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

To the Most Worshipful, the Grand Lodge of Ancient Masons in the State of New York:
The brethren of the Ancient Craft northwest of the river Ohio send greeting.
An extensive country having lately been opened northwest of the Ohio, to which many brethren from Europe, as well as the different
States in America, have removed, who, bringing with them the knowledge of the sacred mysteries, are desirous of enjoying those
inestimable benefits of Masonry which flow from its well-regulated Institutes, and anxious that the light which shineth in darkness
might illumine their path in this Wilderness of the West, have therefore incorporated themselves into a Lodge under a warrant, by
the name of the American Union Lodge No. 1. * * * We have thought it expedient to address the Grand Lodge of New York; have
inclosed a copy of the warrant under which we work, together with our By Laws and a list of the present officers.
Under the same warrant a Lodge was held in the Connecticut Line of the Army at different places in the course of the late war, and
many worthy brethren from different States of America initiated into the sacred mysteries of our Craft.
We beg leave to observe that previous to opening this Lodge within the Western Territory, being fully impressed with the necessity
or' our strict adherence to the principles of Masonry, its Constitutions and most ancient customs in a matter of such magnitude as
the opening of a Lodge in this extensive country, and being sensible that our brethren in the Confederate States would naturally be
led to inquire by what authority a Lodge had been erected in a country where no Grand Lodge existed, wherefore we entered into a
full examination of the Rights of Masonry with every circumstance of its jurisdiction in America.
We found that previous to the late Revolution all Masonic jurisdiction in America was derived from Europe delegated to Grand
Masters in and over certain districts. That since the war the Masonic bodies in the different States have considered themselves
independent of Europe; have formed their Grand Lodges by electing a Grand Master and other officers necessary to compose the
same; that this system has taken place where there were no Grand Lodges previous to the Revolution, as well as in those States
where Grand Masters had been appointed from Europe; from hence we conclude, that as the Grand Lodges in the different States
now acting by virtue of different powers derived from their being elected to those offices when jurisdiction could not extend beyond
the limits of the States in and over which they had been elected, and that of course the Federal Territory was not within the
jurisdiction of any of the present Grand Lodges in the respective States.
We then proceeded to examine the warrants, of which the inclosed is a copy, and found that the Grand Master who granted it was
duly appointed Provincial Grand Master over all North America where no special Grand Master was appointed. That the warrant to
Joel Clark, Esq., was amply sufficient for opening a Lodge in any part of this jurisdiction; that our present Master was duly invested
with the same in the course of the late war, being his successor in office; that the powers contained in the warrant have never been
revoked by the office from which they issued, but that they now remain in full force.
And as there was no particular Grand Lodge having jurisdiction at this time over the Western Territory, and as the said Territory was
clearly within the jurisdiction of the Grand Master who granted the warrant at the time of its issuing, therefore we determined that the
warrant referred to as above was fully and most amply sufficient for opening a Lodge within the Territory northwest of the Ohio.
Accordingly the Master with a due number of the former members being present, the Lodge was opened in ample form and
incorporated agreeably to the ancient custom of the Royal Craft, and we have to request that we may be recognized as such in. the
different Grand Lodges in our sister States in America *********
We have only to request that every impediment may be removed which might prevent the mutual exchange of good offices between
the brethren of this and every habitable part of creation, and that nothing may prevent the light which shineth in the East from
spreading its benign influence even to the going down of the sun.
Other military Lodges were organized, but none of them ever attained the prominence of the American Union Lodge. Hayden's
"Washington and his Masonic Compeers " contains the following reference to them:
"Many military Lodges existed in the Army at this period, but the records of most of them are lost. So well established had these
camp-lodges become, and so beneficial to the brethren, that in providing the necessary conveniences for the troops in their quarters
on the Hudson at this time, an Assembly Room or Hall was built, one of the purposes of which was to serve as a Lodge Room for
the military Lodges.* Washington himself ordered the erection of the building. It was a rude wooden structure forming an oblong
square, forty or sixty feet, was one story in height, and had but a single door. Its windows were square, unglazed openings, elevated
so high as to prevent the prying gaze of the cowan. Its timbers were hewed, squared, and numbered for their places, and when the
building was finished it was joyously dedicated and called the' Temple of Virtue.' This ' Temple,' or 'Assembly Room' as it was
sometimes called, was not appropriated exclusively to Masonic purposes, but on the Sabbath it was used as a chapel for religious
purposes, and at other times for meetings of officers of the army, and also for dancing and other festive amusements. The American
Union Lodge met in this room on the 21th of June, 1782, preparatory to celebrating the Festival of St. John the Baptist.
* West Point.
Congressional Edition, by United States. Congress, pages 11-
Appendix I
Joseph Jewett
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