Military Order of the Serpent | |
---|---|
MOS | |
Founded | January 1, 1904 Cleveland, Ohio |
Type | General fraternity |
Affiliation | United Spanish War Veterans |
Status | Defunct |
Emphasis | Veterans |
Scope | National |
Colors | Green, Purple and Gold |
Symbol | Serpent |
Nickname | Snaix |
Headquarters | Memorial Hall, Topeka, Kansas United States |
Military Order of the Serpent (acronym MOS; nickname, Snaix; [1] established 1904) was an American secret society and veterans' fraternity organized in 1904, and incorporated on August 6, 1907. [2] The MOS received official recognition by the United Spanish War Veterans (USWV) at the Los Angeles encampment. It became the humorous branch of the USWV, [3] as devotion to the principles and objectives of USWV did not prevent a belief in humor. [4]
The MOS was the outgrowth of ideas by Walter Scott MacAaron (1877–1941), Col. Fred S. Fanning (1863–1940), Col. John Parker, and others. [5] It took its basis from the ancient rites observed by the several Filipino tribes and the ordeals passed thru by the Gilmore Party when captured by the native Filipinos. [1] The MOS was said to be adopted from a clandestine Masonry formed by Filipinos in 1871, at Cavite. Known as the Katipunan Society, this was a revolutionary organization with headquarters in the Biak-na-Bato Cave, where Emilio Aguinaldo and his headsmen signed the Spanish treaty. [6]
The Order of the Serpent was originally formed in the Philippine Islands. It was built upon the history and traditions of a Filippino revolutionary organization known as the "Katipunan", who worshiped the snake as their Deity and lived by levying tribute much in the same manner as the Black Hand. The members of the tribe had a triangle branded on their left breast with a "K." in each corner, and a sunburst in the center. [7] To become a member, the native had, in addition to his oath of allegiance, submit to an odd ceremony, concluded by signing his name with the blood from three cuts in the shape of a triangle onto his left arm. This becoming known, the troops, in 1899, examined every native captured to determine if he had the scar and so secured the secrets of the society. [6]
During the Philippine insurrection, Walter McAron, who became Grand Gu Gu Grandississimo (GGG) of the Military Order of the Serpent (MOS), [6] together with 15 other American soldiers, were captured by the Katipunan, so that they are well acquainted with the customs and manners and traditions of the Katipunan organization. This Order was introduced into the United States and subordinate bodies were organized in many of the States. One of the spectacular features was the parade of members as Snakes in costumes, representing every tribe in islands of the Philippines, from the Tagalog to the Iggorotto. The Katipunan, the Great Snake, headed the smaller ones, and he inserted the royal sting of the jungle for those wishing to learn the mysteries of the Order when the initiates were instructed. [7]
The Military Order of the Serpent aimed to present in its work one of the Filipino societies, Order of the Serpent, which has sworn undying hatred of the Americans and had devoted its members to the service of Katipunan. [3]
As was generally known, the ritual of the Spanish War Veterans (SWV), like that of its successor, the USWV, did not contain much levity. In the autumn of 1903, Capt. Frederick Mason Fanning was elected Department Commander of Ohio SWV and chose Sydney Aaron Phillips (1860–1937) as his Adjutant General. At the time, he promised Ohio a clean side degree to stimulate interest in the depleting SWV. The Gilmore Party had just been rescued from the Philippines to the joy of the U.S., and public prints were filled with the strange adventures of that party among the indigenous peoples of the Philippines. [3]
The Filipinos Society of Katipunan came prominently to the SWV's attention and after experimenting with various side degrees offered by costume houses, which proved to be either trifling, dull, or immoral, the SWV determined to establish the MOS as a side degree of the SWV, which later consolidated into the USWV. The extensive knowledge of native customs obtained from those who served, principally of the 22nd Infantry, U. S. A., together with some of the organizers' own knowledge, helped in writing up a ritual. The degree was formally introduced to the members of the SWV of Cleveland on January 1, 1904. [5] About 52 delegates attended the meeting from various camps all over the state. From that time on, the Snake became a feature of USWV camps in Ohio and was always worked at Department Encampment. [3]
When the organizers learned that a civilian reporter was claiming some credit for the organization of the Order, Capt. Fanning and a chosen group of faithful Snakes incorporated it in 1907, the Captain retiring from his position at the head of it and giving place to Captain Charles E. Stroud, of Sandusky, Ohio, who served until the last Supreme Convention at Boston, when Phillips was elected Supreme Gu Gu Grandississimo.
