Free Masonry and Patrick Cleburne

[rgtaylor61]

I recently heard on a podcast (I believe it was the Civil War Breakfast Club) that Patrick Cleburne's body was perhaps arranged (for lack of a better word) on the battlefield after his death by Union Free Masons who recognized him and knew he was a fellow Mason. I know Free Masonry was popular amongst soldiers (especially in the South). Is there evidence of this occurring with Cleburne and if so what did they do to the body?

 

[rgtaylor61]

anyone?

 

[Luke Freet]

I recently heard on a podcast (I believe it was the Civil War Breakfast Club) that Patrick Cleburne's body was perhaps arranged (for lack of a better word) on the battlefield after his death by Union Free Masons who recognized him and knew he was a fellow Mason. I know Free Masonry was popular amongst soldiers (especially in the South). Is there evidence of this occurring with Cleburne and if so what did they do to the body?

I need to read into the epilogue of Symond's biography on him. I don't recall hearing anything about him being "arranged" in that manner. I'll look into it I guess.

 

[jackt62]

I also don't recall such a story from my reading of Symonds' "Stonewall of the West."

 

[rgtaylor61]

I need to re-listen to that episode of the podcast again (Civil War Breakfast Club) as I was semi distracted.

 

[A. Roy]

I recently heard on a podcast (I believe it was the Civil War Breakfast Club) that Patrick Cleburne's body was perhaps arranged (for lack of a better word) on the battlefield after his death by Union Free Masons

I've been reading about Cleburne lately and haven't run into anything like this. In Cleburne and His Command, Cleburne's adjutant, Irving A. Buck, includes this account by John McQuade, which Buck describes as "the best account" of the finding of Cleburne's body:

"I and two others were the first to discover his dead body at early dawn the next morning. He was about 40 or 50 yards from the works. He lay flat upon his back as if asleep, his military cap partly over his eyes. He had on a new gray uniform, the coat of the sack or blouse pattern. It was unbuttoned and open; the lower part of his vest was unbuttoned and open. He wore a white linen shirt, which was stained with blood on the front part of the left side, or just left of the abdomen. This was the only sign of a wound I saw on him, and I believe it is the only one he had received. I have always been inclined to think that feeling his end was near, he had thus lain himself down to die, or that his body had been carried there during the night. He was in his sock feet, his boots having been stolen. His watch, sword belt and other valuables all gone, his body having been robbed during the night." (Page 341)

This account is corroborated by Thomas R. Markham, chaplain of Featherstone's Brigade, who was also on the scene.

If you can find that podcast and post a transcript of the relevant section, that would be interesting. Maybe there's something about the disposition of the body as described here that sounds to someone like masonic ministrations?

Roy B.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

I recently heard on a podcast (I believe it was the Civil War Breakfast Club) that Patrick Cleburne's body was perhaps arranged (for lack of a better word) on the battlefield after his death by Union Free Masons who recognized him and knew he was a fellow Mason. I know Free Masonry was popular amongst soldiers (especially in the South). Is there evidence of this occurring with Cleburne and if so what did they do to the body?

Cleburne became a Freemason at Helena, Arkansas, in 1852. He was an active member of Freemasonry and quickly rose to a leadership role, becoming a Grand Master of the local Masonic Lodge.

Cleburne's body was found by Confederate soldiers searching the battlefield near dawn on the morning of December 1 (the day after the battle).

In 'Five Tragic Hours', James Lee McDonough and Thomas L. Connelly state at page 160, …"John McQuade, one of three soldiers who found the body, recalled that Cleburne lay flat upon his back, the military cap partly over his eyes. He had been shot once, on the left side of his chest. During the night, some ghoul had stripped the General of his boots, watch, sword belt, and other valuables"…

The body was carted to McGavock's Carnton House, about a mile away, and laid out. Throughout the morning, many of Cleburne's men came for a final view of his body. Later the same day, the body was transported to Columbia and first buried at Rose Hill Cemetery on December 2. After burial site objections were raised, Cleburne's body was soon removed and reburied in the cemetery at St John's Episcopal Church ( a favorite place of Cleburne), Ashwood, on December 3. Afterwards, he was finally reburied and laid to rest, back in his home state of Arkansas, in the now-named Magnolia Cemetery, at Helena, in 1870.

I am unaware of any Union soldiers finding Cleburne's body, let alone recognizing him as a fellow Mason. There would have been no opportunity to have done this. (The battle was fought well into the previous night; he fell in front of the Union lines; Confederates possessed this portion of the field and discovered his body around dawn the following morning).

There are instances of Freemasons treating wounded enemy Freemasons discovered on battlefields. For example, wounded Confederate General Armistead was found and tended to by Union Captain Bingham on the battlefield at Gettysburg. There is even a Memorial to Masons on both sides Monument, depicting this moment, in the National Cemetery, Annex. See link below:

Friend-to-Friend Monument

The Masonic Friend-to-Friend Monument in Gettysburg is the culmination of almost a decade of work by the members of Good Samaritan Lodge #336. The Freemasons in Gettysburg continue to consider it an honor to have founded and maintain the only private monument on a national battlefield...

www.gettysburgfreemasons.org

 

[rgtaylor61]

Went back and listened again to this episode of The Civil War Breakfast Club and realized its simply the hosts assumption.

 

[A. Roy]

Went back and listened again to this episode of The Civil War Breakfast Club and realized its simply the hosts assumption.

Thanks for checking on that! Apparently just the podcaster's speculation, then.

R

 

[rgtaylor61]

Thanks for checking on that! Apparently just the podcaster's speculation, then.

R

Yeah I missed it the first time around.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Cleburne became a Freemason at Helena, Arkansas, in 1852. He was an active member of Freemasonry and quickly rose to a leadership role, becoming a Grand Master of the local Masonic Lodge.

Cleburne was a member of Lafayette Lodge No. 16 in Helena, Arkansas.
https://www.masonrytoday.com/index.php?new_month=3&new_day=16&new_year=2016

Is there evidence of this occurring with Cleburne and if so what did they do to the body?

The Masons would have not done anything to the body.

Masonic funeral rituals can be complex.
But to over simplify:

The family has to request a Masonic service.
( such services are normally in addition to the departed's religious funeral traditions).

Graveside rites held at a Masonic funeral are primarily a ceremonial ritual for a fellow brother within Freemasonry.

I posted a video in the below thread a few years ago about Confederates providing a Masonic Funeral for a Union Naval Officer
at Port Hudson, Louisiana during the Vicksburg campaign. It's entitled " The Day the War Stopped" :

Masons - as in the organization | Civil War Potpourri

Something over in the Photographic Forum made me think of this question. The photo shows a grave and it is believed that a CSA Mason arranged for a Union Mason's burial during a flag of truce. A completely unrelated show to the CW has Masons banding together above politics. In the CW, are...

civilwartalk.com

Great question @rgtaylor61 !

There are quite a few misconceptions about the Freemasons.
I hope the video I posted in the above link helps.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

That's interesting information.