Santa Anna’s Apron

On Saturday March 2nd @ 1:00  Gray Lodge hosted a presentation and lecture by M. Douglas Adkins, SGIG regarding  General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, his Masonic Apron and  his membership in the fraternity of Free & Accepted Masons.

Also present were Mr. Lewis Stiles and Family, the owners and protectors of Santa Anna’s Apron.

This event was sponsored by the Houston Masonic Library and Museum Foundation.  The  Texas Historical Foundation issued this press release:

For Immediate Release
April 4, 2013

SANTA ANNA’S MASONIC MEMBERSHIP CONFIRMED

DALLAS – The Texas Scottish Rite of Freemasonry has confirmed that Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, Commander at the battle of the Alamo and 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 official 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 Masonry always has celebrated its history and the lives of many 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.

An enlarged and enhanced graphic image of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna’s Scottish Rite Masonic Membership certificate, as well as his Masonic Apron, his spurs, items from his tent at San Jacinto, Davy Crockett’s pistol from the Alamo, and other Texas history artifacts will be on display before and after the presentation of the new play, “Leaving San Jacinto,” on April 23, 2013, in Dallas. For more information, please visit http://www.leavingsanjacinto.com or call 214-748-9196.