Civil War Masons

[DBovia]

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

 

[Ashlar2006]

I have a book "Freemasons at Gettysburg" that is full of pictures of the soldiers/Freemasons who fought there . I will look closely at all the pictures and see if I can find any wearing a S&C .

I also have have a 3 book series on the Civil War slammed full of pictures and will have to look through them more closely to see if I can find any in there also .

 

[PatrickWilliams]

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.

 

[Ashlar2006]

I have seen pictures of them wearing wives or mothers broaches on their uniforms and other " out of uniform" adornments that were gifts from loved ones , so I do not know why a S & C would be any different .

 

[Ashlar2006]

I have to go through my books on the Civil War , but I think it may be in my fathers collection , but they have an entire chapter , with pictures , on how soldiers personalized their uniforms with medallions , pins , keepsakes from home and such .

 

[PatrickWilliams]

I have seen pictures of them wearing wives or mothers broaches on their uniforms and other " out of uniform" adornments that were gifts from loved ones , so I do not know why a S & C would be any different .

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

 

[Ashlar2006]

I think I am going to have to call my Dad , I have went through many of my books and can not find that chapter , so it must be in one of his or I missed it . Now this is going to drive me mad until I find it , once I get somethng on my mind I can't let it go .

 

[Gary]

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.

 

[jeshirley]

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.

 

[jason]

There was a book released recently about Masons and the Civil war. Told all kinds of stories like Jeshirley mentioned. I think I packed it up, but will try and find it. It was on Amazon and had Brothers in the title.

 

[FamilyMan]

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

 

[Ashlar2006]

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.

Something similar happened here in Kentucky . I believe it was Painstville Lodge . The Union soldiers were raiding homes and broke into a lodge and stole their officer jewels and other regalia . Their captain noticed them playing around with these "shiny" objects and went in for a closer look . He saw what they were and ordered them to return the regalia to the lodge because he himself was a Mason .

 

[Winter]

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

 

[Ashlar2006]

Winter , did Allen E. Roberts write the book you read ?

 

[Winter]

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

 

[Ashlar2006]

I know what you mean .

The book I am thinking of is " House Undivided:The Story Of Freemasonry and the Civil War " by Allen E Roberts .

 

[Winter]

That could be it, Brother.

 

[DBovia]

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.

 

[jason]

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

That may be it. I found out I lent it to a Brother as he reminded me the other day he had it.

I'm going to have to write down who has borrowed what books soon.

 

[DavisB]

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.

My lodge has a Civil War degree team where you can request to have any of the three degrees done as if it were during the civil war. From what I understand, the degree is done at night with very minimal light as it would have been done during the war to prevent eavesdroppers from seeing too much.
Here are a couple of images, one of some of the members dressed in costume, and one of the make shift lodge room on one of the member's property.