Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015 https://archive.org/details/masonsasmakersofOOpete GEORGE WASHINGTON AS A MASON Photographed by Mishkin, New York, from an Engraving by O’Neill, published more than fifty years ago after William’s portrait made of Pres- ident Washington at 62, for Alexandria Lodge. The MASONS AS MAKERS of AMERICA The True Story of the American Revolution BY MADISON C. PETERS TROWEL PUBLICATIONS BOX 135 YONKERS - NEW YORK H'S SZ 3, . Pi- Copyright 1917 by MADISON C. PETERS Reedited 1921, by LOUIS H. PEROCHEAU New York, N. Y. BOSTON COLLEGE LjldKAKx MMmUX HILL, MASS. OCT 3 1961 315624 PREFACE This book in its fourth revised edition is still incomplete. It is the publisher’s desire to carry on the work of the late Rev. Madison C. Peters. With that end in view criticisms, corrections, suggestions and additional information are invited for later editions. Particular care has been taken not to overstate the facts. All statements are made in good faith, based upon the best information avail- able by wide reading, voluminous correspondence, and research among the oldest records of Masonic labors in America. Trowel Publications. CHAPTER I WASHINGTON, THE MAN AND THE MASON On June 5, 1730, Daniel Coxe, of New Jersey, was appointed Provincial Grand Master of “the provinces of New York, New Jersey and Pennsyl- vania,” by His Grace, Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge of England. The family name of the Dukes of Norfolk is Howard, and all of them, from 1483 to the present day, have been staunch Roman Catholics and it is interesting to note that a Roman Catholic granted the first authority to warrant Masonic Lodges in America. The famous Bull of excommunication issued by Pope Clement XII against Masonry dates from j 738 . On April 30, 1733, Lord Viscount Montague issued a like deputation to Henry Price of Boston, appointing him “Provincial Grand Master of the Province of New England, the dominion and ter- ritories thereto belonging.” On July 30, 1733, St. John’s Lodge was instituted at the Bunch of Grapes Tavern in King (now State) Street, Boston, and claims to be the first Masonic Lodge organized in America. History is obscure as to the part Coxe took in establishing our Fraternity; but there is a complete 2 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA record of the acts of Price. Hence Massachusetts was acknowledged the “mother jurisdiction” for nearly one hundred and fifty years. However, documents now in the archives of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania appear to give the primacy to the Keystone State, in support of which latter conten- tion evidence is produced to show that on January 29, 1731, Coxe visited the Grand Lodge at London, and that a toast was drunk in his honor as “Pro- vincial Grand Master of North America.” According to the Pennsylvania Gazette , from 1732 and for several years thereafter, a list of the Grand officers was regularly printed. Previous to the French and Indian War all American Lodges worked the ritual and acknowl- edged the authority of the Grand Lodge of England only; but during the Revolutionary War, lodges holding warrants from the Grand Lodge of Scot- land, Ireland and the Ancients of London were working in America. The rival Grand Lodges in England, together with those of Ireland and Scot- land, chartered Lodges everywhere in the United States and Canada, until regular governing bodies existed in every State, province and territory. Washington's birth was contemporaneous with the introduction of Warranted Lodges in America. In 1734 Price's authority was extended and regular warrants were granted to Lodges as far South as Charleston; so that while Washington was still in his swaddling clothes, the star of American Masonry which arose in the East, may be said to have rested over the place where the young child lay. Before Washington attained manhood, a Lodge had been organized in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and to it on November 4, 1752, he sought and ob- MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 3 tained admission. That he paid the customary fee is shown by the record: “Received from Mr. George Washington, the sum of £2 and 3s.” Washington was initiated three months before he was twenty-one. According to the conventional rule in English Lodges he was supposed to be more than twenty-one years of age at the time; however the question was not asked and he may not have known the regulations. He was passed to the degree of Fellowcraft March 5, 1753, and raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason, August 4, 1 753 - The records and seal of the Lodge are still pre- served, also the Bible printed in 1688, on which he was obligated. A year later Washington was sent by the Gov- ernor of Virginia to the French military post in Ohio to demand in the Governor’s name that they depart at once and cease to intrude on English domain. It was a hazardous undertaking in mid- winter — encountering the hostilities of the Indians and French, sufficient to try the fortitude of the boldest adventurer. It has been claimed that Washington was made a Mason during the French and Indian War in a British military lodge, holding a warrant from the Grand Lodge of Ireland, granted in 1752. This Lodge, held in the 46th British Regiment, still exists in Canada as the “Lodge of Antiquity” ; it claims to have the Bible on which Washington was obligated as a Mason. If Washington held intercourse with this Lodge, it must have been during his visits to Philadelphia, New York and Boston in 1756, as he had been made a Mason more than three years before in the Lodge at Fredericksburg; and if he was obli- 4 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA gated on the Bible of the British Lodge, it must have been an obligation given as a test oath to him as a visiting brother. Again it is possible that the Canadian Lodge may have denied, as insufficient, the authority under which he had been made a Mason and required him to be re-obligated so as to entitle him to the privilege of Masonic intercourse with a Lodge under a warrant from the Grand Lodge of Ireland. Tradition has it that Washington and his brothers of the Mystic Tie held military Lodges during the French and Indian War in a cave near Winchester, Virginia, where Washington had his headquarters. To this day the cave is called Washington’s Masonic Cave. It is divided into several apartments, one called the Lodge Room where it is claimed com- munications were held. Having served with distinction through the French and Indian War, Colonel Washington re- tired honorably from the army of Virginia and became a private citizen at Mount Vernon. Upon the death of his half-brother, Lawrence, he had come into possession of that estate — so named in honor of a British naval officer. In 1758 Washington’s Lodge in Fredericksburg relinquished its authority from the Provincial Grand Master of Massachusetts and obtained a warrant from Scotland. In the same year Washington entered the Colonial Assembly. He was complimented with a vote of thanks for his military services and when he arose to acknowledge the honor and thank the Assembly, he blushed in confusion and stuttered and stam- mered so that he was unable to say one word dis- tinctly. The Speaker relieved him of his embar- MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 5 rassing position, saying with a smile: “Sit down, Mr. Washington, your modesty is equal to your valor and that surpasses the power of any language I possess.” When Washington sought and obtained admis- sion into Masonry he became a part of an organiza- tion in which the American ideal of government was realized so far as it is possible for mankind to realize a lofty ideal. Conscientious observance of Masonry’s practical obligations on the part of those who accept their responsibilities, tends to de- velop a finer and higher type of American citi- zen. There are several records of Washington having visited Masonic Lodges during the Revolutionary War. During the siege of Boston the American Union Lodge, the first military Lodge in the Continental Army, was organized. Washington, while at Cam- bridge, is reputed to have visited this Lodge, of which an orderly-sergeant was Master. The number of military Lodges rose to ten dur- ing the Revolution; one warranted by New York, two by Massachusetts and seven by Pennsylvania. The tradition is well established that during the most trying periods of the Revolution, notably at Valley Forge, Washington found time to foregather in Lodge on the level with his Masonic brethren. Following the evacuation of Philadelphia by the British, Washington, while Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, made a public profession of Freemasonry by accepting the invitation of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania to join in its cele- bration of the Feast of St. John the Evangelist. He led a procession in which more than three hundred 6 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA brethren joined, walking from the College on Arch Street to Christ Church. Records show that Washington visited a Lodge at Morristown, New Jersey, on December 22, 1779, and at Nelson’s Point-on-the-Hudson, June 24, 1782. He was also a visitor at Solomon’s Lodge, No. 6, at Poughkeepsie, New York, on September 22, 1782. Washington was made honorary member of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania on June 24, 1784, and of Holland Lodge, No. 8, New York, in March, 1789. On April 30, 1789, while Master of his Lodge, Washington was inaugurated President of the United States — the only instance where one of the fifteen Presidents who are known to have been Masons, was a Master during his term of office. That Washington was a Mason is further established by the old Charter under which Alex- andria Lodge still exercises its Masonic authority. After the necessary preamble the instrument de- clares, “Know ye that we, Edmund Randolph, Esq., Governor of the Commonwealth, aforesaid and Grand Master of the Most Ancient and Honor- able Society of Free Masons within the same, by and with the consent of the Grand Lodge of Virginia, do hereby constitute and appoint our illustrious and well-beloved brother, George Washington, late Gen- eral and Commander-in-Chief of the forces of the United States of America, charter Master.” The most distinguished Lodge in America is that at Alexandria, Virginia, the members of which, as Master Masons, participated with Washington, in laying the corner-stone of the District of Colum- bia, also the Capitol of the United States. In spite MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 7 of the deplorable losses by fire of the bier on which Washington was borne to his tomb, the crape that draped the door of Mount Vernon where his body lay in state, his military saddle; the flag of his guard, the flag which floated over the Bon Homme Richard when she went to her death grapple with the Serapis and which John Paul Jones, a Mason, gave to the Lodge, it still possesses, with the ex- ception of Mount Vernon, the largest collection of personal relics of Washington in existence. The most valuable among them are Williams’ pastel por- trait of Washington in Masonic regalia, for which Washington sat at the age of sixty-two; for this portrait the Lodge has refused $100,000; Washing- ton’s Masonic apron and sash of silk, embroidered by the wife of Lafayette and presented for her, with a rare little box of inlay, to Washington by Lafayette when he visited his old comrade-in-arms in 1784. The Masons of America are now planning the erection of a suitable memorial at the place of Washington’s Masonic home. To take pride in and commemorate the deeds and accomplishments of our ancestors by transmitting to posterity tangible evi- dence of historical facts which might otherwise vanish in oblivion, is to honor, not only them, but ourselves as well. When Washington died at Mount Vernon, De- cember 14, 1799, three physicians, all Masons, were in attendance. One of them Doctor Dick, who was Master of Washington’s own Lodge, presided at its meeting when the details of the funeral were arranged. Masonic services on that occasion were performed by the