The Guiding Light Nov. 2015 | Page 11

The South Gate

From the October issue of Small Town Texas Masons E-magazine, a rather interesting article of historical nature, especially for Texas Masons.

"Finally- After 179 Years Of Doubt Santa Anna"s Masonic Membership Confirmed"

Thanks to Brother Gary Mosmeyer for submitting this one from the Texas Historical Foundation LAS. The Texas Scottish Rite of Freemasonry has confirmed that Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, Commander at the battle of the Alamo and at the Battle of San Jacinto, was a Scottish Rite Mason in Mexico. His original Scottish Rite membership certificate is located in the Livingston Masonic Library of the Masonic Grand Lodge of New York.

According to M. Douglas Adkins, the top Scottish Rite offcial in Texas and a member of the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in the Southern Jurisdiction, a person must be a Master Mason to be eligible for Scottish Rite membership in Mexico, as in the United States. Today's announcement resolves arguments by Texas historians who have contended there has been no proof of General Santa Anna's membership.

The significance of this announcement in terms of Texas history stems from numerous reports that General Santa Anna saved himself from execution after being captured at the battle of San Jacinto in 1836, by giving secret Masonic signs to Texas soldiers and later to General Sam Houston, a well known Mason. The Texas critics of these reports have said that General Santa Anna would not have known of such secret signs unless he actually was a

Mason, for which no proof had previously been provided.

Mr. Adkins explained that this confirmation of Masonic membership does not provide proof of the story that Masonic membership saved General Santa Anna's life, but rather only refutes the arguments that General Santa Anna was not a Mason. Some Masons have said that General Houston and many other Masons at San Jacinto would have known that General Santa Anna had disowned Masonry and that his offenses in Mexico, the Alamo, and Goliad would have forfeited any rights for protection he may have had as a Mason. Sources in Mexico have confirmed that he was kicked out of Masonry.

Mr. Adkins emphasized that the Texas Scottish Rite is taking no position in this historical controversy, and is only confirming General Santa Anna's Masonic membership.

Mr. Adkins said that Masonry always has celebrated its history and the lives of its members, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, William B. Travis, James Bowie, and Davy Crockett. The Texas Scottish Rite is pleased to provide this information for the use of present and future Texas historians.

George Hahn, Junior Warden

The Guiding Light / Nov, 2013 11