Albert Pike

Albert Pike (b. December 29, 1809, Boston - d. April 2, the rst reporter for the Arkansas Supreme Court and
1891, Washington, D.C.) was an attorney, soldier, writer, also wrote a book (published anonymously), titled The
and Freemason. Albert Pike is the only Confederate mil- Arkansas Form Book, which was a guidebook for lawyers.
itary ocer or gure to be honored with a statue in Wash- Additionally, Pike wrote on several legal subjects and
ington, D.C. [1] continued producing poetry, a hobby he had begun in his
youth in Massachusetts. His poems were highly regarded
in his day, but are now mostly forgotten.[1] Several vol-
umes of his works were privately published posthumously
1 Early life by his daughter. In 1859, he received an honorary Master
of Arts degree from Harvard.[1][5]
Pike was born in Boston, Massachusetts, son of Ben and
Sarah (Andrews) Pike, and spent his childhood in Byeld
and Newburyport, Massachusetts. His colonial ances-
tors included John Pike (1613-1688/1689), the founder 3 Military career
of Woodbridge, New Jersey.[2] He attended school in
Newburyport and Framingham until he was 15. In Au-
gust 1825, he passed entrance exams at Harvard Univer-
sity, though when the college requested payment of tu-
ition fees for the rst two years which he had success-
fully challenged by examination, he chose not to attend.
He began a program of self-education, later becoming
a schoolteacher in Gloucester, North Bedford, Fairhaven
and Newburyport.[3]
In 1831, Pike left Massachusetts to travel west, rst stop-
ping in St. Louis and later moving on to Independence,
Missouri. In Independence, he joined an expedition to
Taos, New Mexico, hunting and trading. During the ex-
cursion his horse broke and ran, forcing Pike to walk the
remaining 500 miles to Taos. After this he joined a trap-
ping expedition to the Llano Estacado in New Mexico and
Texas. Trapping was minimal and, after traveling about
1300 miles (650 on foot), he nally arrived at Fort Smith,
Arkansas.[1] Statue at Judiciary Square, Washington, D.C.

When the MexicanAmerican War started, Pike joined

the Regiment of Arkansas Mounted Volunteers (a cav-
2 Journalist and Lawyer alry regiment) and was commissioned as a troop com-
mander with the rank of captain in June 1846. With his
Settling in Arkansas in 1833, Pike taught school and regiment, he fought in the Battle of Buena Vista.[1] Pike
wrote a series of articles for the Little Rock Arkansas was discharged in June 1847. He and his commander,
Advocate under the pen name of Casca.[4] The articles Colonel John Selden Roane, had several dierences of
were popular enough that he was asked to join the news- opinion. This situation led nally to an inconclusive
papers sta. Later, after marrying Mary Ann Hamil- duel between Pike and Roane on July 29, 1847 near Fort
ton, he purchased part of the newspaper with the dowry. Smith, Arkansas.[6] Although several shots were red in
By 1835, he was the Advocate's sole owner.[1] Under the duel, nobody was injured, and the two were persuaded
Pikes administration the Advocate promoted the view- by their seconds to discontinue it.
point of the Whig Party in a politically volatile and di- After the war, Pike returned to the practice of law, mov-
vided Arkansas.[4] ing to New Orleans for a time beginning in 1853. He
Pike then began to study law and was admitted to the bar wrote another book, Maxims of the Roman Law and some
in 1837, selling the Advocate the same year. He was of the Ancient French Law, as Expounded and Applied in