Worshipful Master assisted by the Chaplain. Seventy-nine members of the Lodge 8 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA marched in the funeral procession on that bitter winter day when their distinguished brother was laid to rest in his tomb at Mount Vernon. CHAPTER II MASONS IN THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS That the leaders in the great work of launching the new nation were the foremost men in the Masonic Fraternity is an established fact. The greatest leader in the revolt from England was Samuel Adams, a Mason, popularly referred to as the “Father of the American Revolution.” It was he who first clearly foresaw the conflict and in the days before 1775 determined its character and directed its course. At his suggestion the first Congress was called at New York, thus preparing the way for a Continental Congress ten years later and subsequently for the union and confederacy of the colonies. James Otis, whose pamphlets were the most effective presentations of the arguments against the arbitrary measures of the British ministry and who, from 1761 to 1769, was the pre-eminent leader of thought in the discussion and development of opin- ion which preceded the war, hailed from Barnstable Lodge. Patrick Henry, whose eloquence, unrivaled in its persuasive power, furnished so potent an influ- ence in the contest for freedom, was a Mason. It is also interesting to note that he subsequently became the first Republican Governor of Virginia. Paul Revere, whose mid-night ride and cry of MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 9 alarm caused the Middlesex farmers to prepare for the Battle of Lexington — the first conflict of the war for Independence — was at one time Grand Master of Masons of the State of Massachusetts. William Daw, another Mason, selected by the Master of his Lodge, General Joseph Warren, per- formed similar service across the country from Roxbury. Robert Newman, the patriot who hung the signal lantern in the old North Church tower, April 18, 1 775, was a Masonic brother. The preliminary meeting of the Boston Tea Party was held around a chowder supper at the home of Masons — the Bradlee brothers on Hollis and Tre- mont Streets. The mother of that party was Sarah Bradlee who arranged the disguises the day before and assisted the men upon their return from Griffin’s Wharf in washing off the red stains and reverting to “white Christians.” The object of the Boston patriots was not merely to commit the Colony to open disobedience of despotic orders, but to have a real issue upon which to unite with the other colonies in their struggle to free themselves from an oppressive rule. On that historic night, December 16, 1773, seven thousand persons gathered in and about Old South Church listening to such Masonic orators as Samuel Adams, Joseph Warren, Josiah Quincy and several other leaders. This meeting unanimously resolved that the tea on board the ships should not be per- mitted to land. Forty or fifty men disguised as In- dians had gathered in the back room of a printing office near by, waiting for the agreed signal from Samuel Adams, when he exclaimed: “This meeting can do nothing more to save the country.” A shout IO MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA from the crowd was answered by a war-whoop from the “Mohawks” who started a rush for the wharf, followed by a thousand or so of others from every direction. Who were these “Mohawks” in paint and gear? Sons of Liberty, Free Masons, members of St. Andrew’s Lodge, led by their Junior Warden, Paul Revere. About one hundred men boarded the three ships and for three hours worked steadily with their hatchets and in that time 342 chests of tea, valued at $90,000 went over into the docks. The Boston Tea Party may aptly be called “a Masonic night out.” The Convention which met at Charlotte, Mecklen- burg County, North Carolina, May 20, 1775, was composed mostly of Masons — North of Ireland Presbyterians. While the convention was in session the news of the fight at Lexington and Concord reached Charlotte. On May 31st, that body adopted what is known as the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, which was in its general tenor analogous to the Declaration of Independence — many of the phrases being word for word as they appear in that historic document. The Continental Congress (so named to distin- guish it from a Provincial Assembly) representing all the thirteen Colonies, was at first proposed by New York for the purpose of united action in re- sisting the aggressions of the British Government. The plan came from Pennsylvania; the selection of the time and place for the meeting was by courtesy accorded to Massachusetts, the severest sufferer. The Massachusetts Assembly fixed upon Septem- ber 1, 1774. The first Congress convened on that date in Carpenter’s Hall, Philadelphia, continuing in session eight weeks. MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 1 1 Later the sessions were held in the State House, known to history as Independence Hall, erected in the years of 1729 to 1734 at a cost of $28,000 — at the time considered an extravagant expenditure for a public building. The Continental Congress, the sessions of which extended through ten years, comprised in all about three hundred and fifty members. Of these one hundred and eighteen were college graduates — twenty-eight from Princeton, twenty-three from Harvard, twenty-three from Yale, eleven from William and Mary, eight from the University of Pennsylvania, four from Columbia, one from Brown and one from Rutgers, while twenty-one were educated abroad. Of the fifty-six delegates who signed the Declaration of Independence, twenty- eight were college graduates. The first Continental Congress was composed largely of Masons. The cause for which they en- listed required that they hang together; otherwise they might have hung separately. On motion of George Washington, unquestion- ably the greatest man on that floor, Peyton Ran- dolph, Past Grand Master of Masons of Virginia, was selected to preside over its deliberations. Randolph was called on to preside over the sec- ond session, which convened May 10, 1775, during which he died. He was buried with Masonic honors. Randolph was succeeded by another Mason — John Hancock of Massachusetts, who subsequently became Governor of that State. A signature to the Declaration would be regarded in England as treason and expose any man to the halter or the block. John Hancock’s signature was 12 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA so bold, that, as he put it: “The King of England could read it without spectacles.” The only signature on that immortal document which exhibited a trembling hand is that of Stephen Hopkins. He had been afflicted with the palsy, which compelled him as he wrote, to guide his right hand with his left. Richard Henry Lee, a Virginia Mason, was the author of the resolutions for Independence which preceded the fuller Declaration. On June 7, 1776, Lee introduced in Congress the proposition: “That these United Colonies are and of right should be free and independent states, that they are ab- solved from all allegiance to' the British Crown and that all political connection between them and the State of Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved.” Lee followed his courageous motion by one of the most luminous and eloquent speeches ever de- livered by any man on the floor of any Congress. The resolution was debated on June 8th and 10th, and then postponed for action until Monday, July 1st. That no time should be lost, it was resolved to prepare a Declaration making the resolution fully and irrevocably effective. The day on which this resolution was taken, Lee was unexpectedly summoned to attend upon his family in Virginia. As the mover of the original resolution for Independence, it would, according to parliamentary usage, have devolved upon Lee to prepare a Declaration and, as chairman of the com- mittee to have furnished that important document to the assembled delegates. The committee named consisted of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Ben- jamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Liv- ingston — a group of the best minds of that period. MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 1 3 Thomas Jefferson, the persistent champion of national freedom and individual liberty, was desig- nated chairman. Doubt is sometimes expressed as to whether Thomas Jefferson was a Mason. He was a known member of the Lodge of the Nine Muses in France, but where he was made a Mason is not shown by existing records. John Adams, named next to Jefferson on all occa- sions, stood forth with commanding eloquence in opposition to the injustice of Great Britain. He was the most strenuous advocate of the Declara- tion — the pillar of its support on the floor of Con- gress. He negotiated in his later career, the Treaty of Peace and the Treaty of Commerce with Great Britain. Though not a Mason, Adams held the Fraternity in the highest esteem. In acknowledg- ing an address of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts in 1798 while President of the United States, Adams remarked: “Many of my best friends, among whom was my venerable predecessor, have been Masons ; but it has happened that I never had the felicity to be initiated.” Benjamin Franklin, the philosopher of the Revo- lution and a distinguished scientist of that period, was the third member of the Committee who drafted the Declaration. He was later a member of the Convention for framing the Constitution of the United States. Both at home and abroad as Plenipotentiary to foreign courts, his accomplish- ments were, in their resourcefulness and keen fore- sight, unequaled by any public man in the country. In the Treaty of Peace in 1783, he secured such favorable concessions as to astound the nations of Europe. It was a rare triumph of American diplomatic skill, seldom equaled and never excelled. 14 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA Benjamin Franklin, at twenty-eight years of age, was Grand Master of Masons .of Pennsylvania and published Anderson’s “Constitutions,” the first Masonic book in America. The fourth member of that Committee was also a Mason — Roger Sherman, of Connecticut. He was also a member of the General Convention of the States for forming a new Constitution. Robert R. Livingston, who with the assistance of his Masonic brother, James Monroe, afterwards negotiated the Louisiana Purchase, was the fifth member of the Committee of Congress to prepare the Declaration. Unfortunately he was not present when the actual signing took place on August 2, 1776. The Declaration was signed by John Hancock, July 4, 1776, for and on behalf of the members of Congress. It was attested by Charles Thompson, the Secretary. On July 19, 1776, Congress voted that the Declaration should be engrossed on parchment and that it should then be signed by every member of the Congress. On August 2, 1776, the Declaration, engrossed under this order, was signed by fifty members of the Congress. Afterwards six more added their names. Seven who had been members on the Fourth of July did not sign the immortal document. Jefferson is authority for the statement that the signing was hastened by the presence of swarms of flies from a near-by stable; these irreverently assailed the knee-breeched and silk-stockinged legs of the members. Twenty-six of the signers of the Declaration were lawyers, fourteen farmers, nine merchants, four MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 1 5 physicians and one a minister, though three others had been educated for that profession. Three lived to be over ninety years of age, ten others over eighty years of age, while an average for all was sixty-two. Josiah Bartlett, a New Hampshire Mason, had the honor of being called upon for an expression of his opinion and of being the first to vote in favor of the resolution. Matthew Thornton, another delegate from New Hampshire, was one of the last to sign the Declara- tion. He was also a member of the Fraternity, hav- ing been made a Mason in a British military Lodge during the French and Indian War. Robert Treat Paine, Chairman of the Committee to introduce the