Grand Master of Masons to Honor Revolutionary War Scouts
Most Worshipful Robert L. Hogan, Jr., Grand Master of Masons in the State of New York, will make a public appearance in the Rochester area on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at historic Mt. Hope Cemetery as part of commemorations marking the 250th anniversary of American Independence. Underscoring the significance the Masonic fraternity places on this piece of Revolutionary War history, the Grand Master will deliver remarks and the benediction at the 6:30 p.m. wreath-laying that honors Lieutenant Thomas Boyd and the Continental soldiers killed in the 1779 Boyd-Parker Ambuscade and its immediate aftermath during the Sullivan Campaign.
The ceremony, titled “Brotherhood Across Battle Lines,” centers on one of the Revolutionary War’s most compelling and lesser-known episodes—and one of the few military actions of the war fought this close to present-day Monroe County.
In September 1779, near present-day Groveland, New York, a scouting party led by Lt. Thomas Boyd was ambushed. Captured and facing death, Boyd—a Freemason—appealed to Mohawk leader Joseph Brant, who was also a Mason. Tradition holds that Brant recognized the fraternal bond and sought to protect his captive brother, even though the two men fought on opposite sides of the war. The program will examine both the documented history of the ambush and the enduring legend of that moment of recognition across enemy lines.
The event is jointly presented by the Monroe County District Freemasons, the Irondequoit Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Rochester Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. In addition to Grand Master Hogan’s remarks, the program will include a historical address by Town of Mendon Deputy Historian Chris Carosa, formal posting and retirement of the colors, a rifle volley and Taps by the SAR Color Guard, and a memorial wreath placement by representatives of the DAR.
The ceremony is free and open to the public. It will be held at the Revolutionary War Memorial off Grove Street within Mt. Hope Cemetery. Guests may gather beginning at 6:15 p.m. The formal program begins promptly at 6:30 p.m.
Provided information. Portrait of Joseph Brant painted in London by Gilbert Stuart in 1786. (Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