1
2 7 SELECTED WORKS

Doctrine and Jurisprudence. Although unpublished, this 4 Freemasonry

book increased his reputation among his associates in law.
He returned to Arkansas in 1857, gaining some amount He rst joined the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in
of prominence in the legal eld and becoming an advo- 1840 then had in the interim joined a Masonic Lodge
cate of slavery, although retaining his aliation with the and became extremely active in the aairs of the or-
Whig Party. ganization, being elected Sovereign Grand Commander
In 1847 Pike became disillusioned when the Whig Party of the Scottish Rite's Southern Jurisdiction in 1859.[6]
refused to take a stand on slavery. His anti-Catholicism He remained Sovereign Grand Commander for the re-
stand led him to join the Know Nothing movement when mainder of his life (a total of thirty-two years), devoting
it was organized in 1856, but was again disappointed a large amount of his time to developing the rituals of
when it refused to adopt a strong pro-slavery platform. the order.[10] Notably, he published a book called Morals
He joined the other Southern delegates and walked out and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of
of the convention. His stand was that states rights super- Freemasonry in 1871, of which there were several subse-
seded national law and supported the idea of a Southern quent editions.
secession. This stand is made clear in his pamphlet of Pike is still regarded in America as an eminent[11] and
1861, State or Province, Bond or Free?"[7] inuential[12] Freemason, primarily in the Scottish Rite
When the war started he took the side of the Southern Jurisdiction.
Confederacy.[1] At the Southern Commercial Convention
of 1854, Pike said the South should remain in the Union
and seek equality with the North, but if the South were 5 Death and legacy
forced into an inferior status, she would be better out of
the Union than in it.[8]
Pike died in Washington, D.C., at the age of 81, and
He also made several contacts among the Native Ameri- was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery. Burial was against
can tribes in the area, at one time negotiating an $800,000 his wishes; he had left instructions for his body to be
settlement between the Creeks and other tribes and the cremated.[1] In 1944, his remains were moved to the
federal government. This relationship was to inuence House of the Temple, headquarters of the Southern Ju-
the course of his Civil War service.[1] At the beginning of risdiction of the Scottish Rite.
the war, Pike was appointed as Confederate envoy to the
Native Americans. In this capacity he negotiated several
Morals and Dogma (1871)
treaties, one of the most important being with Cherokee
[1]
chief John Ross, which was concluded in 1861. Pike in Masonic regalia
Pike was commissioned as a brigadier general on Novem-
ber 22, 1861, and given a command in the Indian Terri- Portrait by Mathew Brady
tory.[1] With Gen. Ben McCulloch, Pike trained three
Signed Carte de visite
Confederate regiments of Indian cavalry, most of whom
belonged to the "civilized tribes", whose loyalty to the
Confederacy was variable. Although initially victorious
at the Battle of Pea Ridge (Elkhorn Tavern) in March, 6 Poetry
Pikes unit was defeated later in a counterattack, after
falling into disarray.[1] Also, as in the previous war, Pike As a young man, Pike wrote poetry which he continued
came into conict with his superior ocers, at one time to do for the rest of his life. At 23, he published his rst
drafting a letter to Jeerson Davis complaining about his poem, Hymns to the Gods. Later work was printed in
direct superior. literary journals like Blackwoods Edinburgh Magazine
After Pea Ridge, Pike was faced with charges that his and local newspapers. His rst collection of poetry, Prose
troops had scalped soldiers in the eld. Maj. Gen. Sketches and Poems Written in the Western Country, ap-
Thomas C. Hindman also charged Pike with mishandling peared in 1834. He later gathered many of his poems
of money and material, ordering his arrest.[9] Both these and republished them in Hymns to the Gods and Other
charges were later found to be considerably lacking in Poems (1872). After his death these appeared again in
evidence; nevertheless Pike, facing arrest, escaped into Gen. Albert Pikes Poems (1900) and Lyrics and Love
the hills of Arkansas, sending his resignation from the Songs (1916).[13]
Confederate Army on July 12.[9] He was at length ar-
rested on November 3 under charges of insubordination
and treason, and held briey in Warren, Texas, but his 7 Selected works
resignation was accepted on November 11 and he was al-
lowed to return to Arkansas.[1][9]
Pike, Albert (1997). Book of the Words. City:
Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1-56459-161-1.

