Friend to Friend Masonic Memorial, Bronze monument in Gettysburg Battlefield Historic District, United States.
Friend to Friend Masonic Memorial is a bronze sculpture showing two life-sized figures depicting Union Captain Bingham assisting the wounded Confederate General Armistead. The sculpture stands at the intersection of Steinwehr Avenue and Taneytown Road with a surrounding wall engraved with the names of states whose soldiers fought at Gettysburg.
The memorial commemorates a moment during the assault on July 3, 1863, when General Armistead transferred his personal belongings to Captain Bingham and asked him to deliver them to his friend General Hancock. This event reflects a personal connection between officers who maintained bonds of friendship despite being on opposing sides during one of the war's bloodiest moments.
The memorial represents the bonds between Freemasons serving on opposite sides during the Civil War. These fraternal ties crossed the lines of battle and remain visible in how the monument portrays mutual respect.
The memorial sits at the intersection of two major battlefield roads and is easy to access on foot. A visit works best in daylight when the details of the bronze figures and surrounding inscriptions are clearly visible.
The bronze figures display remarkably precise details that individualize the characters, such as Bingham's spectacles and Armistead's rank insignia on his sleeves. A particularly subtle element is the Masonic compass symbol on the watch chain, which underscores the deeper meaning of friendship between the two officers.
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