The Order was general throughout Ohio, and in 1913, at Cedar Point, was worked on by many at the National Encampment, while at Boston in 1914, 233 applicants were inoculated with the Sacred Virus. [3]
By 1914, the Order existed in 22 States. [3]
The regulations governing membership were identical to those of the USWV. No one who was not a member in good standing of that body was eligible to or retain membership in the MOS. [3] In addition, to be eligible, a man must not only have been a veteran of U.S. wars, but he must also have seen foreign service. [6]
The organization was chartered by the State of Ohio and extended to nearly every department of the USWV. [1] The constituent bodies of this organization were a national body known as the Supreme Lair of the United States, the Military Order of the Serpent, and State Organizations known as Grand Lairs, each Grand Lair being designated by the name of the state, territory or possession in which it existed. [3]
The Grand Lair of Ohio, for several years, held the honors of having the most active lairs and largest membership, but through lack of interest, lost that honor for a time. [1] In 1907, the leader of the Order, the Grand Junta, maintained an address at Defiance, Ohio. [7] By 1931, the permanent administrative headquarters were located Memorial Hall, Topeka, Kansas. [8]
The organization consisted of a Supreme Lair of the U. S., which was much like the National Encampment USWV in its organization and operation. Departments were organized into Grand Lairs. The Grand Lair was the unit of work and was supposed to put on the work at Department Encampment or at the will of the Grand Junta of the department. Local Lairs operate under Rits of Dispension (so-called) and have the power to initiate not to exceed 50 percent of the local USWV membership in any calendar year. [3]
The organization was non-partisan and non-sectarian. Its purposes were the maintenance of a secret society to perpetuate memories of the Spanish–American War, the incident struggle in the Philippines, the China Relief Expedition, and for literary purposes connected with these wars of the U.S. [3]
The Preamble to its constitution stated:— "We the members of the United Spanish War Veterans who have seen the mystic light diffused by the weird and awful Khatee Puna even the Great Snake who haunts the Jungle, desiring to more firmly establish good fellowship among our comrades, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the Military Order of the Serpent." [3]
The objective of the MOS was: "To Make Life More Pleasant and Ourselves More Useful to USWV, All Sons of USWV, and the Rest of Humanity." [8] The emblem of the order was a Serpent with a triangle and other symbols. [9] The emblem carried at a parade in Boston, was said to measure 150 feet (46 m) in length. [7] Its colors were green and purple, with gold accents. [9] Its member's cap was green and featured a gold serpent and purple tassels on the top. [9] Its garb was a white costume designed to represent Filipino natives who had become civilized. [3] [5]
Initially, the MOS had two degrees, Khattee Puna (first degree), and the Bayana (second degree). [1] Subsequently, there were three degrees, the Khatee Puna (first degree), Kaul (second degree), and Bayani (third degree). [10] [5] The badge of the Order (Khatapunan and Kaul degree badges) was a Filipino cross with the emblems of the American Service deposed on its arms; center and spaces between the arms of cross bear the symbols of the Katipunan. [3] [5]
Comparison of MOS degrees to the Katipunan system:
Katipunan color designations:
- Katipon. First-degree members. Other symbols: Black hood, revolver, and/or bolo.
- Kawal. Second-degree members. Other symbols: green ribboned medallion with Malayan K inscription.
- Bayani. Third-degree members. Other symbols: Red hood and sash, with green borders.
The titles of its office were odd. [3] The leader of the Order was the Grand Junta, or Grand Gu Gu Grandississimo. [7] Other titles associated with the order included: Thrice Infamous Inferior Grand Gu Gu, Grand Datto, Grand Lord High Keeper of the Sacred Amphora, Keeper of the Ophidian, Chief Ladrone, Ungodly Villain, Thrice Dulcat Yawler of the Jungle, the Insidious thumper of the Sanctified Sheep-Hide, Lord High compellor of the Sacred Bull Cart, Dog Robber of the Unhallowed Loat, and Depraved Pangula. [11] [12]
The official organ, The Hiker, was a bi-monthly publication. Thomas M. Stalford was the editor & publisher. [13]
The Katipunan, officially known as the Kataastaasang Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan and abbreviated as the KKK, was a revolutionary organization founded in 1892 by a group of Filipino nationalists Deodato Arellano, Andrés Bonifacio, Valentin Diaz, Ladislao Diwa, José Dizon, and Teodoro Plata. Its primary objective was achieving independence from the Spanish Empire through an armed revolution. It was formed as a secret society before its eventual discovery by Spanish authorities in August 1896. This discovery led to the start of the Philippine Revolution.
The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, Union Navy, and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, and grew to include thousands of "posts" across the North and West. It was dissolved in 1956 at the death of its last member, Albert Woolson.
The national flag of the Philippines is a horizontal bicolor flag with equal bands of royal blue and crimson red, with a white, equilateral chevron at the hoist. In the center of the triangle is a golden-yellow sun with eight primary rays, to represent the original eight provinces that rebelled against the Spanish during the 1896 Philippine Revolution. At each vertex of the triangle is a five-pointed, golden-yellow star, each of which representing one of the country's three main island groups—Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The white triangle at the hoist represents liberty, equality, and fraternity. A unique feature of this flag is its usage to indicate a state of war if it is displayed with the red side on top, which is effectively achieved by flipping the flag upside-down.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political, non-sectarian international fraternal order of Odd Fellowship. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Evolving from the Order of Odd Fellows founded in England during the 18th century, the IOOF was originally chartered by the Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity in England but has operated as an independent organization since 1842, although it maintains an inter-fraternal relationship with the English Order. The order is also known as the Triple Link Fraternity, referring to the order's "Triple Links" symbol, alluding to its motto "Friendship, Love and Truth".