Pike, Albert (1997). Indo-Aryan Deities and Wor-
ship as Contained in the Rig-Veda. City: Kessinger
Publishing. ISBN 1-56459-183-2.
Pike, Albert (2002). Morals and Dogma of the An-
cient and Accepted Scottish Rite Freemasonry. City:
Kessinger Publishing, LLC. ISBN 0-7661-2615-3.
Pike, Albert (2004). Morals and Dogma of the First
Three Degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scot-
tish Rite Freemasonry. City: Kessinger Publishing,
LLC. ISBN 1-4179-1108-5.
Pike, Albert (2001). The Point Within the Circle.
City: Holmes Pub Grou Llc. ISBN 1-55818-305-1.
Pike, Albert (1997). Reprints of Old Rituals. City:
Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1-56459-983-3.
8 See also
List of American Civil War generals
List of Freemasons
Treaty with Choctaws and Chickasaws
9 Notes
[1] http://www.dcmemorials.com/index_indiv0000360.htm
[2] Alberts descent from his immigrant ancestor John Pike
is as follows: John Pike (15721654); John Pike
(16131688/89); Joseph Pike (16381694); Thomas Pike
(16821753/4); John Pike (17101755); Thomas Pike
(17391836); Benjamin Pike (1780?); Albert Pike
(18091891).
[3] Hubbell, Jay B. The South in American Literature: 1607-
1900. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press,
1954: 640.
[4] Albert Pike (1809 1891) - Encyclopedia of
Arkansas. encyclopediaofarkansas.net.
[5] The Phoenix, Manly P. Hall
[6] Eicher, John H., aer, Civil War High Commands. Stan-
ford: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8047-
3641-3. p. 429
[7] Albert Pike (1809 1891) - Encyclopedia of
Arkansas. encyclopediaofarkansas.net.
[8] David Morris Potter, Don Edward. The impending crisis,
1848-1861. HarperCollins, 1976. (Page 467)
[9] Smith, Dean E. Pike, Albert in Historical Times Il-
lustrated History of the Civil War, edited by Patricia L.
Faust. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. ISBN 978-0-
06-273116-6. p. 585
3
[10] Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate
Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University
Press, 1959. ISBN 0-8071-0823-5. pp. 240-241
[11] Archived December 21, 2006 at the Wayback Machine
[12] Albert Pike, masonicinfo.com
[13] Moneyhon, Carl H. (February 4, 2009), Albert Pike
(18091891), Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Cul-
ture, retrieved November 14, 2009
10 References
Abel, Annie (2007). The American Indian as Par-
ticipant in the Civil War. City: BiblioBazaar. ISBN
1-4264-6170-4.
Allsopp, Fred (1997). Albert Pike a Biography.
City: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1-56459-134-4.
Brown, Walter (1997). A Life of Albert Pike. Fayet-
teville: University of Arkansas Press. ISBN 1-
55728-469-5.
Cousin, John (2003). Short Biographical Dictionary
of English Literature. City: Kessinger Publishing,
LLC. ISBN 0-7661-4348-1.
Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, Civil War High
Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press,
2001. ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
Morris, S. Brent (2006). The Complete Idiots Guide
to Freemasonry. Alpha Books. ISBN 1-59257-490-
4.
Smith, Dean E. Pike, Albert in Historical Times
Illustrated History of the Civil War, edited by Patricia
L. Faust. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. ISBN
978-0-06-273116-6.
Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Gray: Lives of the Con-
federate Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana
State University Press, 1959. ISBN 0-8071-0823-
5.
This article incorporates text from a publication now
in the public domain: Cousin, John William (1910).
A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Litera-
ture. London: J. M. Dent & Sons. Wikisource
11 External links
My Personal Views On Pikes Morals and Dogma mason-
icme.com
Works by Albert Pike at Project Gutenberg
Works by or about Albert Pike at Internet Archive
4 11 EXTERNAL LINKS

Pikes Masonic philosophy

Albert Pike: Hero or Scoundrel?

About Pikes famous Luciferian quote

About room where he is entombed at the Wayback

Machine (archived February 23, 2006)

Albert Pike commemorative Masonic Lodge - Lo-

cated in Denver CO

Laerty, R.A. (1991). Okla Hannali. Oklahoma:

University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-2349-
4.
Pikes words for Dixie (Everybodys Dixie, also
known as To Arms in Dixie)
 5