manufacture of salt-peter, one of the constituents of gunpowder, and Elbridge Gerry, the Chairman of the Committee of the Treasury in Congress, were the two delegates from the Old Bay State to sign the document. Both were Masons. John Witherspoon of Princeton was a member of the Masonic Fraternity, and the only minister among the fifty-six signers of the Declaration. It was his last appeal before the vote was taken, that won the day for Independence. Thomas McKean, a Mason, carried Delaware’s vote in Congress in favor of Independence. George Reed, though he afterward signed the Declaration, voted against the resolution. When the final issue of the question was postponed until the next day however, McKean sent word to Caesar Rodney, a Mason, who rode eighty miles on horseback that night, and, with McKean, won Delaware for In- dependence. Lewis Morris, a Mason, whose estate at Mor- i6 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA risania, New York, was occupied by the British at the time he signed the Declaration, was one of the boldest promoters of the Revolution. It was he to whom subsequently was assigned the difficult task of traveling West on the important mission of detaching the Indians from the British. Edward Rutledge, another eloquent and convinc- ing leader in the Continental Congress, though only twenty-five years old when first called to' serve in National Council, was a man of unquestioned courage as a soldier during the trying times when the British were ravishing the Carolinas. He also was a Mason. How many of the fifty-six Sons of Liberty who signed the Declaration were Masons it is hard to say. Many Grand Lodges were not organized until after the Revolution ; records of Lodges were poorly kept, carrying often only the names of officers ; and even of these records many were destroyed or other- wise lost. It is, however, safe to say that upwards of fifty signers were Masons. Some students claim that all were Masons except Charles Carroll, the only Roman Catholic signer. There were only about twenty thousand Catholics in the Colonies at the time of the Revolution, of whom three-fourths lived in Maryland. The Maryland delegation had been instructed to refuse their assent to the Declaration; but through the influence of Charles Carroll, a new set of in- structions were obtained which decided Maryland in favor of Independence. On June 28, 1776, the same day on which this question was decided favor- ably by Congress, Carroll was elected a delegate, taking his seat July 18, 1776. Accordingly he was not a member of Congress at the time the question MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA IJ was settled. To Carroll belongs the honor neverthe- less, of contributing to the Declaration by assisting in procuring the withdrawal of prohibitory instruc- tions and the adoption of others by which the Mary- land delegates were authorized to vote for Inde- pendence. Few men had more at stake should the British armies prove victorious than Carroll ; he, Washing- ton and Hancock were the three richest men in the Colonies. When someone said to Carroll that there were several Charles Carrolls in Maryland and that he could not be identified when the hanging took place, he signed himself Charles Carroll of Carrollton. CHAPTER III WASHINGTON’S MASONIC MAJOR- GENERALS The contest with the Mother country had already begun at Lexington and Concord, when Washing- ton, then only forty-four years of age, was ap- pointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. His appointment by Congress, made on motion of John Adams, was unanimously carried. He gave himself body and soul to the great task, refusing payment for his services and advancing from his private purse $64,000 to pay his expenses while leading our armies. Washington could well afford that luxury; but how many rich men of to-day avail themselves of the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extrava- gance, neglecting their own business for the public benefit and risking all for the common good ? i8 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA The British troops, under General Howe, held Boston; and the very day Washington received his commission, June 17, 1775, the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought. During the engagement on the celebrated heights of Charlestown, General Joseph Warren, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, made the supreme sacrifice on the altar of liberty, and the ground floor of Masonry’s temple was blood-stained at its Eastern Gate. Washington hastened to Cambridge and assumed command of the Continental Army, July 1, 1775. He found himself at the head of fourteen thousand five hundred men, the officers of which were, with few exceptions, without experience, the soldiers without discipline and variously armed. One of Washington’s first orders was to call upon the in- habitants to send to Headquarters, instantly, every bit of lead or pewter at their disposal.* Equipment, artillery and ordnance were sadly lacking, comparatively few bayonets, a small supply of powder, and antiquated fire-arms comprised the entire means of warfare. With this motley aggre- gation of men, and all but useless equipment, Wash- ington was to build an army capable of withstand- ing the onslaughts of the best troops of the British Crown. * Woman’s part in the Revolution is well illustrated by Mary, the courageous wife of Captain Draper, a thriving farmer of Dedham, Massachusetts. She not only fed hun- dreds of soldiers passing her home en route to Boston, but having gotten her husband ready, with her own hands, bound a knap-sack and blankets to her sixteen-year-old boy’s shoul- ders. She then turned to her large stock of pewter, the gift of a sainted mother, and in a moment her dishes and platters were ready for freedom’s cause. Her husband had bought a mould for casting bullets to supply himself and his son for hunting purposes. This heroic wife of a Masonic patriot, turned her pewter into bullets for her country’s defense. MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 19 Lafayette has been quoted as saying that Wash- ington never gave his confidence to any of his gen- erals unless he knew them to be Masons. Whether or not this statement was true we cannot say, but it is a fact that the most striking prevalence of Masonry existed in the personnel of Washington's army. Of his twenty-nine major-generals, twenty were Masons. Standing first in Washington's affections was Major-General Henry Knox, one of the chief pillars of American liberty. He was appointed Com- mander of the Artillery at the age of twenty-five; this important commission and post were assigned to him for conspicuous service in transporting over the miserable roads between Canada and Boston the heavy cannon which roared defiance on Dor- chester Heights and before which the British were forced to retire. At Trenton, Knox's loud voice was heard above the roar of the storm, guiding the distracted troops across the Delaware. At Princeton and the Brandy- wine his guns wrought havoc among the British regiments. At Monmouth the smoke and thunder of his field pieces confirmed their arrival. The skill and rapidity his artillerymen displayed amazed the British. At Yorktown the Boston bookseller's artillery execution did not suffer by comparison with the French artillerists. In every action and Council of War where Wash- ington appeared in person, Knox attended him. He moved with him over every battlefield and finally wept in the farewell scene in Fraunce's Tavern, New York, when Washington took leave of his officers. Eyes, unaccustomed to weep, flowed in tears; lips that in the carnage of battle seemed iron, 20 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA quivered with emotion. Knox, the closest friend of Washington, was a Mason.* Major-General Nathaniel Greene, the Rhode Island Fighting Quaker, was one of the ablest com- manders in the Continental Army. Washington’s admiration for Greene was based, not alone upon his personal qualities and characteristics, but as well upon his military genius and loyal devotion. When without Washington’s knowledge or con- sent Gates was appointed to command the Southern army, Congress, mortified at Gates’ failures, re- ferred the matter to Washington with whom it be- longed in the first place. Washington placed Greene over the wrecked army, planned with him that cam- * When fourteen years of age Washington secured a com- mission as midshipman in the British navy. When all the preparations had been made for his departure, unable to persuade him that his choice was unwise, his mother for- bade his going. He surrendered his commission and re- turned to his mathematics in preparation for his career as a civil engineer. The next order of goods that Mary, the mother of Wash- ington, sent to England, contained the item, “one good pen- knife.” This she presented to George as a reward for his obedience and counselled him : “Always obey your superiors.” Washington always carried that pocket-knife and years later told its history to General Knox. At Valley Forge the suffering of his ragged and starving troops filled Washington with despair. Shoes, blankets and shelter were sorely needed. Disgusted with the divided and grumbling Congress, the selfish and suspicious legislatures of the separate States, who thwarted his plans and rendered his efforts powerless, Washington wrote his resignation as Commander-in-Chief and summoning his staff read it to them. General Knox, reminding him of the penknife and his mother’s words, said, “You were commanded to lead this army and no one has ordered you to cease leading it. Think it over.” Half an hour later Washington tore up his resignation. This is a striking example of the intrinsic value of the teachings of Masonry. By whispering words of wise counsel into the ear of an erring brother, General Knox retained Washington as Commander-in-Chief of the American army. MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 21 paign which saved the South and which crowned Greene, a Mason, with unfading laurels. To Major-General William Alexander, popularly known as Lord Stirling, was assigned the honor of opening the Battle of Long Island, unfortunately resulting in his capture and defeat. He was subse- quently exchanged and fought with Lafayette at the Brandywine and commanded a reserve at Ger- mantown. The fortunate turn in the battle at Mon- mouth is due largely to Stirling who, with Knox, rushed artillery into action and assisted effectively in dispersing the British forces. Stirling wore the lambskin. Major-General Israel Putnam, an enthusiastic member of the Masonic Fraternity, was, like Cin- cinnatus of old, plowing his fields when the news of the Battle of Lexington reached him. He turned the oxen loose at once, and without bidding his family good-bye, rode to Cambridge. At Bunker Hill he displayed great valor, later proving himself one of the bravest and most capable of the patriotic leaders. He accompanied Washington in the re- treat through New Jersey and later recruited and commanded three brigades of New England troops. In 1780 a stroke of paralysis forced his retirement from the army. Major-General Benjamin Lincoln, a worthy brother of the Craft, was one of the most un- fortunate officers in the Continental Army. Though participating in every important battle of the Revo- lution, he never won a victory when in command of the troops. He was an able general however; but such are the fortunes of war. He was appointed by Washington to receive Cornwallis’ sword at Yorktown. This honor was conferred by the ever- 22 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA thoughtful Washington who realized Lincoln’s humiliation when he was compelled to surrender his sword to the British General Clinton at Charles- ton. Lincoln was permanently crippled by a wound received at the battle of Saratoga. Major-General John Sullivan, with a company of citizens from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, sur- prised Fort William and Mary at New Castle and carried off one hundred barrels of gunpowder and fifteen pieces of artillery. These acquisitions were used six months later at Bunker Hill. Sullivan had the honor of leading one of