A Retreat of Friendship and Virtue Confederate Lodge No. 292, F&AM

Ft. Morgan, Alabama

A Thesis ProposalIn partial fulfillment of the requirements of the

Degree of Masters of Arts

Wayne E. Sirmon, M.A.Ed.University of South Alabama

Ft. Morgan

Ft. Gaines

A Retreat of Friendship and Virtue Confederate Lodge No. 292, F&AM

Ft. Morgan, Alabama

Freemasonry: Army LodgesCivil War Military Lodges

244 “Traveling” Lodges (94 Federal, 150 Confederate)

Texas 50 Virginia 28

Indiana 37 Alabama19

Confederate Lodge No. 292

Confederate Lodge No. 292

Review of the Literature

Steven Bullock, Revolutionary Brotherhood: Freemasonry and the Transformation of the American Social Order (1996)

Allen Roberts, House Undivided: The Story of Freemasonry and the Civil War (1961)

Reid Mitchell, “Not the General but the Soldier,” Writing the Civil War: The Quest to Understand (1998)

Objectives

Army Lodges in Alabama143 names in documents -- 121 identified

Highest army ranks:

COL 8 NCO 8

LTC 7 PVT 37

MAJ 6 Other 7 (Surgeon, Chaplain, etc.)

CPT 23

1LT 11

2LT 14 Unknown 22

Confederate Lodge No. 29237 names in documents -- 34 identified

Highest army ranks:

COL 2 NCO 4

LTC 2 PVT 12

MAJ Other 2 (Drummer)

CPT 3

1LT 3

2LT 6 Unknown 3

Methodology

Masonic Archives of Alabama

Local Histories (Pickens Co. and Calhoun, Franklin, Jackson, Clarke and Mobile Counties)

Regimental Histories (2nd Alabama Infantry also 1st, 3rd, 5th, 17th, 23rd, 38th, 42nd AL Infantry Regiments and 51st AL Cavalry, 51st Partisan Rangers, 1st AL Artillery)

Sons of Confederate Veterans Camps

Confederate Lodge of Military Research

Statistical Comparison with other soldiers in 2nd AL (Promotion, assignment, length of service, injury and death)

Significance of the Study

Greater insight into the “camp life” of soldiers

Measure of Impact of Masonic Membership

Template for future studies:

Alabama Military Lodges

Confederate Military Lodges

Federal Military Lodges

QUESTIONS &

COMMENTS