American Union Lodge No. 1 - Onondaga and Oswego Masonic ...

In order to support the Grand Lodge, your Lodge is to pay into the hands of the Grand Secretary, each quarterly night, the sum of
twelve shillings lawful money; all of which you will pay due regard to.
This commission is to remain in full force and virtue recalled by me or my successor in office.
Given under may hand, and the hands of the
Grand Wardens, (the seal of the Grand
Lodge first affixed), this, the 15th day of
Feb'y, Anno Mundi 5776, of Salvation, 1776.
RICHARD GRIDLEY, D. G. M.
WILLIAM BURBECK, S. G. W.
Per order of the G. Master.
Recorded, WM. HOSKINS, G. Sec'y.
The following names appear on the minute book, as the "original members of the American Union Lodge, at the first establishment,
April, 1776:"
Col. Joel Clark; Col. John Parke, Thomas Chace, Esq., Ens. Jonathan Heart, Capt. Joseph Holt, Capt. William Coit, Master Masons.
Col. Samuel Holden Parsons, Capt. Ezekiel Scott, ____ Whittlesey, _____Cotton, Fellow Crafts. Col. Samuel Wyllys, Entered
Apprentice.
After the organization of this chapter, meetings were held at various times and places throughout the whole period of the
Revolutionary War. The seal of the lodge is supposed to have been suggested by Benjamin Franklin as well as the name of the
chapter. It was engraved by the famous patriot Paul Revere, and consisted of a square and a compass, surrounded by a chain of
thirteen links joined at the top by clasped hands, above which were the sun, moon and stars, and below three burning tapers.
On August 13, 1776, the lodge held a meeting at New York, and on the 27th was fought the battle of Long Island in which Joel Clark
was taken prisoner; on September 13th two members were killed and two taken prisoners. Soon after his captivity Colonel Clark
died, and as many of the members were called to different battle fields, the lodge was adjourned.
On February 15, 1779, the lodge was again convened at "Widow Sanford's, near Reading's old meeting house," at which Samuel II.
Parsons was elected master. He was afterwards prominent in the Ohio Company, and one of the Judges of the Northwest Territory.
Other meetings of the lodge were held upon the 17th, 24th and upon March 10th, 17th and 25th. On May 7th the lodge "closed
without date," as the army was compelled to move.
We next find the lodge at Nelson's Point on June 24, 1779. This being St. John's day, it was duly celebrated, and during the day the
lodge went to the Robinson house, two miles down the Hudson river, where they were visited by General Washington and his
family. Soon after this Rufus Putnam became a member of the lodge. It continued to move with the army, and in March, 1783, a
meeting was held at West Point, and on April 23, 1783, was hold the last meeting of the American Union Lodge while connected
with the army. It was adjourned to such a time as the master should choose to call it together. When that was, was then uncertain;
but it seems that it was .destined to be again revived and in, what was then, an unsettled territory,—the country on the banks of the
Ohio and Muskingum.
On June 28, 1790, the American Union Lodge was re-organized at Marietta as the American Union Lodge No. 1. The first masonic
work done in Marietta and in the State of Ohio was on January 10, 1789, when Judge Varnum was buried with such honors. With
this suggestion it was deemed expedient to make more fast the ties of brotherhood which existed among the different Masons of the
settlement. The commandant of Fort Harmar at this time, Capt. Jonathan Heart, was a master, having been elected as such on July
30, 1790, and still had with him the warrant of the old army lodge. The idea was to revive it.
On June 25, 1780, at Nunsell & Btiell's in Marietta, gathered a body of men for this purpose. The company consisted of Rufus
Putnam, Benjamin Tupper, Griffin Greene, Robert Oliver, Ezra Lunt, William Stacey, William Burnham, Anselm Tupper, Thomas
Stanley and Ebenezer Sproat. The meeting resulted in a petition being framed as follows:
"Having considered the disadvantages that the brethren of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons have labored under in this
western hemisphere, relative to their further knowledge from the east, that W. Brother Jonathan Heart, at Fort Harmar, would take
them under his immediate patronage, and establish them on a permanent basis; and give them, and the other brethren of the
fraternity in this quarter, an opportunity to meet him as soon as possibly consistent."
The response of Captain Heart was as follows:
Previous to the late Revolution all authority exercised in America with respect to Masonry was derived from the grand lodge in Great
Britain, delegated to deputies in and over certain districts, by virtue of which all lodges were then held. The Federal territories not
coming within the district of any grand lodge, holding under the authority of the grand lodge of Great Britain and the United States,
nor as yet having formed a Federal head in Masonry, it may be in doubt whether at this time there is any power in America having
jurisdiction over the Federal territories. From whence it follows the power is still in the grand lodge of Great Britain, unless there can
be found some power which has been other ways than through the present grand lodges, and extending its jurisdiction to this
country. Whether the warrant under which you wished to be convened affords protection is the next subject of enquiry.
The warrant was granted in the year 1776, previous to the Declaration of Independence, by Richard Gridley, Esq., deputy grand
master, whose authority extended to all parts of North America where no special grand masters were appointed, as may appear
from the book of constitution, and as expressed in the same instrument. It will therefore follow that, there being no special grand
master for this territory, a more ample authority for holding a lodge in this country could not be obtained, provided there was a
competent number of the former members present. But there are only two, viz: Brother Putnam and myself, who are actually
enrolled members. To remove this objection, it is observable that there are two others who are members and residents in this
county, but at present are at too great a distance to attend. There are also two of the petitioners who were constant visitors of the
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