C. L. (Charles L.) Mitchell - The Early Introduction of Bogus Freemasonry in the United States of America and Texas Among Colored Masons

Copyrighted February 23, 1909, by Chas. L. Mitchell San Antonio, Texas

Decoration

PRICE 25 CENTS

Complied by
C. L. MITCHELL, 33
Grand Master of
M. W. King Solomon Grand Lodge A. F. & A. M.
of Texas
And Grand Auditor General H. E. of the United
Supreme Council of A. A. Scottish Rites for
the Southern and Western Masonic Jurisdiction
of the United States of America

In the pleasant labors of compiling this work I have been assisted by one of the brightest stars in the galaxy of brilliant meteors in the Masonic Firmament, to whom I heartily tender my grateful acknowledgements; hoping that the advantages anticipated may be fully realized by my brethren.

In my effort to pull the Mask off of the Clandestine, self constituted Organization of Freemasonry Among Colored Men in the state of Massachusetts, under the supervision and control of the self styledIllegitimate Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, And also the early introduction and the irregularity of Clandestine and Bogus Freemasonry in the State of Texas among Colored Men; I respectfully submit and dedicate the results of my efforts of this work to the Ill. John G. Jones, 33 M. P. Sovereign Grand Commander of the United Supreme Council of A. A. S. Rites of the Southern and Western Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States, its Territories and Dependencies, and Imperial Grand Potentate of the Imperial Grand Council of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine of North and South America, also Grand Master of Masons of the State of Illinois.

C. L. Mitchell, 33, Grand Master,
M. W. King Solomon Grand Lodge,
A. F. & A. M. of Texas and Masonic Jurisdiction.

San Antonio, Texas.

Decoration

C. L. Mitchell

C. L. MITCHELL, 33
M. W. Grand Master
M. W. King Solomon Grand Lodge
A. F. & A. M. Jurisdiction of Texas.
Grand Auditor General, H. E.
United Supreme Council, A. A. S. R.
for the
S. and W. Masonic Jurisdiction U. S. A.
Grand Deputy of the Imperial Grand Council
for the
Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine
For North and South America
Grand Register General of the Order of the Red Cross
of Constantine

San Antonio, Texas Dec 1, 1908

In order that the members of the Masonic Fraternity may have a correct and thorough understanding about the origin and the irregularity of Freemasonry among Colored men in the state of Texas, it will be necessary to state the time and place that clandestine and spurious Freemasonry among Colored Men was instituted in the state of Massachusetts and also the establishing of that self constituted African Grand Lodge of Modern Masons of Massachusetts which is now the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts for it was from that corrupt, notorious, bogus Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts whose record covers the very blackest page in masonic history that Freemasonry among Colored Men in the state of Texas first originated from. I am fully aware of the fact that when the truth is told about the actions and conduct of the leaders of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts which has been done from time to time their minds are inflamed to an extra ordinary degree of madness, hatred and dislike and they talk and write and say anything except the truth, and the truth they will never state except it is by accident on one hand and mistake on the other.

March 6, 1775

1st question. Who were the Colored Men in the state of Massachusetts that have advertised themselves and who claimed to have been made Master Masons in a White Masonic Lodge in the state of Massachusetts. Can you state the time and place and under what circumstances they have asserted that it occurred?

1st Answer. The Colored Men in the state of Massachusetts that have been advertised of having been made Master Masons, were Prince Hall, Boston Smith, Thomas Sanderson and two or three others. They have said and have tried to make someone believe that they were made Master Masons in a White Masonic Lodge that was called a Traveling Masonic Lodge and that it was connected with General Gages Military Regiment at Boston Massachusetts on the 6th of March 1775 and that this White Masonic Lodge in General Gages Military Regiment, they said, held a charter from the Grand Lodge of England, and replying to that unwarranted statement made and published by the leaders of the spurious Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, for the Grand Lodge of England has repeatedly said that they did not have any masonic lodge in General Gages Military Regiment when that regiment was in the United States and the question has time after time been asked the members of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and particularly those in Massachusetts that claim to know so much about it to give the name and the number of that masonic lodge that Prince Hall, Boston Smith and Thomas Sanderson was made master masons in that was connected with General Gages Military Regiment which was then in the United States, and these wily fellows and Masonic intervators have never been able to give us any information as to what the name or even the number of this Masonic Lodge that they say was in General Gages Military Regiment. And inasmuch as no person has ever been found that could furnish any genuine information about this matter there is no doubt but the statements that have been paraded around the country about this matter were bare-faced, willful and malicious falsehoods, and in the absence of any proof to confirm their statements it is very safe to say that Prince Hall, Boston Smith, Thomas Sanderson and their associates simply went to bed at night and dreamed that they had been made Master Masons and got up next morning with their minds in a high state of hallucination and really thought it was so, when as a matter of fact there was nothing, nothing in it, and they simply drew on their imaginations.

2nd question. What was the name of the first lodge of Colored Men who belonged to the Masonic fraternity in the state of Mass.?

2nd Answer. The name of the first Colored Lodge of Masons in the state of Massachusetts was a lodge named African Lodge No. 459.

3rd question. When was the first Grand Lodge of Colored Masons organized in the state of Mass.?

3rd Answer. The name of the first Grand Lodge of Colored Masons that was organized in the state of Mass. was a Grand Lodge that was designated as African Grand Lodge of Modern Masons of Mass.

4th question. How many lodges took part in the organization of African Grand Lodge of Modern Masons that was organized at Boston Mass. on the 24th of June 1791?

4th Answer. There was only one lodge that took part in the organization of African Grand Lodge of Masons of Mass. on the 24th of June 1791 at Boston Mass. when the Masonic law and landmarks of Freemasonry have said that in order to organize a regular Grand Lodge it requires not less than three warranted lodges, that has been the Masonic law both in this country and in Europe and has been followed and strictly adhered to by every well regulated and lawful Masonic Grand Lodge since the year of 1717 down to the present day and not otherwise.