FREEMASONRY DURING WARTIME

By: Bro. Richard E. Shields, Jr.

Bro. Shields is a member of Waxhaw Lodge
#562, Waxhaw, NC. His interest in the subject
of Freemasonry during wartime was sparked by 
Allen Roherts and his writings, particularly 
"House Undivided."

The book Befriend and Relieve Every Brother, 
Freemasonry During Wartime was just recently 
reviewed by both The Northern Light and The 
Scottish Rite Journal. This Short Talk Bulletin 
was extracted from that book.

FRlEND TO FRIEND
 
General Lew Armistead vaulted the stone 
wall, yelled "give them cold steel" and headed 
for the cannons that had until recently been fir-
ing on his men. As he laid his hand on one of 
the guns of the 4th US Artillery, the 69th 
Pennsylvania Infantry fired upon the gray 
coated General and the men who had followed 
him. Many went down including Armistead. He 
was heard to cry for help "as the son of a 
widow." Colonel Rawley W. Martin of the 53rd 
Virginia lay near by and witnessed as some of 
the men of the 69th Pa. rose up and came to 
Armistead's aid. Captain Henry H. Bingham, a 
physician and Mason, was brought to assist 
Armistead. Armistead inquired about his friend 
and Masonic Brother General Winfield 
Hancock. Learning that Hancock had also been 
wounded, he entrusted to Bingham his Masonic 
watch and personal papers to give to his friend 
and Brother General Hancock. Hancock and 
Armistead had attended West Point and had 
fought in the same regiment in Mexico, and 
were the closest of friends prior to the war. Two 
days later Armistead died of his wounds in a 
Union hospital on the Spangler farm.

Bingham survived the war and in fact won a 
Congressional Medal of Honor in 1867. He 
retired in 1867 and went on to become a mem-
ber of the United States Congress where he 
served for 33 years. He died in 1912 at the age 
of 70.

General Hancock survived his wounds though 
it was a long time until he returned to the army. 
He later commanded the Department of the East 
of the United States Army and died in 1886 still 
in command. In 1880, he lost an attempt for the 
United States Presidency to James Garfield.

This incident of the famous charge at 
Gettysburg known as Pickett's Charge is only 
one of many incidents in history where one 
Mason has come to the aid of another or anoth-
er's family and has inspired the Masonic 
"Friend to Friend" Monument at Gettysburg.

MASONIC BURIAL BY THE ENEMY 
On June 11, 1863, the Federal gunboat
Albatross, with Lt. Commander J.E. Hart of St. 
George's Lodge #6 in New York in command, 
was anchored on the Mississippi River opposite 
the town of Bayou Sara (some accounts say St. 
Francisville) which was 15 miles above the 
Rebel fortification Port Hudson. The gunboat 
was part of the ships laying siege to Port 
Hudson, Louisiana. Commander Hart had been 
in a delirium for many days and was confined to 
quarters. A shot rang out and the ship's execu-
tive officer Theodore E. Dubois and the doctor 
found the commander dead. The officers of the 
ship, not wanting to bury their commander in 
the river, sent a flag of truce ashore to discover 
if there was a local Masonic Lodge. William W. 
Leake, the acting Master of the lodge in Bayou 
Sara was approached by Captain Samuel White, 
who lived near the river, to hold a Masonic 
funeral for Commander Hart. Brother Leake
replied, "As a soldier of the Confederate Army, 
I think it is my duty. As a Mason, I know it is 
my duty." On June 13th, a few members of the
local lodge in Masonic regalia gathered and met 
the procession of 50 men from the Albatross 
under a flag of truce at the top of a hill. Brothers 
Benjamin F. and Samuel F. White of Bayou 
Sara, the surgeon and the two officers of the 
gunboat who were Masons were in the proces-
sion along with a squad of marines at "trail 
arms." Leake and the local Brothers marched in 
front of the corpse to Grace Episcopal Church 
Cemetery and buried Brother Hart in the 
Masonic Section with military and Masonic 
honors with the service of the Episcopal Church 
read over him. Brother Leake led the Masonic 
part of the services. The US Surgeon and offi-
cers asked the Brothers to join them on the 
Albatross for dinner but they declined. The sur-
geon then offered to supply Brother Leake with 
medicines for his family. Brother Leake 
declined but later the surgeon sent a few medi-
cines to Leake through Brother Samuel White.

Hart's grave was marked with a wooden head 
plate for many years, and eventually a perma-
nent marker covering the whole grave was ded-
icated. The marker states: "This monument is 
dedicated in loving tribute to the universality of 
Freemasonry."

HIS PLEASURE TO GIVE THEM RELIEF
 
Toward the end of the Civil War a number of 
Confederate prisoners of war were being held in 
the vicinity of Winchester, Virginia, where they 
were guarded by a regiment of Ohio troops. 
One afternoon a young major accompanied the 
regimental surgeon on his hospital rounds 
among the prisoners.

