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IN AN ADDRESS entitled
"Albert Pike, the Mason," delivered before
Iowa Consistory, No. 2, celebrating the centennial of his
birth, in
December, 1909, I made the following statement, in
reference to an
incident during the Civil War: "When the Union Army
attacked Little
Rock, the commanding general, Thomas H. Benton, Grand
Master of
Masons in Iowa, posted a guard to protect the home of Pike
and his
Masonic library." The statement has been called in
question a number of times, most recently by Brother
Charles E. Rosenbaum, Lieutenant Grand Commander of the
Scottish Rite, in the following letter:
My DEAR BROTHER NEWTON:
I have repeatedly seen in print sketches of the Life of
General Albert
Pike that have been credited to you. In each one of these
occurs the
statement on the printed sheet which I enclose. I have
underscored that part of it that I would very much like
confirmed by you if you can give me any authority for the
statement therein contained. Several times I have intended
writing you on this subject to ask you the source of your
information, but other and more important things
intervened, and I deferred doing so.
The truth about the matter as I understand it is that the
only Thomas H. Benton that we know anything about of
national reputation was a
Senator from the State of Missouri during the Civil War
period. The
general who took possession of Little Rock and its
vicinity for the
Federal Army was General Steele. These are undoubted
facts. So far as the surrounding of General Pike's home
with soldiers to protect his library is concerned, that
all reads very well, but it is likely as near the truth as
Senator Thomas H. Benton being Grand Master of Iowa at the
time and general in command of the Federal Forces in
Little Rock.
Of course I realize that I am treading on dangerous ground
to ask one as noted as yourself for information on a
subject on which, no doubt, you are much better informed
that I am, but if my information is wrong I certainly want
the facts straight.
Thanking you in advance for any consideration you will
give the subject, I remain Sincerely and fraternally
yours,
C.E. ROSENBAUM.
NATURALLY one does not keep in mind the authority -
chapter and
verse - for a statement made sixteen years ago. I referred
the matter to the Library of the Grand Lodge of Iowa,
where I first read it. The Grand Secretary, Brother C. C.
Hunt, has been good enough to furnish the following brief
of the facts, giving the reference where they may be found
in the Proceedings of the Supreme Council:
In regard to Brother Rosenbaum's letter questioning your
statement
regarding Thomas H. Benton, Grand Master of Masons in Iowa
posting a guard to protect the home of Pike and his
library, I would refer you to page 127, Proceedings of the
Supreme Council of the Southern Jurisdiction for October
25, 1895. On that date the Supreme Council went in a body
to Oak Hill Cemetery, Georgetown, District of Columbia, to
hold appropriate services over the grave of Albert Pike.
T.S. Parvin gave the memorial address and in reference to
a remark of the Library of the Supreme Council there is
printed the following:
"It is due to history and to the memory of a dear
friend and Brother that an incident, of no little
importance, touching our great Library, the gift to the
Supreme Council of General Pike, be placed upon our
records, that honor may be given to whom honor is due.
"I had the facts, first by letter, and then, upon his
'return from the war,' from the lips of Colonel Thomas
Hart Benton, Jr., at the time Grand Master of Masons in
Iowa (my superior officer). Thomas H. Benton, Jr.
("nephew of his uncle" of that name), ex-State
Senator, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Grand
Master 1860-'63, entered the Union Army as Colonel of the
29th Iowa Infantry and was later promoted to the rank of
brevet brigadier-general, and in command of a division
encamped for a time at Little Rock, Arkansas.
"It was at this period, when the passions of the
Union soldiers were
aroused against General Pike, who was at the head of the
Indians in the Confederate (Rebel, as they said) Army,
that the soldiers of his division determined to burn the
house and everything, including the valuable library of
General Pike, wherever found. The Grand Master, Colonel
Benton, hearing of this, rushed to its rescue, and to
guard against, any further attempt at its destruction,
made the General's house his headquarters and placed a
guard over his library.
"But for this noble deed of Iowa's Grand Master, my
bosom friend for half a century, this Supreme Council
would today be without, instead of possessing, one of the
most rare and valuable libraries in the land.
"General Benton was too modest to publish this, save
to his intimate
friends. Of him we may say, in General Pike's own words,
"He has lived - the fruits of his labors live after
him;" and you, my Brothers, are enjoying them, as it
was this service that made it possible for General Pike in
later years to place his library in our House of the
Temple and dispose of it, as he did, for his honor and our
good."
There is, however, one mistake in the statement which
Brother
Rosenbaum criticizes, and that is in calling Thomas H.
Benton the
commanding general. At that time our Thomas H. Benton was
a colonel, commanding the second brigade of a the third
division, under General Steele. (See page 471, part 1,
Volume 29, Series 1 of the Official Records of the Union
and Confederate Armies.) Also, the Thomas H. Benton
referred to as colonel at the time the Federal troops took
possession at Little Rock, was at that time Grand Master
of Iowa and was serving his second year. He was in the
army at the time of the Grand Lodge communication in 1863
and his deputy acted for him in presiding over the Grand
Lodge.
Thomas H. Benton was a nephew of the Senator Thomas H.
Benton, to whom Brother Rosenbaum refers.
Every Grand President and President throughout the
universe is bound to summon and convene his Knot on
the 17th of March in each year, that being the anniversary
festival of St. Patrick, the patron of the Order, except
it fall on a Sunday, in which case the meeting shall be
convened for the following day.
No Friendly Brother may quarrel with or affront another
Brother. If,
however, through the frailty of human nature a member of
the Order
shall so far forget the love he owes his Brother and the
obedience due to the statutes as to proceed to anger with
him and to disturb the peace and tranquillity of the
Order, he is not to decide his own quarrel according to
the laws of pretended honour by the barbarous practice of
duelling, but with due obedience he must submit his
differences to the decision of the Knot who will cause the
offender to make sufficient and honourable payment for his
error. Any great breach of the known rules of friendship
to a Brother or general
disrespect for the rules of the Order will be punished
with perpetual
discontinuance and no person so totally discontinued may
ever again be admitted to the Order.
The Friendly Brothers profess themselves to be lovers of
all mankind, and are therefore to endeavour by their
advice and example to promote and encourage among men the
practice of all the social virtues.
Although there was no settled system of relief it was
readily and
handsomely accorded to any Brother who might be in
distress and want.
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