the columns of Washington’s army through the storm of sleet and snow across the ice-filled Delaware, and was the first to surprise the bewildered Hessians at Tren- ton. Later he faithfully executed the expedition against the Indians along the lakes and rivers of the North — a war measure planned and approved by Washington. Sullivan was the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire. Major-General Richard Montgomery acquired his military training in the British army. At the out- break of hostilities between the Colonies and Great Britain he gladly cast his lot with that of his adopted country. To him was entrusted the invasion of Canada and at the age of thirty-nine, he fell in the disastrous attack on Quebec. This brave young Mason, had he lived, would have been pre-eminent among the military leaders of the Revolution. Major-General Anthony Wayne — known to his- tory as “Mad Anthony” — proved himself one of the most intrepid fighters of the Revolution. As Brigadier-General he fought in the battle of the Brandywine. During those cheerless days at Valley Forge, Wayne led many successful foraging ex- MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 23 peditions, thus contributing greatly to the comfort of the sorely tried army. To this brave Masonic officer was assigned the honor of opening the battle of Monmouth. The daring with which Wayne executed the surprise attack on the British strong- hold at Stony Point-on-the-Hudson, is one of the bright spots in a trying and almost disastrous period. A witless fellow in camp formed the habit of muttering “Mad Anthony” whenever he saw the General; the term so aptly characterized Wayne’s fighting qualities, that it was universally adopted by the troops. Major-General William Smallwood led the Maryland brigade in the Battle of Long Island and severely repulsed the British troops. Later he was wounded in the Battle of White Plains. He took part in the battles of the Brandywine, Ger- mantown and Monmouth, commanding the Mary- land troops, who displayed most conspicuous valor throughout the War. In the Battle of Camden, following the death of DeKalb, Smallwood assumed command and distinguished himself by saving the defeated army from capture. For this he received the thanks of Congress and was commissioned Major-General. Smallwood wore the Square and Compass. In 1779 the British forces under General Prevost demanded of the Governor and Privy Council, the surrender of Charleston, South Carolina. Major- General William Moultrie, a Mason, claiming his own authority excelled theirs, refused : “I am de- termined to do no such thing. We will fight it out !” His resistance caused the British to withdraw. Moultrie was captured in that city the following year when it was surrendered by General Lincoln. 24 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA In 1785 Moultrie was elected Governor of South Carolina. Major-General Arthur St. Clair, who fought with Wolfe in that bold attack on the heights of Quebec during the French and Indian War, was the only officer in the Continental Army who understood per- fectly the topography of the country between Tren- ton and Princeton. Washington relied on him chiefly in the disposition of troops for those two important battles. St. Clair was a Mason and his grave at Greensburg, Pennsylvania, is marked by a Masonic headstone erected by his Lodge. Major-General Thomas Nelson, Jr., who signed the Declaration of Independence, was Governor of Virginia in succession to Thomas Jefferson when the British invaded that State. He organized the Virginia militia, consisting of over four thousand troops and effectively arrested the progress of the invaders. Nelson, a Mason, fired the first shot in the last battle of the Revolution. When Corn- wallis entered Yorktown he made General Nelson’s mansion his headquarters. The American gunners hesitating to fire on his home, Nelson stepped for- ward, aimed the cannon at his own home, touched the fuse and sent a thunderbolt of war crashing through it — an act which inspired the whole army with a fighting spirit. Baron von Steuben, who had learned the art of war under Frederick the Great, and whose services were sought by the Emperor of Austria, came to share our struggles and our sufferings. He was aide-de-camp to the King of Prussia and high in favor and rank. It is interesting to note that von Steuben was made a 32 0 Mason by Frederick the Great a few years before he came to America. His MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 25 ability as an organizer was immediately recognized by Washington who assigned him at once to the main army at Valley Forge, later recommending his appointment as Inspector-General of the army. Cavalry and artillery were sadly lacking and much of the equipment was unfit for use. The troops were little better than a ragged horde. They could not execute the simplest maneuvers. Dis- cipline seemed unknown to the American soldier. Von Steuben declared that no European army could have been kept together under such suffering. He cursed the troops until all his epithets, in the use of which he was a past master, were exhausted ; then he called on his aids to swear in his stead. But with all the sympathies of his noble nature aroused in our behalf, von Steuben instructed both officers and men and developed a degree of discipline which surprised the French officers visiting him. When astonishment was expressed that so little noise was heard, the Baron exclaimed: “Noise, I do not know where the noise should come from, when even my Brigadiers dare not open their mouths but to repeat my orders.” At the request of Washington, von Steuben wrote for the army a manual containing rules of discipline and inspection compiled on his intimate knowledge of the Prussian system. This book was first written in French and afterward translated ; it was approved by Washington and adopted by Congress. As Major-General of the forces at Yorktown, von Steuben received the first offer of capitulation from Lord Cornwallis. Major-General John DeKalb, the generous stranger and Mason, though a German by birth, had long served in France and came here as a French 26 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA officer. His cautious tactics at Camden were dis- approved and changed by Gates. After long and hard fighting DeKalb fell on that ill-fated field he struggled so nobly to win. Eleven wounds on his body proved this courageous soldier fought bravely before he died. The Marquis de Lafayette, a youth of nineteen, basking in the sunshine of royal favor at the French court, heard the call of American liberty. Without awaiting the King’s permission he hastened to America. He lavished his wealth on our naked and starving soldiers and wound himself in childlike affection around the heart of Washington, who in turn loved him as a son. This patriot of the Old and New World was made a Mason by Washington himself at the old Freeman’s Tavern, on the Green, at Morristown, New Jersey, in what was then Mili- tary Lodge, No. 19, now Montgomery Lodge of Philadelphia. Lafayette’s last visit to his old Com- mander-in-Chief was marked with Masonic signifi- cance. As a token of brotherly love and affection he presented Washington with the Masonic apron and sash of silk already referred to, and which Washington treasured and wore until his death. To Lafayette our country is greatly indebted. At its darkest hour he came with his wealth and youthful spirit, imparting new life to the struggling young nation. As Major-General in the Continental Army he served with distinction, being wounded in the battle of the Brandywine. His influence at the French court was largely instrumental in obtain- ing the support of France, thus materially aiding in bringing the seven-year struggle to a close. Eighty-three years after Lafayette’s death, when his beloved France, wounded and bleeding from MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 2 J three years of invasion and pillage, stood helpless before the onrushing legions of her foes, an Ameri- can Mason, General John J. Pershing, representing the vanguard of two million American soldiers, stood before the grave of this noble Frenchman and uttered the words that thrilled every American: “Lafayette, we are here!’’ France and America again united in the cause of Liberty. Foremost among Washington’s non-Masonic Major-Generals was Charles Lee, the adventurous soldier. He held a commission first in the English army, having come of British military stock, and then in the Russian army. He was also aide-de- camp to the King of Poland. The outbreak of the Revolution found him in America, inspired by no such ideals as Lafayette, but purely in search of fame and fortune. He was a capable officer, but considered his ability far superior to that of any officer in the Continental Army. He deliberately disobeyed Washington’s orders and his conduct at Monmouth caused the Commander-in-Chief to up- braid him and finally to remove him from command. He was court-martialed and his commission re- voked. He retired to a farm in Virginia and spent the rest of his days blaspheming Washington. It is a historic fact that three of Washington’s non-Masonic Major-Generals formed a faction in Congress which almost ruined the cause of Free- dom. They were Gates, Conway and Mifflin. Major-General Horatio Gates proved a more capable politician than a soldier. His chief attacks were more often directed through Congress against Washington than in the field against the British forces. Though he is generally credited with the defeat and surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga, yet 28 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA the real credit is due to Generals Arnold and Lincoln and Colonel Daniel Morgan. General Gates never once rode on the field of battle, but followed the European custom of directing his at- tacks from a distance. The Continental soldier came of a race of hardy pioneers who respected and admired courage, such leadership lost their re- spect and lowered their morale. General Gates’ influence in Congress caused his transfer to the Southern field of operations where he failed miser- ably. His inefficiency as a commander of troops was finally recognized. He was removed from command, but restored again in 1782. Gates’ defeat at Camden, however, practically ended his career. Major-General Thomas Conway, the arrogant, boastful adventurer, whose strange promotion aroused Washington’s ire, sought to injure the Com- mander-in-Chief by addressing anonymous letters to those in authority. He instigated what is since known as the “Conway Cabal.” After fighting a duel with one of Washington’s staff officers, he re- signed his commission and sailed to France. Major-General Thomas Mifflin, whose slackness in the performance of his duty as Quarter-Master- General of the Army resulting in his dismissal from the service, also took a conspicuous part in the “Conway Cabal.” Major-General Benedict Arnold was a Mason. He was raised in Hiram Lodge, New Haven, Con- necticut, and attended Solomon’s Lodge, No. 6, of Poughkeepsie, New York. In the minutes of that Lodge, May 16, 1781, we find an entry directing that his name be obliterated ; his name was actually cut out of all Masonic records. While we have only the deepest contempt for a MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 29 traitor under any circumstances and can conceive of no justification for that crime, yet it must be noted and acknowledged that Arnold performed most brilliant service during the period of his loyalty — a service which the political authorities then failed honestly to recognize or justly to reward. Washington sent Arnold through the forests against Quebec. Arnold’s achievements in the march from Cambridge through sleet storms, across frozen lakes and through dense forests, after an enemy, scaling the heights to the Plains of Abra- ham, daring the garrison thrice his numbers to come out and fight, were in many respects more wonder- ful than Napoleon’s flight from Moscow, Julian’s retreat across the desert or Suvarov’s flight over the Alps, before an enemy. This expedition illustrated Arnold’s amazing energy and the hardiness of his men. The garrison refused to