Believe It or Not: A Mason's Ring Saves His Life
Author: Anonymous

On a spring day in 1836, Mexican General Santa Ana, the man who stormed the Alamo, stood before a firing squad under the command of Gen. Sam Houston.  But the triggers were never pulled.

The reason?   Santa Ana gave a little sign and Houston’s eyes fairly popped out.

Santa Ana was a Mason, and he had given a secret distress signal to Houston – a brother Mason.

The Mexican general was allowed his freedom after signing a peace treaty.  “You have to get into secret archives to get this kind of history” says Perry Van Ardale, historian, linguist and cartographer.

Van Arsdale and his geologist wife Mildred have been delving into secret archives, dusty court records and old memories for 20 years to collect a comprehensive history of the United States before 1800.

The research is over, an intricate set of had-drawn maps of the entire mainland has been completed by Van Arsdale, but the job is not yet done.