Was A Freemason Responsible For The American Civil War?

by Midnight Freemasons contributor

Todd E. Creason



Abraham Lincoln- the last casualty of the Civil War.

We all learned the same story.  On April 12, 1861, shortly after Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated, the Civil War began when the first shots were fired by the rebel army on Fort Sumpter when Lincoln ordered the Fort, which was desperately low on provisions, to be supplied.  There’s no question that’s when the war between the states began—right?

Actually, no—that’s incorrect.

In early 1861, the President of the United States, and Freemason, James Buchanan would have been very pleased to let the already simmering Civil War fall on the shoulders of the man that would follow him in a very short time—Abraham Lincoln.  To say that President Buchanan was ill-prepared to handle something as volatile as the Civil War is putting it mildly.  There is a reason I never profiled James Buchanan in my Famous American Freemasons series.  Buchanan wasn’t a very good example, and history remembers him as the President that could have, and should have done more to prevent the war between the states.  If he had, he could have saved 600,000 lives on both sides of the bloody conflict. 

15th President and Freemason James Buchanan

However, in January of 1861, the recently occupied garrison in Charleston Harbor, called Fort Sumpter, was running desperately low on supplies.  The pressure on Buchanan was  tremendous, and he was backed into a corner, and ordered the merchant vessel the Star of the West to resupply the garrison.  But a Confederate sympathizer in Buchanan’s own cabinet, Secretary of State John Floyd, tipped off the rebel army that the supply ship was coming, and the rebel army was ready.  The first shots of the Civil War were fired on the Star of the West on January 9, 1861, when the Confederate Army unleashed its first heavy artillery bombardment of the Civil War against the supply ship.  Three of those shots hit the Star of the West, and the ship quickly turned tail and ran back to open water.

The first shots of the Civil War had already been fired, months before Abraham Lincoln became President of the United States. 

Of course one of the first things Lincoln did as President was to re-order the provisioning of Fort Sumpter.  If they were low on supplies in January, they were desperate and starving in April.  This second attempt to re-supply Fort Sumpter is the one history remembers and we learned about in school—those shots that were fired on April 12, 1861.

So yes, the President of the United States at the time the first shots were fired during the American Civil War was a Freemason. 

The Masonic Record: 

James Buchanan was a member of Lancaster Lodge No. 43, Pennsylvania.  Abraham Lincoln petitioned Tyrian Lodge in Springfield, Illinois in 1860, and later withdrew his petition when he decided to run for President of the United States.  He was afraid his petition would be seen as an attempt to pander for the votes of Freemasons—something he was unwilling to do.  It was his intention to re-submit his petition and receive the degrees of Freemasonry after his Presidency was over—a promise he never had a chance to fulfill. 

 

~TEC

Additional Note:  It has long been believed that L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wizard of Oz based his character of the Wizard on James Buchanan.  The wizard being a man ill-prepared for the high office of leadership he held, and ill-prepared to deal with a conflict like the Wicked Witch of the West.  The Wizard held the highest office in the land, but behind that title, there was no real leadership.  It was nothing besides smoke and mirrors.  This same theory applies to the Scarecrow, who is believed to be based on the character of Abraham Lincoln.  A man from the fields and farms of the Midwest, who many believed didn’t have the brains to run the country, and surprised everyone with what he was able to do with his homespun ability to get his ideas across, and his common sense leadership style.  Most of us don’t know the rest of the story of Wizard of Oz, but eventually, the Scarecrow becomes a great leader in the land of Oz. 

Freemason Wisdom: Eddie Rickenbacker On Friendship

by Midnight Freemasons Contributor
Judy Gordon 
 
"I would rather have a million friends than a million dollars." 

~Eddie Rickenbacker

They say things happen in threes . . . good or bad. I like to focus on the good. Illinois Job's Daughters had their Grand Session from June 21-24, 2012. As previously mentioned, I was presented with the Degree of Royal Purple . . . then on Saturday, Illinois Job's Daughters held their elections for the Grand Line. I stood up and was elected as the Grand Marshal, which means in 2015-16, Michael Troy and I will be the Grand Guardian and Associate Grand Guardian of Illinois (scary). I bet you are wondering what the third thing is . . . On Monday June 25, Ray and I became grandparents again--another grandson.  Welcome to the world Emery. 