fight and reinforcements from Carleton compelled Arnold to fall back. On the arrival of Montgomery, however, they made an assault in which Montgomery was killed and Arnold’s leg was shattered. Nevertheless the siege was maintained from November until April. Que- bec won for Arnold a brigadier generalship. The first battle between the American and British fleets and one of the most obstinate naval engage- ments in our history, was fought by Arnold near Valcour Island, on Lake Champlain. Though out- numbered he escaped with most of his boats and all of his men, driving the British to Montreal, thus enabling the Army of the North to send three thou- sand men for the battles of Trenton and Princeton. About this time occurred an event that first made Arnold speak bitterly of his country. Congress 30 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA created five new major-generals, all of whom were Arnold’s juniors in rank and none having a tithe of his abilities or achievements. Washington was astounded and at once wrote Arnold begging him not to act hastily, assuring him that there must be some mistake. Under a similar injustice, Stark resigned and Sullivan threatened to do so. At Washington’s request Arnold withheld his resigna- tion, the Commander-in-Chief acknowledging the wrong and promising that it should be righted. Washington demanded an explanation from Con- gress and received the reply that since two men from Arnold’s State (Connecticut) were major- generals, Arnold could not be considered for that rank. This explanation — now so notoriously com- mon a basis in the distribution of present-day politi- cal patronage — served only to disgust and the more deeply anger the disappointed General. Arnold, nevertheless, contented himself with asking to be made ranking officer and offered to serve under his former juniors. Arnold’s splendid deeds during Tryon’s invasion of Connecticut forced Congress to commission him a Major-General; but this still left him outranked by his former subordinates. He again submitted his resignation which General Schuyler refused to consider. Like Washington, Schuyler appreciated Arnold’s services and by appealing to Arnold’s pa- triotism persuaded him to remain until immediate danger had passed. Meanwhile came news of Herkimer’s defeat and death at Oriskany. At Washington’s request Congress sent Arnold to the rescue. As before stated, Gates never once rode on the fields of battle at Saratoga. The battle of Septem- MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 3 1 ber 19th was fought, with the exception of Mor- gan’s riflemen, by Arnold’s division alone. In this crisis the country owed its salvation to Arnold. In the second battle of Saratoga, October 7th, to crown his glaring injustice and contemptible mean- ness, Gates took Arnold’s division away from him and gave it to Lincoln so that Arnold, the bravest and most successful general of the army, would have been without a command had he not assumed it without official right. Arnold’s fearful, frenzied daring infused new spirit into the troops; they fol- lowed him like madmen, carrying everything before them and routing Burgoyne’s army. In that vic- tory, Arnold’s leg, which was broken at Quebec, was shattered a second time. The far-reaching consequences and importance of Arnold’s services in this battle alone cannot be over-estimated. By the victory at Saratoga, France was convinced of the possibility of America’s ulti- mate success and concluded the alliance which con- tributed so materially to the defeat of the British and their complete surrender and evacuation of our soil. That winter Congress grudgingly gave Arnold his rank. Washington presented him with a sword and epaulettes. In his Canadian expeditions and elsewhere Arnold freely used his own money and repeatedly pledged his credit to keep the movements from collapse. His claims were large. Congress was suspicious and dilatory. It was difficult to obtain money from that body. The Masons who controlled the first Con- gresses were now in the field and elsewhere actively engaged in the service of the country; politicians sat in Congress — a Congress so faction-ridden and 32 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA incompetent that many of the best patriots thought the future of independence most calamitous even if it were obtained. While in command of Philadelphia, Arnold be- came involved in difficulties with the President and Council of Philadelphia. They preferred charges against him before Congress. These charges were finally sustained and Arnold was sentenced to be reprimanded. Washington reluctantly and very gently fulfilled the odious task imposed upon him. Such was Washington’s faith in Arnold that he offered him the post of honor in the next campaign. Arnold, however, who had confidently expected absolute acquittal was so inflamed with anger that even Washington’s reprimand, couched almost in words of praise, could not conciliate him. Arnold now for the first time definitely deter- mined to betray his country. Injustice turned love to hatred; the desire for revenge triumphed over patriotism and loyalty. Arnold, unable to endure his fancied or actual wrongs any longer determined upon the disgraceful design of deserting to the ranks of the enemy. With this crime in view he sought and obtained from Washington in August, 1780, command of West Point, the key to the Hudson River Valley. He put himself in communication with Sir Henry Clinton, the British commander of New York. To perfect the details of the plot, Clinton sent his adjutant-general, Major John Andre, to negotiate with Arnold near Stony Point, on the night of September 21st. Two days later, while returning by land, Andre, with incriminating papers, was captured. The officer to whom Andre was en- trusted after his seizure unsuspectingly sent informa- MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 33 tion of his capture to Arnold, thus enabling him to escape to the British lines. Arnold then was com- missioned a Brigadier-General in the British army and received $31,375 in compensation for his prop- erty losses. Upon Congress must be fixed the responsibility for the undoing of a man who showed a mag- nanimity and patriotism unsurpassed during that period by any officer in the army. Arnold’s best successes only brought down upon him fresh insults. He was surrounded by powerful enemies ; he became desperate and reckless. Arnold was keenly sen- sitive, unprincipled and fierce in his denouncement of men and measures; he lived extravagantly and entertained lavishly; he required the money justly due him. The man who four years before sent $500.00 for the destitute widow and five fatherless children of a brother Mason, Gen. Joseph Warren, who fell on Bunker Hill, suddenly became a lost man. Every noble feeling died at once in his bosom. If Washington and Schuyler had only allowed Arnold to retire from the army when he insisted on doing so, his countrymen would in time have redressed the wrongs and given him that place in their affections which his splendid services so well merited. In a London garret lay Benedict Arnold — half dressed — his legs concealed in long military boots. A minister sat by his side. Suddenly the dying man arose, tottered across the floor, threw open a valise, drew thence the remnants of a battle flag and a faded coat of blue faced with silver; the coat — pierced by a bullet at Quebec — was spotted with Arnold’s own blood — it was the uniform he wore when he planted the banner of the Stars on 34 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA Ticonderoga. With the minister’s help Arnold put on and once more wore that moth-eaten coat so reminiscent of the days of loyalty and service. The good minister spoke to him of that faith which pierces the clouds of human guilt and walls them back from the face of God. Arnold stood erect — the death chill on his brow. “Faith,” he cried, “Faith! Can it give me back my honor?” In his imagination he looked across the seas and heard Washington relating to his comrades the thrilling story of the eight-year war. While the death-watch beats, the faded flag is unfurled; a parchment is unrolled and reveals a Colonel’s commission in the Continental Army addressed to Benedict Arnold. Unwept, unhonored and unsung, in all the bitter- ness of desolation, the patriot and traitor gave back his spirit to God, while his corpse was clad in the uniform of a Continental soldier. CHAPTER IV WASHINGTON’S BRIGADIER GENERALS All of Washington’s Brigadier Generals were Masons except Stephen Moylan. He and the ad- venturous Conway were the only Roman Catholic generals in the Continental Army; but it is unfair to couple Moylan’s name with that of Conway. Moylan’s character was above reproach. He was a loyal soldier and one of Washington’s friends and comrades-in-arms. Moylan served on Washington’s staff for two years and was then commissioned Colonel of a Pennsylvania regiment of cavalry which he recruited. He served with distinction in the South under Wayne and Greene, and was one MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 35 of the last to be commissioned Brigadier-General before hostilities ceased. General Henry Lee — “Light Horse Harry Lee” — won fame and glory by his success and achieve- ments in the battles for Independence. The capture of the British outpost at Paulus Hook, New Jersey, by his light horse cavalry, was one of the most brilliant exploits of the war. Lee out-fought Tarle- ton at Guilford Court House ; with Marion he com- pelled Rawdon to abandon Camden and captured the rear-guard of that British general’s forces at Eutaw Springs; he took Augusta, and, upon Wash- ington’s assignment, suppressed the “Whiskey In- surrection” in Western Pennsylvania. In the funeral oration upon Washington, de- livered by Lee before both Houses of Congress, occurs the immortal phrase so thoroughly epitomiz- ing Washington’s attributes, “First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen.” It was the tribute of a brother Mason to the founder of the Republic. To General Lachlan McIntosh, a Mason, Wash- ington assigned the difficult task of defending the frontiers of Pennsylvania and Virginia against the Indians, a duty he ably performed. He was then assigned to the Southern army under the command of General Lincoln. McIntosh was taken prisoner at the surrender of Charleston in 1780. He was later exchanged and served until the close of the war. General Joseph Reed, the friend and counselor of Washington, was an able writer and a brave officer. His reply to Governor Johnstone, who was sent by Great Britain to arbitrate with the Colonists, and who tried to corrupt Reed by offering him 2,6 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA $50,000 if he would join the royal standard, was characteristic of Reed’s refined temperament. He is said to have replied: “I am not worth purchas- ing; but such as I am the King of England is not rich enough to do it.” This noble Mason served throughout the war and though seven horses were shot from under him he escaped unwounded. Three distinguished Southern Masons, Marion, Sumter and Pickens, earned imperishable glory by their deeds and rank foremost among our Revolu- tionary leaders. They commanded the Carolina troops, composed mostly of backwoodsmen, trap- pers and mountaineers. General Francis Marion, the “Swamp Fox of the Carolinas,” seemed omnipresent to the terror- stricken loyalists. To tireless vigilance he added a dogged persistence and perseverance. With his staunch followers he would embark on the most hazardous undertakings, but his prudence remained unmarred by any rash act. General Thomas Sumter, the “South Carolina Game-cock,” proved a never-ending source of an- noyance to the British and ably checked their plans to subdue the Southern colonies. His method of fighting was to swoop down on a small detachment of troops, take them prisoners and disappear. In the battles of Catawba and Hanging Rock he proved an able leader. To Sumter much credit is due for the ultimate defeat of Cornwallis at Yorktown. General Andrew Pickens commanded the troops of North Carolina and fought several minor en- gagements with the British and Indians. Pickens was presented with a sword, by