12 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

12.1 Text
Albert Pike Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Pike?oldid=671304823 Contributors: Bryan Derksen, AstroNomer~enwiki,
Karen Johnson, William Avery, Hephaestos, Mrwojo, SGBailey, Ihcoyc, Docu, JASpencer, Zoicon5, Kwantus, Mksmith, Ektar, Postdlf,
Hlj, DocWatson42, Peruvianllama, Niteowlneils, Yekrats, SarekOfVulcan, DNewhall, Clarknova, Rlcantwell, Klemen Kocjancic, The stu-
art, D6, Richardelainechambers, Discospinster, Brianhe, Rich Farmbrough, Guanabot, WegianWarrior, Bender235, Mateo SA, Brian0918,
Shanes, Sherurcij, Goldom, Worlock93, Dismas, FeanorStar7, ^demon, Rchamberlain, Robfergusonjr, Rjwilmsi, Ricardo Carneiro Pires,
FlaBot, Da Stressor, Harmil, NekoDaemon, Scott Mingus, Zef, Banaticus, YurikBot, 999~enwiki, RussBot, Hydrargyrum, Thane, MS-
Japan, Haemo, Jezzabr, Tuckerresearch, Pawyilee, MCB, Eduard Gherkin, Saudade7, ArielGold, D Monack, SmackBot, Looper5920,
Davepape, Grazon, Grye, Milesnfowler, Hmains, Nfgii, Bazonka, Dapike, Thisisbossi, Blueboar, Jpaulm, Wizardman, Will Beback, Brown-
HairedGirl, Trevor W. McKeown, JohN, Nygdan, IronGargoyle, Bilby, Meco, DabMachine, ILovePlankton, Skapur, Shoeofdeath, Namiba,
NickW557, Nakedtruth, Ken Gallager, Cydebot, HistorianCP, Tomseidler, Adailton, Biruitorul, Octoberdan, Grahamdubya, ISTJester,
AntiVandalBot, RobotG, Postcard Cathy, MER-C, Midnightdreary, Alastair Haines, Magioladitis, Arahant~enwiki, Umeboshi, The Mys-
tery Man, Marychelle, JaGa, Pietre-stones, Ahwiv, CommonsDelinker, Thomasolson, Aboutmovies, (jarbarf), Why did the chicken cross
the road?, STBotD, Nikter, Scewing, Hirolovesswords, King Lopez, Kameyama, Philip Trueman, Ryan shell, John Carter, Snowbot, Q
Chris, Billinghurst, ElmoMotterson, Nagy, TravisRivers, Winchelsea, Dawn Bard, Flyer22, Monegasque, Theonlytiminthebook, PbBot,
COBot, Kumioko (renamed), RobertLunaIII, Leatherstocking, EoGuy, Iconoclast.horizon, Daigaku2051, Jusdafax, John Nevard, JeBill-
man, Searcher 1990, MacCumahail, Thingg, JDPhD, XLinkBot, Asimsky, MystBot, Good Olfactory, Essaywrite, Vikiizer, Mr. Wheely
Guy, Port(u*o)s, Callmeace2001, 5 albert square, Tassedethe, Lightbot, Zorrobot, Hiram111, Legobot, Luckas-bot, Yobot, Fraggle81,
AnomieBOT, Narra Mine, LowLevelMason, Embram, Poppachris, Ardepark, Reecej35, J JMesserly, Jdsteakley, Omnipaedista, Green
Cardamom, Youndbuckerz, D'ohBot, Alpike, Bouott, Pinethicket, Onthegogo, Crusoe8181, Lotje, Oaklandguy, RjwilmsiBot, Mazzini et
Pike, Wintonian, GeneralCheese, John of Reading, Sophie, Tommy2010, Wikipelli, Chiricua, ZroBot, Charley sf, Cmk956, Donner60,
Danielgkelley, ClueBot NG, MelbourneStar, Ace4848, TruthInChaos, Jweaver28, Hrdndv, RJR3333, J R Gainey, ProudIrishAspie, Cyber-
bot II, Jquest63, Lugia2453, VIAFbot, Silentstudent, Flat Out, Ugog Nizdast, Lesser Cartographies, OccultZone, 248Garland, Ajmacdon-
aldjr, American Starkiller, BethNaught, Freedom a speech, Mickey Featherstone, KasparBot, Blitzburwell, Jumpshot31 and Anonymous:
162

12.2 Images
File:Acw_bs_7a.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Acw_bs_7a.png License: Public domain Contribu-
tors: Own work (Original text: I created this work entirely by myself.) Original artist: Grayghost01 at English Wikipedia
File:Albert_Pike_statue,_Washington_(558221844).jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Albert_
Pike_statue%2C_Washington_%28558221844%29.jpg License: CC BY 2.0 Contributors: Albert Pike Original artist: dbking
File:Battle_flag_of_the_US_Confederacy.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Battle_flag_of_the_
Confederate_States_of_America.svg License: Public domain Contributors: This vector image includes elements that have been taken or
adapted from this: <a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Mississippi.svg' class='image'><img alt='Flag of Mississippi.svg'
src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Flag_of_Mississippi.svg/30px-Flag_of_Mississippi.svg.png'
width='30' height='20' srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Flag_of_Mississippi.svg/45px-Flag_
of_Mississippi.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Flag_of_Mississippi.svg/60px-Flag_of_
Mississippi.svg.png 2x' data-le-width='900' data-le-height='600' /></a> Flag of Mississippi.svg. Original artist: Phroziac cut this out of
Image:Flag of Mississippi.svg, which is public domain work by Zscout370.
File:CSAGeneral.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Confederate_States_of_America_General.png
License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:CSA_FLAG_28.11.1861-1.5.1863.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Flag_of_the_Confederate_
States_of_America_%281861-1863%29.svg License: Public domain Contributors: SVG own work, based on this image Original artist:
Nicola Marschall (18291917)

File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original

artist: ?
File:Flag_of_the_United_States_Army.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Flag_of_the_United_
States_Army.svg License: Public domain Contributors: http://www.flagpictures.org/ Original artist: United States Army
File:Square_compasses.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Square_compasses.svg License: CC-BY-
SA-3.0 Contributors: This vector image was created with Inkscape. Original artist: MesserWoland
File:US_flag_28_stars.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/US_flag_28_stars.svg License: Public do-
main Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Union_army_cpt_rank_insignia.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Union_army_cpt_rank_
insignia.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Hoodinski
File:United_States_Department_of_the_Army_Seal.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Emblem_
of_the_United_States_Department_of_the_Army.svg License: Public domain Contributors: http://www.defense.gov/multimedia/web_
graphics/ Original artist: U.S. Dept. of Defense
File:Wikiquote-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Wikisource-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: Rei-artur Original artist: Nicholas Moreau
6 12 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

12.3 Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0