Those three things are not worth a million dollars . . . they are priceless . . . and my friends are priceless. They are there when you need them . . . and I can count on my Masonic heritage for that!

~JAG

Judy Gordon is very active in Job's Daughters. She's the Past Honored Queen, and Bethel Guardian of Bethel No. 55, Pekin (IL). She received the Cryptic Masons Masonic Youth Leadership Award along with her husband, Ray Gordon in July 2007. She's also Past Matron of the Morton Chapter No. 974 (IL) of the Order of the Eastern Star and Historian of the Emblem Club No. 424 of Pekin (IL) Judy is the recipient of the Degree of Royal Purple (2012) and elected as the Grand Marshal for Illinois Job's Daughters (2015-16). Ray and Judy have three grandkids, and a very spoiled dog, Reggie (who incidentally volunteers as a Therapy Dog at local hospitals and nursing homes.)

Freemason Wisdom: Harry Truman On Power

by Midnight Freemasons Contributor

Michael Shirley

Harry S. Truman enjoying a walk in retirement (age 86)

Harry Truman, long after he had been President of the United States, said, “If a man can accept a situation in a place of power with the thought that it’s only temporary, he comes out all right. But when he thinks that he is the cause of the power, that can be his ruination.” 

Truman’s admiration for Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, the Roman who answered the call to save the Republic, reflects his own clear understanding of the limits of power. Cincinnatus, an aristocrat and consul, was pushed out of power and forced to live and work on his small farm. When Rome was threatened, he was invited to be dictator. He accepted the invitation, saved Rome, and gave up his power to return to his farm. 

Truman’s exit from the presidency was not so dramatic, but he never confused the presidency’s power with his own. When his term of office ended, so did his power, as he knew it should. His thoroughly clear sense of self, and his humility, made it impossible for him to believe otherwise. 

When he returned to his home in Independence, an ex-president, a reporter asked him what he had done first. “Carried the grips up to the attic,” he said. Cincinnatus might have said the same thing.

~MS

W.B. Michael H. Shirley is Past Master of Tuscola Lodge No. 332 and Leadership Development Chairman for the Grand Lodge of Illinois. He's also a member of the Illinois Lodge of Research, the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, Eastern Star, and the Tall Cedars of Lebanon. He's also a member of the newly-chartered, Illini High Twelve No. 768 in Urbana-Champaign. The author of several articles on British history, he teaches at Eastern Illinois University.

A Visit To The Grand Canyons And The Contemplation Of Time

by Midnight Freemasons Contributor

Greg Knott

I was at the Grand Canyon a few weeks ago and was just awe struck at the magnificence of the handy work of God and the majesty of this natural wonder.  Staring right at you is over 500 million years of natural history.  It brings into deep contemplation our humanly existence and how little time we are really here in this world.

In the 3^rd degree lecture, we talk about the Hour-glass:

  

"The Hour-glass is an emblem of human life. Behold how swiftly the sands run, and how rapidly our lives are drawing to a close. We cannot, without astonishment, behold the little particles which are contained in this machine, how they pass away almost imperceptibly, and yet, to our surprise, in the short space of an hour, they are all exhausted…"

As a Mason in the 1^st degree you are taught that the 24-inch gauge is for the “noble and glorious of dividing our time…” How do you divide your time?  As Brother Don Goupil of Flat Rock Lodge No. 348 (IL) likes to say, “We all have the same 24-hours in a day, how are you choosing to spend your 24-hours?”

Your hour-glass is running. As Masons we have the tremendous opportunity to give some of our time to each other, our families and our communities. With each experience you can grow and improve yourself personally and make a difference in the lives of others.

Behold the sands of time are slipping away, how will you use your allotment?  You still have time, challenge yourself to make a difference in your lodge, your family and your community.  Share Freemasonry with others so that they may also experience our great fraternity.

 ~GK

I have more pictures of the magnificent Grand Canyon at: 

https://picasaweb.google.com/100541014602276671939/20120624GrandCanyon?authuser=0&feat=directlink

WB Gregory J. Knott is the Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL) and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), and Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL). He's a member of both the Scottish Rite, and the York Rite, and is the Charter Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club in Champaign-Urbana. He's also a member of the Ansar Shrine (IL). Greg is very involved in Boy Scouts--an Eagle Scout himself, he serves the Grand Lodge of Illinois A. F. & A. M. as their representative to the National Association of Masonic Scouters.