Congress, for his gallant conduct at the battle of Cowpens. Subse- quently he forced the surrender of the British forts MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 27 at Augusta, Georgia, and commanded a brigade at the battle of Eutaw Springs. General John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, the preacher-patriot who turned soldier at the request of Washington, in his last sermon at Woodstock, Virginia, exclaimed : “There is a time for all things — a time to preach and a time to fight — and now is the time to fight!” He stripped off his gown and stood dressed in a Colonel’s uniform, called for re- cruits and enrolled about three hundred of his parishioners. Muhlenberg was a member of the Masonic fraternity. General John Stark, a Mason, declared his wife Molly would be a widow unless the British strong- hold at Bennington, Vermont, was taken. This natural Yankee statement of Stark’s so inspired his men that they overwhelmed the British garrison. Stark resigned his commission ; but later, when Burgoyne’s invasion of the North was gaining head- way, he recruited a brigade and fought valiantly until the close of that campaign. John and Molly Stark were spared to their country for many years to come. General John Cadwalader was a devoted friend of Washington. He fought a duel with Conway in which he ably punished the miscreant for his asper- sions upon the Commander-in-Chief. Cadwalader twice refused a commission as Brigadier-General, preferring to stay with Washington and lead the Pennsylvania troops. He served with distinction at Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown and Mon- mouth. Cadwalader was a brother of the Mystic Tie. General Rufus Putnam, a cousin to Major-Gen- eral Israel Putnam, was considered superior to the 38 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA best engineers in the French army. Washington often consulted this self-taught engineer before de- ciding on the disposition of his forces. Putnam was a member of the American Union Lodge. This was the first Lodge organized in the Continental Army. Putnam subsequently became the first Grand Master of Masons of Ohio, and was in- strumental in establishing the public school system of that State. General James Jackson, Governor of Georgia and Grand Master of Masons of that State before he was thirty, was the right arm of his Masonic brother, General Wayne, during the evacuation of Savannah by the British in 1782. General Mordecai Gist distinguished himself in the Battle of Long Island when he led the Mary- land troops in six successive charges, finally break- ing through the British front and escaping capture. He served under DeKalb in the South, and the Battle of Camden won for Gist a brigadier general- ship. He aided materially in the operations that led to the surrender of Charleston and took part in the siege of Yorktown. Gist wore the Square and Compass. General William Whipple, who signed the Decla- ration of Independence and subsequently com- manded a brigade at Stillwater and Saratoga, ar- ranged the terms of capitulation for the surrender of Burgoyne. General Whipple hailed from a New Hampshire Lodge. While commanding a regiment of Maryland and Virginia riflemen in the attack on Fort Washing- ton, Colonel Otho H. Williams was captured. He subsequently took part in the battle of Monmouth and later served under DeKalb in the South, Wil- MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 39 liams then served as adjutant-general on the staff of Greene, in which capacity he fought at Guilford Court House. The brilliant charge of this brave Masonic officer at Eutaw Springs won for him a commission as Brigadier General. General Richard Caswell, the first Governor of North Carolina and Grand Master of Masons in that State, led the troops of North Carolina in the battle of Camden. William R. Davie, Governor of North Carolina in 1798, and its Masonic Grand Master, served as Commissary-General under his Masonic brother, General Greene. Casimir Pulaski, a scion of Polish nobility, came to America at the instigation of Benjamin Franklin. Following the battle of the Brandywine, in which he served as a private, he was commissioned a Brigadier-General and organized what was called the “Pulaski Region.” He successfully resisted the attack on Charleston in 1779; but in the unsuccess- ful attack on Savannah he was fatally wounded. Thaddeus Kosciuszko received his military train- ing in the Polish army. Sympathy for America’s cause brought him to our shores. He devised the defenses of Bemis Heights and West Point. Kosci- uszko served as adjutant to General Washington and took part in the siege of Ninety-Six under Gen- eral Greene. At the close of the war he received a vote of thanks from Congress and was breveted Brigadier-General. These two Polish patriots, who unsheathed their swords for American independence, were Masons. General James Clinton, who was operating against the British and Indians in central New York, was ordered to join Sullivan at Tioga. Together they 40 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA embarked on that perilous expedition in the valley of the Genesee. Clinton accompanied Washing- ton and the allied army to' Yorktown. He was present at the evacuation of New York by the Brit- ish and formed one of that immortal group of officers of whom Washington took his affectionate farewell in Fraunce’s Tavern. General George Clinton, while Governor of New York, organized several regiments of militia and hastened to the relief of his brother, General James Clinton, who was attacked by overwhelming forces at Forts Clinton and Montgomery on the Hudson River. After a day of hard fighting they escaped the trap of the British under cover of the darkness. General George Clinton was for eighteen successive years Governor of New York and twice Vice- President of the United States. These two famous brothers were members of the Masonic fraternity. General David Wooster of Connecticut, though sixty-six years of age when the Revolution broke out, drew his sword against England’s usurpations with the same valor that he had formerly displayed in active service as a brigadier-general of the Brit- ish Army. In the British attack upon Danbury, Wooster commanded the Colonial militia in person ; his gallantry and courage served as an example and inspiration for his troops in their resistance to the vigorous attacks made upon them. Wooster, a Mason, fell mortally wounded on that field of battle, maintaining in his last moments that complete con- fidence and firm conviction in America’s ultimate freedom which had characterized him throughout the struggle. General Nicholas Herkimer, the hero of Oris- kany, hailed from St. Patrick’s Lodge, Johnstown, MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 4 1 New York. Few battles of the Revolution were so essential to the success of the Continental forces as Oriskany; there Herkimer and his invincible Ger- mans engaged the British and Indians in a hand- to-hand encounter, defeating the enemy’s plans for the junction of the armies commanded by Burgoyne and St. Leger. Students of history, in its far- reaching ultimate results, have freely expressed the opinion that had there been no Oriskany, with its matchless bravery, there would have been no Sara- toga, and no Yorktown. Herkimer fell in that battle, making the supreme sacrifice to achieve the victory which was the dawn of that freedom we now enjoy. General William Woodford, a Mason, was severely wounded while leading a brigade in the battle of the Brandywine. Upon his recovery he was assigned to the Southern army, serving under General Lincoln. He was taken prisoner with the surrender of Charleston and died while in captivity. General Nathaniel Woodhull commanded a bri- gade at the Battle of Long Island. A few days after the battle while at Jamaica, Long Island, with three junior officers, he was surrounded by a troop of British cavalry. He gave up his sword as a token of surrender; but the officer who approached ordered him to say, “God save the King.” This Woodhull refused to do. His refusal enraged the British officer who struck him severely upon the head with his sword, from the effects of which wound Woodhull died. This brave Masonic patriot, like the widow’s son, sacrificed his life but saved his integrity; thus giving satisfactory proof of his fidelity to the trust already reposed in him. General Francis Nash, a Mason, joined the Con- 42 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA tinental Army as commander of the First North Carolina Regiment. He soon rose to the rank of Brigadier-General and led a brigade at the battle of Germantown. Toward the close of the battle he was severely wounded and died shortly after. The efficiency and ability of General Enoch Poor at the battle of Saratoga contributed in no small part to the successful close of that campaign. He later accompanied his Masonic brother, General Sullivan, on the expedition against the Indians. Following the battle of Monmouth, Poor contracted a severe fever and died in camp. General Hugh Mercer, who had served with Washington, under Braddock, in the French and Indian War, was wounded in the surprise attack at Princeton and forced to surrender. The Hessian soldiers, disregarding the universal rule of war- fare, rushed upon and pierced him with thirteen bayonets. This brave Masonic officer died a few days later at the home of a friend. General Philip Van Cortlandt commanded the Second New York Infantry Regiment at the battle of Saratoga. Later, with General Clinton, he joined Sullivan at Tioga. He was in command in the only battle fought with the Indians who called him the “Great White Devil,” due to his knowledge of their traits and customs. Van Cortlandt was a student in woodcraft and an expert rifle shot. He served throughout the war and at Yorktown was commis- sioned a Brigadier-General. Van Cortlandt wore the lambskin. General Daniel Morgan, whose famous regiment, “Morgan’s Rifles,” served so valiantly at Saratoga, was the biggest man, physically, in the Continental Army. Morgan saw service on every front during MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 43 the Revolution. He was noted for his dash and daring and was beloved by all the troops who served under him. Morgan was a member of the Craft. General William Maxwell joined Montgomery on that ill-fated expedition against Canada, later serving under Schuyler on Lake Champlain. In the battles of Brandywine and Germantown he led a New Jersey brigade. Maxwell’s troops contributed largely to the success at Monmouth. After aiding Sullivan in his campaign against the Indians, Max- well retired from the army in 1780. This old Mason continued to serve his country in more peaceful pursuits until his death. Washington was ably assisted and supported in those trying days attendant upon the early struggle for independence by such Masonic brothers as Gen- erals William Thompson, John Nixon, John Glover, John Paterson, John P. DeHaas, George Weedon, Edward Hand, Charles Scott, Jedediah Hunting- ton, Jethro Sumner, Isaac Huger and William Irvine. Ethan Allen’s successful surprise of Ticonderoga filled the country w r ith admiration. In the attack on Montreal Allen was captured and sent to Eng- land. On being offered large tracts of land in America if he would join the British forces, Allen replied that the offer reminded him of Satan’s offer of all the kingdoms of the world: “When at the same time the poor devil had not one foot of land upon the earth.” Ethan Allen was a Mason, as was Cochran, Captain of Allen’s “Green Mountain Boys.” Colonel William Barton, who was presented with a sword by Congress for capturing the British Gen- eral Prescott, hailed from a Rhode Island Lodge. 