A friend of mine recently posed this question to me: "Did masons in the War of Northern Aggression wear a patch of some kind to identify themselves to other masons? I've read stories that many carried their white aprons and many wore the rings. But other stories are intriquing as after several battles members of the brotherhood, whether fighting for the south or the north, got together to bury masons. How were these men identified?" I honestly couldn't answer her question. Does anyone on the list have any ideas about obvious emblems or other uniform alterations that Masonic soldiers may have worn to identify each other? I would conjecture that no such open, obvious forms of identificaton were worn, but, rather, wounded soldiers identified themselves as Masons in order to receive Masonic rites upon their deaths and/or deceased Masonic soldiers were found to have Masonic emblems (rings, watches, etc.) upon their persons prior to burial. Thanks! -- Jim Huffman, Picayune, MS