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) is an American congressionally chartered fraternal organization that carries out activities to preserve the history and legacy of the United States Armed Forces veterans who fought during the Civil War. It is the legal successor to the Grand Army of the Republic, the large and influential grouping of Union Army veterans that existed in the decades following the Civil War. Most SUVCW activities occur at the "Camp" or local community level. Camps are grouped into state or regional structures called "Departments". The National organization, with headquarters at the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, meets annually in a National Encampment that is attended by SUVCW members, known as "Brothers", from all Camps and Departments.
Russell Alexander Alger was an American politician and businessman. He served as the 20th governor of Michigan, U.S. Senator, and U.S. Secretary of War. Alger's life was a "rags-to-riches" success tale. He became an army officer, financier, lumber baron, railroad owner, and government official in several high offices. He was supposedly a distant relation of author Horatio Alger.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an organization of United States war veterans who fought in wars, campaigns, and expeditions on foreign land, waters, or airspace as military service members. Established on September 29, 1899, in Columbus, Ohio, the VFW is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. It was federally chartered in 1936.
The Philippine Revolution was a war of independence waged by the revolutionary organization Katipunan against the Spanish Empire from 1896 to 1898. It was the culmination of the 333-year colonial rule of Spain in the archipelago. The Philippines was one of the last major colonies of the Spanish Empire, which had already suffered a massive decline in the 1820s. Cuba rebelled in 1895, and in 1898, the United States intervened and the Spanish soon capitulated. In June, Philippine revolutionaries declared independence. However, it was not recognized by Spain, which sold the islands to the United States in the Treaty of Paris.
Tagalog Republic is a term used to refer to two revolutionary governments involved in the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire and the Philippine–American War. Both were connected to the Katipunan revolutionary movement.
Teodoro Andal Agoncillo was a prominent Filipino historian from the 20th century. He and his contemporary Renato Constantino were among the first Filipino historians renowned for promoting a distinctly nationalist point of view of Filipino history. He was also an essayist and a poet.
The 7th Illinois Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
The Knights Templar, full name The United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta, is a fraternal order affiliated with Freemasonry. Unlike the initial degrees conferred in a regular Masonic Lodge, which only require a belief in a Supreme Being regardless of religious affiliation, the Knights Templar is one of several additional Masonic Orders in which membership is open only to Freemasons who profess a belief in Christianity. One of the obligations entrants to the order are required to declare is to protect and defend the Christian faith. The word "United" in its full title indicates that more than one historical tradition and more than one actual order are jointly controlled within this system. The individual orders 'united' within this system are principally the Knights of the Temple, the Knights of Malta, the Knights of St Paul, and only within the York Rite, the Knights of the Red Cross.
Independence Day is a national holiday in the Philippines observed annually on June 12, commemorating the declaration of Philippine independence from Spain in 1898. Since 1978, it has been the country's National Day.
The Order of Augustinian Recollects (OAR) is a mendicant Catholic religious order of friars and nuns. It is a reformist offshoot from the Augustinian hermit friars and follows the same Rule of St. Augustine. They have also been known as the "Discalced Augustinians".
The United Spanish War Veterans was an American veterans' organization which consisted of veterans of the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War and China Relief Expedition.
The 29th Ohio Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Raised in the northeastern part of the state of Ohio, the 29th served with distinction in several battles of the Atlanta Campaign.
The 8th Illinois Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
The 37th Ohio Infantry Regiment was a Union Army regiment, composed of German-Americans, in the American Civil War. It was organized in the fall of 1861, under Colonel Edward Siber, and served in the Kanawha Valley until December 1862. It joined the Union army operating against Vicksburg, Mississippi, in January 1863, and participated in the various engagements of the siege. After the fall of that stronghold it was moved across Tennessee from Memphis to Chattanooga, and took part in operations of the 15th Corps, subsequent to, and at the taking of Atlanta, Georgia. It then followed the fortunes of that well-known corps until the reaching of Washington, D.C. From Louisville, Kentucky, it went with the 2nd Division of the Corps to Little Rock, Arkansas, and was there mustered out in August 1865.
William Harrison Gilmore was a Vermont political and military figure. He served in the Vermont House of Representatives, as a member of the Vermont Senate, and as Adjutant General of the Vermont Militia.
Kate Brownlee Sherwood was an American poet, journalist, translator and story writer of the long nineteenth century, as well as a philanthropist, and patron of the arts and literature. Sherwood was also the founder of the Woman's Relief Corps (WRC) and served as its second president.