Civil War Masons

I’ve heard that masons, on both sides, during the Civil War would put the Square & Compasses on there uniforms to show they were of the craft. Does any one know or have pictures to show where enlisted brothers wore them? I’m in a Civil War living history group with 3 other Brothers and we want to be as accurate as possible.
Any information would be helpful.

Don Bovia

I don't know that you will find pics of this. After all, a man wearing the S&C would be out of uniform. I know that some variations were present and allowed, but I'm not sure that these variations were official and I don't know that anyone using one of these variations would necessarily have a photo made of it.

Well, then, there wouldn't be any difference.

A little OCD are we? LOL

I have to admit, I'm curious about this too. It would make sense for the soldiers to do so. It might have bought them crucial seconds before a bayonet was rammed into them by an unknowing brother.

Sometimes, you can't say the words in time, and holding a weapon makes it difficult to make the sign.

I have a friend who has been a Civil War reenactor for 35 years. He says "uniform" was a very subjective term, especially for Confederate soldiers. He says he has seen photos and read accounts of Masons wearing the S&C in to battle.

On a related note: my mother has a copy of a letter from the 1860s from one of her female ancestors. The women were left to tend the farm while the men went off to fight for the Confederacy. Their farm was raided by the Union. During the raid one of the Federals found "daddy's apron". He took it to his Captain who ordered that everything be put back. He apologized to the ladies and they left.

I've also heard stories of Masons leaving their aprons on gates, fences, etc and their homes being spared during Sherman's march.

There's also a cool story of a Union officer ordering his Masonic troops to protect the Masonic hall in Richmond VA when the Union took the Confederate capitol.

The Better Angels of Our Nature: Freemasonry in the American Civil War
By Michael A. Halleran ?

Here in Wisconsin there is a Chartered Lodge that is made up entirely of Civil War reenactors and historians. It is call Armistead-Bingham Lodge #1862.

Armistead-Bingham Lodge 1862: November 2008

To participate you actually have to have a full civil war kit. My Lodge in Milton was the sponsor Lodge when they formed so I bought a full kit from a suttler and dressed as the Sgt. Major of the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry. It's pretty fun. Especially when the Tyler has to take everyones weapons! LOL

There was a great book with stories about Masonic occurences during the war that I read some time ago and I can't remember the name. I thought it was called "Brother to Brother" but the only book that comes up under that name is a book about gay black men. Looks interesting, but not what I'm looking for! lol

I can't, for the life of me, remember. It was a book full of short vignets mostly about the stories of Masons on opposite sides and how they cared for their Brothers at every opportunity. Truly inspiring stories.

It's going to drive me nuts! lol

That could be it, Brother.

After the Battle of Glorieta Pass in New Mexico the Union soldiers were retrieving there dead from the battlefield and found three dead Texans with some kind of Masonic identification. They were all taken and buried with Masonic Honors in a cemetery in Santa Fe, NM. The family of one came and retrieved him and reburied him in Texas, the other two are still there.