Treasurer
PO Box 776 Alexander City, AL 35011-0776
Email: papclif@wwisp.com

http://www.lakemartin.net/~comilor/

Frontier Army Lodge of Masonic Research #1875
C/O Jim Acker, WM
1401 25th Avenue South Suite #303 Fargo, ND 58103
Email: james_acker@yahoo.com

http://www.mastermason.com/falmr/

Armistead - Bingham Lodge # 1862 F&AM of WI
C/O Doug Morisset, Secretary
300 Hendricks Street Waterloo, WI 53594
Email: prd1fam@ixperts.com

[NY Pvt]

Re: Masons in the Line

Brian has given you great references from which to begin, but I'm told that a couple of those books were penned by a man who is not a Mason nor a friend of the Masons -- he apparently would rather profit from revealing "truths" about the "secret" organization without the benefit of solid inside information about the fraternal group.

Hope this helps.
Paul Hadley
2 B 1, Ask 1

Mr. Hadley,

I know how the subject of Free Masonry can be as opinionated and as hot of topic as it was during the 1830's through the Civil War. Just because someone is not a Mason does not disqualifying them from writing a book on them, or the Masons during a certain time period.

I assume you are talking about Allen Roberts when you said,

"revealing "truths" about the "secret" organization without the benefit of solid inside information about the fraternal group."

Well good thing for him he is not a Mason or they would have cut out his tongue, possibly done other hideous things to him, and maybe even thrown him into the St. Lawrence near the Niagara Falls like they did to Morgan. Oh wait, the masons don't do that sort of thing anymore?!? :D

I would however like to ask a serious question, although I question whether I can get an unbiased answer from a Mason since I am not sure whether the Masons knowledge the "Morgan Affair" ever happened, and even then, everyone has their sides. Would the "Morgan Affair" still be a hot issue during the Civil War even though it happened some 30 years earlier?

[1stMaine]

Re: Masons in the Line

Comrade Dane,
The Morgan Affair was much discussed amongst members of the craft for many years. Even today we are still refuting the story, which is all it is. There is sufficient evidence to prove that the entire "affair" was promulagted with the intent of generating anti-masonic fervor and removing Masons from political offices in New York and elsewhere because of perceived influence amongst them.
Although a "secret" society, it was more of an open secret about who was actually a member, as it was not awfully hard to find out who belonged to the local lodge. In fact, there were actually quite a few lodges formed in the field amongst members of the various regiments.
What was not openly worn were the various insignias that seem to be so profligate amongst reenactors these days. It's a touchy subject for me, as I have only seen a handful of actual CW images where there was an identifiable Masonic emblem openly worn, and none of these were ever on a coat or hat/cap. In fact, there was only one inage of a square and compasses being worn, and that was on the lapel of a vest, which would have been covered up by the soldier's coat.
Commonly worn insingia would have been restricted to rings, watchfobs, and shirt studs. Items that were inconspicuos at best, and easily concealed if so desired. In fact, it was the masonic shirt studs that were the identifying symbol of General Barksdale's body at Gettysburg. But I digress.
Freemasons have always been accused of one thing or another. Mostly it involves being in league with satan, or establishing a secret government, or running the "new world order" or any combination of these things.
I'd be happy to help out in any way that I can with specifics, and I'll see what I can come up with for you regarding the "Morgan Affair".
respects,
Tim Kindred
Polar Star Lodge #114
Bath, Maine

https://www.7thmaine.com

[Canton Zouave]

Re: Masons in the Line

Pards.

Tim & Brian have both provided good insight into many Masonic topics, and resources. After ready them & various other post's over the past forums...I felt it would be a good idea to throw in a statement that was given to me as I worked to be raised through my degrees.

So here goes:

"The Masonic order is not a "Secret" Society, but meerely a "Society" with secrets."

Just my two cents worth.

[va-yank]

Re: Masons in the Line

I always felt the big pewter masonic badges and fobs were overdone, along with the tam-o-shanters and shillelaghs. Its hard to debunk something like that, but Tim gets credit for trying in a credible balanced review of the only evidence available.

Here's a thought, and correct me if I am wrong. Masonry and lodges, IOOF, Elks, G.A.R. etc. had their heyday in the late 19th century, post Civil War. Membership in lodges swelled, and became more open to the rank and file, working men, middle and lower middle class. Before that national and international lodges were mostly elite organizations, for the rich and aristocrats etc. So during the ACW we might have seen a Mason among the officers here and there, but probably none in the ranks.

