Freemasonry In The Civil War...

[cshold]

Is Freemasonry still this strong today?

ANTIETAM CREEK, MD.
On the morning following the Battle of Antietam, Confederate sharpshooter fired at anything that moved. A wounded Confederate handed a Federal picket a piece of cloth on which a symbol was crudely drawn in blood. The picket carried it to a Captain who recognized it as a Masonic emblem. The Captain told Colonel Cross a wounded Confederate needed help. Cross asked for volunteers and several Masons offered to help. At the risk of their lives they went to and carried Lieutenant Edon of the Alabama Volunteers to the 5th New Hampshire hospital. Edon told them about another Mason lying wounded in the corn field. Back they went and carried him to join the other enemy soldier. Both received the same treatment as did the Federal wounded from the surgeon, a Freemason, William Child.

CHAMBERSBURG, PA.
General Lee sent General John C. Breckenridge, a Freemason, to raid the Federal capital. Due to the reinforcements provided by another Mason, General Lew Wallace, the invasion was foiled. However, during the Confederate retreat, Chambersburg was torched on July 30, 1864, but the Masons among the Confederates made certain the Masonic building was left undamaged.

RICHMOND, VA When Richmond, Virginia fell to the Federal forces on April 3rd, 1865, mobs burned warehouses, blew up ships, and generally set fire to the property along the James River. Masons' Hall, built in 1785 and which was the first permanent home of the Grand Lodge of Virginia, was close to this area. The federal provost Marshal, A.H. Stevens, a member of Putnam Lodge in Massachusetts, placed a guard about the building, plus the homes of several members of the Lodge. Shortly thereafter, Federal and Confederate members of the Craft met in harmony in the same building.

LITTLE ROCK, AR
On June 4, 1861, Thomas Hart Benton, Jr., Grand Master of Masons in Iowa, told his Grand Lodge of his sorrow with the events taking place in the political arena. He said he, among other Freemasons, Had "labored, though feebly and ineffectually, to avert the awful crisis. It has been my good fortune to press the fraternal hand in various parts of our country, from New England to Texas, and from the Atlantic to the Missouri. This consideration alone were sufficient to enlist my undivided energies in word and deed to perpetuate the friendly relations once so common among us as a people." He proved his sincerity. As the General in command of Federal forces that occupied Little Rock, Arkansas, after the city was evacuated on September 10th, 1863, he placed a Federal guard about the home of the Confederate General, Albert Pike, to save his valuable library.

[Bruce]

In my opinion, yes.

[Old Savage]

Should there be a term among the faithful here - Levergunnery? Meaning the goodwill, cooperation, helpfulness and camaraderie amongst the members.

[Rusty]

My father was a Mason. I remember him telling me about a fort that was over run. After they breached the wall and made it inside one of the defenders who was a Mason offered up a Masonic sign and quite a few men inside were spared.

I don't remember the time or the place.

[cshold]

I found this very interesting, what peaked my interest was the local
news was talking about the burning of Chambersburg the other night,
and how the town Masonic lodge was spared.

[Rube Burrows]

In my opinion, yes.

Very much so. Alive and well.

[TMair]

My son is a mason, they seam to have quite a brotherhood!
Terry

[Hobie]

I have discovered that 3 of my great-grandfathers were Masons. I only knew about the one grandfather.

[Stan in SC]

To be one,ask one.

Stan in SC

[Nate C.]

Freemasonry is alive and well, and continues to strive to make good men better. I welcome any questions from any persons interested in learning more about this fraternal organization.

[cshold]

Freemasonry is alive and well, and continues to strive to make good men better. I welcome any questions from any persons interested in learning more about this fraternal organization.

Thanks Nate

[Otto]

Freemasonry is alive and well, and continues to strive to make good men better. I welcome any questions from any persons interested in learning more about this fraternal organization.

What do mason's actually do?

If one gets in, and decides he doesn't like it, can he get back out?

[Tycer]

Freemasonry is alive and well, and continues to strive to make good men better. I welcome any questions from any persons interested in learning more about this fraternal organization.

What do mason's actually do?

If one gets in, and decides he doesn't like it, can he get back out?

Masons help people. The Shrine's Childrens Hospitals, the Knight's Templar Eye Foundation, Scottish Rite Burn Hospitals; in our state, regular Lodges support what originally was Oxford Orphan's Asylum, and Whitestone, locally we raise money for scholarships, food banks, we donate our time to Habitat for Humanity and other local charities.

We carry on a centuries-old tradition of attempting to hold ourselves to the highest morals and assist our Brothers in doing the same. We try to bring out the qualities in ourselves that make us better servants to God, our country, our neighbors and ourselves.

Most of the men I've known that are Masons are good men and act that way.

Masons devote as much or as little of their time as they desire and can officially demit and leave (and rejoin at any time) or simply stop paying their annual dues (not easy to get restarted and not recommended) as their life and needs require.

[Lawyer Daggit]

It is pleasing to see brothers taking their oath seriously.

I no longer practice as a mason, but consider the lessons I learned very valuable, and I commend the brotherhood to anyone who wishes to join an organisation where they can meet and help others.

If anyone is interested in joining, one need not even 'know' a mason, I am sure that if you were to drop a line to the secretary of a local lodge, telling them a little about yourself and expressing interest they would send a brother out to meet you and discuss freemasonry, and subject to your suitability (including the necessity of believing in a higher being) they would help you along the path, which would initially involve a meeting with a number of brothers before you would be invited to a meeting. There is nothing 'secret' about us, although we have ceremonies (nothing unlawful or inconsistent with ones religious beliefs) that are not revealed to people who are not brothers.

I caution that like most organisations, and life generally the more you put into masonry the more you will get out of it. You should not join for what it may do for you.

[cshold]

I have discovered that 3 of my great-grandfathers were Masons. I only knew about the one grandfather.

Interesting,
I haven’t seen anything in my genealogy making mention
of any of my past Grandfathers being involved in freemasonry.
Though I do know for fact my Great Great Great Grandfather
Lt. Col. James A. Stahle had a book of Pow Wow / Long Lost Friend.
I have no idea if he used it or not, it is in very good condition.
A little info. about this: http://www.sacred-texts.com/ame/pow/index.htm

[Old Savage]

The recover stolen goods one was a prayer to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.