The young officer noticed that although the 
surgeon stopped at each bed, at some he gave 
tobacco, sometimes some money which he 
peeled from a large roll in his pocket and to oth-
ers, advice that had nothing to do with the 
patient's medical condition. The major's 
curiosity was raised as to why this surgeon 
would give aid over and above what was 
expected to the dirty, ragged prisoners. The sur-
geon replied that he was a Mason and that since 
the wounded prisoners were Masons, "it was 
not only his duty but also his pleasure to relieve
their wants to the limit of his ability, regardless 
of their rank or condition."

The major, touched by these actions, 
expressed a wish to become a Mason. At that 
period of time, many lodges ignored jurisdic-
tional lines or length of residence. Later these 
actions would cause many headaches for the 
various Grand Lodges but at this point were just 
part of the war. Thus, Hiram Lodge #21 of 
Winchester elected him to receive the degrees 
which he proceeded to do.

The lodge had had a fluctuating membership 
for the past 4 years since the town was con-
stantly changing hands as the armies moved up 
and down the Shenandoah Valley. At times, the 
Federals had a majority in the lodge and at other 
times the Confederates did. After the final 
defeat of the Confederate Army at Cedar Creek 
in October, 1864, things finally settled down, 
and the lodge looked again to hold meetings 
while under Northern occupation. In order to do 
so, Brothers Brent and Legge received a letter 
of introduction to General Phil Sheridan from 
the Honorable Montgomery Blair of Baltimore 
Postmaster General in President Abraham 
Lincoln's cabinet. With this letter of introduc-
tion, they were able to get an audience with 
General Sheridan. When they met with the gen-
eral, he was surrounded by his staff and order-
lies. After showing their credentials, the 
Brothers stated their purpose was to ask for per-
mission to reopen the Masonic Lodge. General 
Sheridan, in view of his known political and 
religious affiliations, turned them down. At that 
point, Dr. C.H. Allen, a surgeon on Sheridan's 
staff and a member of Aurora Lodge #22 
Montpelier, Vermont, supported the Brothers 
with the argument that it would be a wise idea 
to reopen the Lodge since it would give the 
Northern officers and soldiers something to do 
while they were encamped around Winchester. 
This would allow the army to mingle with the 
townsfolk in a fraternal way and promote good-
will. Dr. Allen stated that he was a Mason and
he would personally attend every meeting to see 
that nothing malicious towards the United 
States Government occurred at the meetings. 
Reluctantly, Sheridan gave his permission. The 
lodge resumed meeting on November 28, 1864. 
From that point to June 24, 1865, 231 men were 
raised in the lodge. Almost all of them were
from the North.

At the time the Major's petition was acted on, 
a Confederate Chaplain, J.B.T. Reed was 
Master, and he conferred the First Degree upon 
the candidate on the evening of May 1, 1865. 
The next forenoon he was instructed by the 
brethren on that degree and that evening he 
received the Second Degree. On the morning of 
May 3rd, he was instructed on that degree and 
raised a Master Mason at 3 o'clock that 
afternoon.

Shortly thereafter the war ended, and the Ohio 
troops were sent home. The Major took a demit 
from Hiram Lodge and upon reaching home 
deposited it in Canton Lodge #60, Canton, 
Ohio.

For the rest of his life William McKinley took 
an interest in Masonic activities and did not lose 
his interest even when he became Governor and 
later, President. His last Masonic act was to 
place a sprig of acacia on the casket of Brother 
George Washington upon the occasion of the 
100th anniversary of the death of the "Father of 
the Country."

THE FINAL ACT BY A MASON IN THE CIVIL WAR
 
It was an April morning three days after 
General Robert E. Lee had surrendered to 
General U.S. Grant. The Southern troops, led 
by General John B. Gordon, a Mason, were 
marching in columns towards the Northern 
troops who were standing in formation waiting 
for the Southerners to stack arms and fold their 
flags. Suddenly a shifting of arms was heard. 
Gordon looked up with alarm, but there was 
nothing to fear. General Joshua Chamberlain
had ordered his troops to assume the position of 
"honor answering honor." Immediately, the 
Confederate troops snapped to attention and 
returned the honor. It was the first act to heal 
the wounds of a nation that had spent four years 
and 618,000 lives in a civil war. That command 
of "honor answering honor" was ordered by a 
Mason.

Major General Joshua Chamberlain was a 
member of United Lodge #8, Brunswick, 
Maine. After the war, he became Governor of 
Maine from 1866-71 and President of 
Bowdoin College from 1871-83. (He is also 
featured in the movie "Gettysburg" for his role 
in holding Little Round Top.)

For more information about the book 
Freemasonry During Wartime please
contact:

THE CAROLINA TRADER
BOX 769
1902 PLYLER MILL ROAD
MONROE, NC 28112
