The North Carolina Mason

Page 14 The North Carolina Mason July/August 2017 By Stephen Campbell Grand Historian No matter one's beliefs, it cannot be denied that the most horrid chapter in our history was the American Civil War (War of Secession). e destruction and loss of nearly three- quarters of a million lives to this day reverberates throughout the country. e reasons for this war were many. In July, 154 years ago, the greatest battle of the war was fought in Gettys- burg, Pa. e lives of three members of our frater- nity – Lewis Addison Armistead, Winfield Scott Hancock, and George Edward Pickett – would forever be altered as a result of this engagement. Brother Lewis Addison Armistead was a member of the Alexandria-Wash- ington #22, in Alexandria, Va. He was born in his grandfather's ( John Stanly) home in New Bern, NC. Brother Stanly (name- sake of Stanly County, NC) had killed Brother Richard Dobbs-Spaight (former NC Governor & signer of the Constitution) in a duel on the grounds of St. John's #3 in New Bern. Lewis's uncle, Major George Armistead, was the commanding officer of Fort McHenry during the bombardment that inspired Francis Scott Key to write e Star Spangled Banner. After obtaining an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Lewis withdrew for health and disciplinary reasons. However, his military skills were not overlooked and he obtained a commission during the Mexican War. Serving with distinction, he continued his Army career at western posts, where he cultivated his friendships with Brothers Hancock and Pickett. Sadly, Armistead lost his wife and children to disease and never married again. At a final farewell dinner in Los Angeles, he lamented his upcoming separation from Brother Hancock who, unlike Armistead, remained in the Army while Lewis "went south" to bear arms for the Confed- eracy. Known as a brave and strongly disciplined officer, Brother Armistead rose through the ranks, and upon that fateful day, July 3, 1863, he would lead his brigade into the sheer destruction inflicted by Hancock's command. Lewis Armistead, age 46, would be wounded, captured, and perish three days after the charge. On his deathbed, he entrusted his Masonic watch and Bible to Brother Hancock. His final resting place would be next to his uncle, George, "the defender of the original Star Spangled Banner" in Baltimore, Md. Brother Winfield Scott Hancock was a member of Charity #190, Norristown, Penn. He was born in Montgomery Square, Pa., and upon gradua- tion from West Point would serve in the Mexican War, Seminole Indian conflicts, and western posts. Because the Army was not very large, comrade- ship between officers was strong as it was in the case of Hancock, Armistead, and Pickett. Hancock's wife, Almira, was revered by Brother Armistead. When the Civil War began, Hancock soon achieved promotion and fame for his bravery and obtained the nickname "Hancock the Superb." In 1863, Brother Winfield would command the corps that defended the center of the Federal lines at Gettys- burg. It was his unit that experienced the brunt of the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble charge that fateful day. Leading by example and on the front line, Brother Hancock was severely wounded in the groin, a wound that would impair his health for the remainder of his life. After the war, Hancock continued his career leading troops in the sorrowful Plains Indian Wars on the western frontier. In 1880, General Hancock became the Democratic candidate for President. He was defeated by another Army veteran, Brother James Garfield by just 7,018 votes. Five days shy of his 62nd birthday, one of America's longest serving officers perished and was laid to rest in Norristown, Pa. Brother George Edward Pickett was a member of Dove #51, in Richmond, Va. Born in Virginia, Brother Pickett's family decided he would study law under an uncle in Illinois. It soon became e Grand Historian's Courier Case Broken band of Brothers meets in battle Flanking the North Carolina Monument at Gettysburg National Military Park are (top) Gen. Lewis Armistead, (center) Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock and (bottom) Gen. George E. Pickett, all close friends and brothers in Freemasonry. Hancock fought for the North while Pickett and Armistead were a part of the army of the Confederacy. All were key figures in the final day of battle at Gettysburg. ■ see THREE BROTHERS next page

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