44 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA Henderson, the hero of Harlem Heights, was captured by the British and paroled by General Howe upon the intervention of a Masonic brother. Alexander Scammel, who commanded the Third New Hampshire Regiment, studied law under John Sullivan and assisted him in the capture of Fort William and Mary, at Portsmouth. Following the battle of Saratoga, in which he was wounded, Scammel served as adjutant general on Washing- ton’s staff. At the battle of Yorktown, while on reconnaissance duty, Scammel was surprised by a troop of Hessians and taken prisoner. The brutality which he suffered at the hands of these Hessian soldiers, resulted in the death of this brave Masonic officer a week later. When the news of the battle of Lexington reached Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Henry Dear- born, a physician, gathered together sixty volun- teers and marched to Cambridge. As Captain in Colonel Stark’s regiment he served at the battle of Bunker Hill. Dearborn accompanied Arnold to Quebec. The hardships and sufferings of the troops in that campaign were almost incredible. Dearborn made record of the fact that the men were obliged to kill and eat a dog, which belonged to him, and was a great favorite. Dearborn was captured in the attack on Quebec. At the battle of Monmouth, after Lee’s retreat, Dearborn’s regiment made a splendid charge upon the main line of the enemy, forcing them into flight. Being asked by Washington, “What troops are those?’’ he replied, “Full-blooded Yankees from New Hampshire, sir.” Dearborn served with marked distinction throughout the war and later was appointed Secre- MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 45 tary of War by President Jefferson. As Major- General of the United States army, Dearborn planned the campaigns of the War of 1812 and subsequently was appointed minister plenipoten- tiary to Portugal by President Monroe. Dearborn hailed from old St. John’s Lodge of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. William Washington, a distant relative of the Commander-in-Chief, served as a Captain of In- fantry under General Mercer. He was severely wounded in the splendid charge he led at the battle of Trenton. While engaged in battle in South Carolina Captain Washington met and fought a duel with Colonel Tarleton, in which both were wounded. Captain Washington’s first lieutenant was his Masonic brother, James Munroe, fifth President of the United States. Colonel Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, as Wash- ington’s aide-de-camp, was present at the battles of Brandywine and Germantown. While leading the South Carolina troops at Charleston he was taken prisoner. He was discharged from the army with the rank of brevet Brigadier-General. After Wash- ington’s election as President, he offered Pinckney a place on the Supreme Court Bench ; then the post of Secretary of War as the successor of General Knox ; then that of Secretary of State, in succession to Edmund Randolph. As ambassador to France on the difficult mission of securing peace with our ancient ally, the indignant Carolinian declared in rejecting the dishonorable terms proposed that his country would give: “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute.” His equally famous brother, Thomas Pinckney, was aide-de-camp to General Gates and then to Gen- 46 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA eral Lincoln. He was also taken prisoner in the battle of Camden. He was sent by President Washington as the first minister to England, and, in 1794, to Spain where he negotiated the impor- tant treaty of San Ildefonso, thereby securing to the United States the Florida territory and the free navigation of the Mississippi. Both Charles Cotes- worth Pinckney and Thomas Pinckney wore the lambskin. CHAPTER V MASONS AS ORGANIZERS OF OUR GOVERNMENT The signing of the Treaty of Peace with Great Britain in 1783 found thirteen individual States functioning under individual State laws and each determined to protect and promote the interests of its citizens. Considerable confusion prevailed and the clamor for “State Rights” was heard everywhere. Washington, in a letter, deplored the “illiberality, jealousy, and local policy of the States,” that was likely to “sink the new nation in the eyes of Europe into contempt.” The best minds of the day were agreed that cen- tralization of power would not only insure prosper- ous growth but recognition, as a united nation, by the powers of Europe. Alexander Hamilton, in the “Federalist,” con- ceived the idea of a “constitution” that would pro- tect, not State rights, but individual rights. He pro- posed a meeting of representatives from the several MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA States for the purpose of discussing the advisability of formulating such a plan. This resulted in the Constitutional Convention which met in Philadelphia and over which Washing- ton, the Mason, presided. The Constitution of the United States was there created, ratified and estab- lished. Of the fifty-five members of this Constitutional Convention, thirty-five were lawyers and at least fifty were Masons. Washington was then chosen to preside over the new Government. At his inauguration as President of the United States the oath of office was admin- istered on the Bible brought from St. John’s Lodge, No. i, New York City, by the Chancellor of New York, Robert R. Livingston, then Grand Master of Masons of that State, and at a time when the Governor of every one of the thirteen States was a Mason. With the birth of a new nation, President Washington apparently followed the same course in appointing his officers to labor in the “Lodge” over which he was now called upon to act as “Master,” as he pursued in the selection of his com- manding officers in the Continental Army. Almost all of Washington’s appointees were men who wore the lambskin. John Jay, a distinguished member of the Masonic fraternity, received the gratifying evidence of Washington’s confidence and esteem in the Presi- dent’s request to select any office he might prefer. He was appointed the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in 1789. Jay was associated with Hamilton and Madison in the editing of the “Federalist” which did much to formu- THE FAMOUS WASHINGTON BIBLE OF ST. JOHN’S LODGE No. 1 NEW YORK. On April 30, 1789, Washington was inaugurated the first President of the United States, on the spot marked to-day by his statue erected in Wall Street, near Nassau, New York City. On the dais lay the Bible of St. John’s Lodge No. 1. When he had finished repeating the oath, with his right hand resting on the open Book, and his head bowed in reverential manner, he said in a clear and distinct voice, “I swear, so help me God!” Then bowing over this magnificent Bible he reverently kissed it. When Washington was sworn he rested his right hand on. the forty-ninth and fiftieth chapters of Genesis. When Harding took his oath of office as President of the United States, one hundred and thirty two years later, this same historic Bible was used. He rested his right hand on the sixth chapter of Micah. This Sacred Book is still in a state of excellent preservation, sacredly cared for by St. John’s Lodge No. 1, and on it they obligate their duly made Master Masons. On the second page of this Book, beautifully engrossed and remark- ably legible even to this date are the lines: ‘On this sacred volume, on the 30th day of April, A. L. 5789. in the City of New York, was administered to George Washington, the first President of the United States of America, the oath to support the constitution of the United States. This important ceremony was performed by the Most Wor- shipful Grand Master of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York, the Honorable Robert R. Livingston, Chancellor of the State.’ Fame stretched her wings and with her trumpet blew. Great Washington is near. What praise is due? What title shall he have? She paused — and said: “Not one — his name alone , strikes every title dead . 1 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 49 late our present form of Government and convince the country at large of the great advantages to be derived through centralization of power. John Rutledge and Oliver Ellsworth, illustrious Chief Justices of the United States Supreme Court, were Masons. John Blair, the first man appointed by Washing- ton to the Federal Judiciary and later a Justice of the United States Supreme Court, was the first Grand Master of Masons of Virginia. John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, served as a captain in every im- portant engagement of the Revolutionary War. He was one of the most eminent jurists of any modern court. Marshall interpreted and vitalized the or- ganic law of the United States and imparted im- mortality to the Constitution. He was Grand Master of Masons of Virginia. Edmund Randolph, Washington’s Attorney Gen- eral and later Secretary of State in succession to Thomas Jefferson, was Grand Master of Masons of Virginia. Alexander Hamilton, the genius of the Revolu- tion, whom John Marshall ranked next to Wash- ington in ability and in the character of his public service, served as the first Secretary of the Treas- ury; as such he founded our national financial sys- tem. He touched the corpse of public credit and new force was imparted to it. Hamilton was a brother of the Mystic Tie. James Madison, whose master mind contributed to our Federal Constitution many of its wisest pro- visions, especially those relating to religious liberty and the separation of Church and State, was a Mason. 50 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA The Superintendent of Finance, Robert Morris, who financed the American Revolution and made it possible for the Declaration of Independence to become an accomplished fact, was a member of the Masonic fraternity. Haym Salomon, the Polish Jew broker in Front Street, Philadelphia, whose contributions to Ameri- can liberty exceeded half a million dollars, was a member of the Craft. Isaac Moses, a Mason, worded the petition of the New York merchants to the legislature on No- vember 1 8, 1784, which impelled and persuaded that body to pass an act levying specific duties and estab- lish the first custom house in America. DeWitt Clinton, nephew of Generals George and James Clinton, fearlessly upheld the American ideal of Government. He was one of the most construc- tive statesmen of his day. He was Mayor of New York and for nine years Governor of that State. He established the free (public) school system and organized the first fire insurance company in America. DeWitt Clinton also secured the repeal of that portion of the statute which prevented Roman Catholics voting at elections. This fearless Mason, of a noble Masonic family, was Grand Master of Masons of the State of New York and James Madison’s opponent for the office of Presi- dent of the United States, being the first candidate to be nominated in open convention. European nations and the Barbary States were brought to recognize the new American republic, and forced to pay homage to its flag, by such Masonic naval commanders as Edward Preble, James Law- rence, Thomas Macdonough and Stephen Decatur. What is more reasonable than to believe that the MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 5 1 fathers and founders of this new Nation, believing firmly in Masonic principles, should make those principles our political creed. From the laying of the plans for the Revolution in Green Dragon Inn, Boston, by such noted Masons as Samuel Adams, Josiah Quincy, Joseph Warren, James Otis and Paul Revere, to the formation of the Continental Congress resulting in the Declara- tion of Independence and the formulation of the Constitution of the United States, through seven years of stress and struggle from Lexington to Yorktown, the foremost characters in every impor- tant event amply demonstrates the powerful influ- ence which our Masonic brethren wielded in the early and formative period of our history. Thou, too, sail on, O ship of State ! Sail on, O Union, strong and great ! Humanity with all its fears, With all the hopes of future years, Is hanging breathless on thy fate ! We know what Master laid thy keel, What Workman wrought thy ribs of steel, Who made each mast, and sail, and rope, What anvils rang, what hammers beat, In what a forge and what a heat Were shaped the anchors of thy hope ! Yet Freemasonry has been no stranger to persecu- tion in this country. Ignorance of the duties of a Mason has led to much of the opposition the Fra- ternity has encountered. In 1826 an Anti-Masonic wave swept over the Northern Atlantic States