[tomarch]

Re: Masons in the Line

I belive fraternal societies were popular with the everyday man before the C.W. as well. Out here in the Gold Rush country, there isn't a Gold Rush town that doesn't have a Masonic bldg. with an 1850's date on it. B.T.W. another fraternal order with a large following out here (and that still exists) is the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus which can be traced to what's now West Va. in 1845.

Tom Smith,ECV
Credo Quia Absurdum

[Canton Zouave]

Re: Masons in the Line

I always felt the big pewter masonic badges and fobs were overdone, along with the tam-o-shanters and shillelaghs. Its hard to debunk something like that, but Tim gets credit for trying in a credible balanced review of the only evidence available.

Here's a thought, and correct me if I am wrong. Masonry and lodges, IOOF, Elks, G.A.R. etc. had their heyday in the late 19th century, post Civil War. Membership in lodges swelled, and became more open to the rank and file, working men, middle and lower middle class. Before that national and international lodges were mostly elite organizations, for the rich and aristocrats etc. So during the ACW we might have seen a Mason among the officers here and there, but probably none in the ranks.

On the contrary: Fraternal organizations were very popular amongst the common man and the common soldier. The first masonic lodge in Ohio, was a military lodge that was organized by the soldiers stationed in and around Marietta Ohio in the late 18th century. In adidition, many of the members of my own lodge filled the ranks of companies in 4th Ohio,19th Ohio, 76th, & 107th Ohio. However, it does seem that many of the members who held higher positions in the lodge were prominent community figures, to this I will agree.


As for gigantic bullion emblems, and huge chunks of pressed brass on ones unifrom to designate any sort of affiliation just merely baffles me. As Mr. Kindred mentioned, small discreet emblems were much more common. In addition, even the use of a fraternal symbol in ink upon the inside of a garment seems to be another method of indication ones affiliation, along with embroidery, and of course ones own knowledge of the craft, and its symbolism.

[BrianHicks]

Re: Masons in the Line

Before the previous forum crashed, I had posted a rather lengthy post which detailed numerous incidents (all drawn from period source documents) which described men of opposing sides, coming to the aid and relief of a fellow Mason, solely because they had seen some sort of masonic badge, ring or emblem on the other person.

I did a study about two years ago in which I compared the numerical values of the consolidated reports of the States Grand Lodges (the ones that indicated an annual membership number, and were available) from the late 1850's and compared that to the ederal Census reports of men over the age of 21, and found that it appeared that statistacly speaking, about 1 in every 10 to 12 men were members of a Masonic Lodge. Now... my study definately was not a scienitficaly based study, but merely a comparison of available numbers from Grand Lodges, matched against the avaialable Census numbers.

[styler]

Emblems

There may have been regional differences between how appropriate it would have been to wear some overt sign of Masonry. Dane raised the "Morgan Affair," and it would have probably been unlikely that Masons from Western NY would have displayed their affiliation openly even decades later. The same, though, may not be true for men from other parts of the country. It depended on where anti-masonry was rampant and where it was not.

FWIW, don't forget the connection between Thurlow Weed (who played up the Morgan story) and Seward.

http://www.rochester.lib.ny.us/~rochhist/v2_1940/v2i2.pdf

[va-yank]

Re: Masons in the Line

" from the late 1850's and compared that to the ederal Census reports of men over the age of 21, and found that it appeared that statistacly speaking, about 1 in every 10 to 12 men were members of a Masonic Lodge."

So your survey concludes that 10-12% of men over 21 living in all of Ohio belonged to the Masons during some period in the late 1850s?

That is pretty astounding. Far more than I would have expected.

I did some research in the midwest years ago. I did not get any counts on members as such, just the number of lodges of different sorts and the locations throughout western Missouri and Eastern Kansas. Of course that area was not settled very heavily in the 1850s, so it stands to reason that lodges & memberships would develop later.

What sort of numbers are we looking at for the Masons today?

[Canton Zouave]

Re: Masons in the Line

No I think what Brian is saying that you did a comparison of annual reports from the Grand Lodges of each State, that maintained suitable records for his study.