due to the disappearance of one William Morgan of Batavia, New York, a man of questionable character and dissolute habits, who published a pretended exposition of Free Ma- sonry when his application for affliliation was re- fused by the Chapter in Batavia. After this he 52 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA disappeared; although the Fraternity was charged with his murder there never was any evidence of his death that could be admitted in a court. During the Presidential election of 1832 oppor- tunists — self-seeking politicians — sought to use this Anti-Masonic craze as a means to further their own ambitions and thus ride into power on the crest of the Anti-Masonic wave. With this end in view they organized the Anti-Masonic Party. It was without proper guidance, however, and founded solely on ignorance. Andrew Jackson, a Mason, and a fighter, was running for re-election. During the heat of the campaign excitement he stated that he knew: “the Masonic Society was an institution calculated to benefit mankind and trusted it would continue to prosper.” He was re-elected by an overwhelming majority. It is amusing to note that his two opponents, Henry Clay and William Wirt, were both duly obligated Master Masons who had not renounced their affliliations. We cannot but question, however, the sincerity of Wirt, who was the Anti-Masonic Party’s candidate, even though, in his speech of acceptance, he stated his doubts as to his party’s position. Our two martyred Presidents, Garfield and McKinley, were 32 0 Masons, belonging to the same Consistory in Ohio, which body is further honored by the membership of Brother Warren G. Harding. And it is interesting to note that one hundred and thirty-two years after Washington took his oath of office on the Bible of St. John’s Lodge, No. 1, New York City, this historical Bible was borne to Wash- ington, D. C., on March 4, 1921, by the Master of St. John’s Lodge, accompanied by Robert H. Robinson, Grand Master of Masons of the State MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 53 of New York, and on it Brother Harding took his oath of office as the twenty-ninth President of the United States. There has not been a great movement for civil and religious liberty for upwards of two hundred years that has not had behind it the loyal support of the Masonic Fraternity. Sam Houston, who led the gallant armies which threw off the Mexican yoke and won the inde- pendence of Texas, was a Mason. He subsequently became the first President of the Republic of Texas. Texas had four Presidents before she applied for admission to the Union. Her last President, Anson Jones, was also a Macon. Garibaldi and Massini, Masons, freed their be- loved Italy. Portugal, the world’s latest republic, is the child of Masonry. The Grand Master of Cuba was executed for the offense of his office, and an entire Lodge in Havana was imprisoned for the crime of perform- ing the last rites at the grave of a departed brother. The timely arrival of American troops in Porto Rico saved an entire Lodge of San Juan from execution. God grant that our country be forever free of religious persecution. May the Masonic Fraternity, founded on the Fatherhood of God and the brother- hood of man, and whose sole aim in existing is to benefit mankind, continue to shed its beneficent influence wider and wider over the earth. As Americans we stand in the presence and feel the power of our Masonic fathers. Their example is the promise of progress and the maintenance for- ever of the fundamental principles which actuated them in establishing a free nation. 54 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA Therefore, brethren, give your country a true manhood! Be intense Americans. Solemnly re- solve to give this country to your children as you received it from your fathers, forever free and forever American! Bear in mind that you are trustees, guarding as such a sacred heritage and treasure which is yours to enjoy for the time being and by you to be trans- mitted unsullied and unimpaired to posterity. Push Americanism to the front. America can serve the world only as it is American. In the three million square miles of our territory, from the pine forests of Maine to the Golden Gate, from the Lakes on the North to the Gulf in the South, there is room only for Americans. Sub- ordinate every thing to America. Whether native born or naturalized, swear, that while life’s blood warms your throbbing veins, that there shall be nothing here but Americanism. Everything foreign, man, school, church, must be completely absorbed and absolutely assimilated by republican principles and American purpose, or else shall be openly cast out as un-American and as treason to the flag. There must not be the least taint of the Danube, Rhine, Thames or Tiber in the distilled water beneath the American sky-dome. One country for all — America, for man in his love of liberty, for man, whosoever he is and whencesoever he cometh; one standard of loyalty; one school system supported by the State and for- ever free from all sectarian control; no public money, or public property for any sectarian pur- pose whatsoever; the absolute separation of church and state; the abandonment of every pretension to MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 55 special privileges; free speech, free press and a free conscience; the ballot-box, through an educational qualification, made sacred as the ark of the Ameri- can covenant; one type of citizenship; one national language; one flag, Old Glory, one sovereign and that sovereign the will of the people, exercised ac- cording to the spirit and purpose of the American Constitution ; and to crown all, the election to public office of men only who are imbued with these fundamental American ideals. The cornerstone of our country was laid and its foundation planted by our fathers through long years of privation and war. To save it from de- struction and to preserve it to us, rivers of blood have been poured out and countless millions of treas- ure spent. And for the sake of all this sacrifice, the tears and blood, the widowhood and orphanage, promise God once again that you will keep America American. No greater appeal can be offered, in closing, than to quote the last message to the American people of that distinguished citizen, that upright man and Mason : Brother Theodore Roosevelt. This mes- sage, written the day before he died, was sent to the American Defense Society to be read in open meeting. “I cannot be with you and so all I can do is to wish you God-speed. There must be no sagging back in the fight for Americanism merely because the war is over. There are plenty of persons who have already made the assertion that they believe the American people have a short memory and that they intend to revive all the foreign associations which most directly interfere with the complete Americanization of our people. 56 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA “Our principle in this matter should be absolutely simple. In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed or birthplace or origin. “But this is predicated upon the man’s becoming in very fact an American and nothing but an Ameri- can. If he tries to keep segregated with men of his own origin and separated from the rest of America, then he isn’t doing his part as an American. “There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this ex- cludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile. “We have room for but one language here and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding house ; and we have room for one soul loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.” A MASONIC ANECDOTE OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR From time to time many cases have been cited to prove that the signs and tokens of Free Masonry, which speak a universal language and act as a pass- port to the attention and support of the initiated in all parts of the world, have stayed the uplifted hand of the destroyer, softened the asperities of tyrants, broken down the barriers of political ani- mosity and sectarian prejudice. The most noted instance in the American Revolution where the Ma- sonic relation afforded relief was the case of Israel Israels, who was at one time Grand Master of Pennsylvania. Israels was a Quaker, though his name is de- cidedly Jewish. During the Revolution he resided on the Delaware, near Wilmington. With his brother he had determined to take up arms for freedom. But it was decided that lots be cast to determine which one should stay at home to protect the women. The lot of a soldier fell to the younger brother, Joseph. The mother with her family had moved to Phila- delphia, as her home at Newcastle, Delaware, was exposed too much to the vicissitudes of war. Dur- ing the occupancy of Philadelphia by the British, the Israels family endured severe hardships and Israel watched over them with incessant anxiety. Know- ing that his mother and those under her roof were in want he determined to reach them. One of his Tory neighbors procured for him the countersign 58 MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA and eluding the vigilance of the sentinel, he made his way to his mother’s house, which he found in possession of the British soldiers who had quartered themselves upon the family. His brother was there, too, on a secret visit. The loyalist who had given the sign betrayed the secret of Israels’ expedi- tion. He and his brother were seized and carried on board the frigate, “Rosebuck,” lying in the Dela- ware, a few miles from Wilmington, opposite his home, there to be tried as a spy. Being one of the “Committee of Safety” Israels’ position was peculiarly perilous. His fate was de- cided before the trial. The testimony of his Tory neighbors was overwhelmingly against him. Sev- eral were ready to swear that while the loyal popu- lation of the country had willingly furnished their share of provisions needed by the ships of war, he had been heard to say repeatedly that he would “sooner drive his cattle as a present to General Washington, than receive thousands of dollars in British gold for them.” The British Commander upon receiving this in- formation ordered a detachment of soldiers to go to Israels’ meadows, in full view of the frigate and seize and slaughter his cattle, then feeding there. His nineteen-year-old wife saw her husband and brother taken to the frigate and watched the move- ments of the plunderers. Guessing their purpose, she made for the meadows in hot haste, and with an eight-year-old boy began to drive out the cattle. The soldiers threatened to shoot her if she did not get out. The heroic woman cried: “Fire away!” The cowards fired several shots, not one hit her. She drove her cattle to safety and won the admira- tion of the men for her heroic daring. MASONS AS MAKERS OF AMERICA 59 The trial of her husband took place. Asked by a sympathetic soldier if he was a Free Mason, Israels so declaring himself, was informed that the officers were Masons and that a Communica- tion was to be held on board the vessel that night. He made a manly defense and at the opportune time gave the Masonic sign of distress. Not only did the haughty bearing of the officers change, but the Tory witnesses were reprimanded for seeking to injure an upright man. Presents were given to his heroic Hannah, while he and his brother were set at liberty. But for the talismanic power of Masonry in all probability both brothers would have been shot. It is doubtful whether there has ever been devised by man a system that has the power over the human mind in the whole range of its passion that Masonry has so often, so instantaneously, so magically and so humanely exerted. On the field of battle, in the solitude of the un- civilized forest, in the busy haunts of the crowded city, the principles of Masonry have made men of the most hostile feelings, most distant relations and most diversified convictions rush to the aid of one another. DATE DUE BOSTON COLLEGE 3 903 011525 4 4 315624 Boston College Library Chestnut Hill 67, Mass. Books may be kept for two weeks unless a shorter period is specified. If you cannot find what you want, inquire at the circulation desk for assistance.