Military - Overview
The Museum's superb military collections document the history of the men and women of the armed forces of the United States. The collections include ordnance, firearms, and swords; uniforms and insignia; national and military flags and banners; and many other objects.
The strength of the collections lies in their enormous depth. Some 3,000 military small arms and 2,400 civilian firearms document the mechanical and technological history of the infantryman's weapons from the beginning of the gunpowder era to the present. Among the 4,000 swords and knives in the collection are many spectacular presentation pieces. The collections also include Civil War era telegraph equipment, home front artifacts from both world wars, early computers such as ENIAC, Whirlwind, and Sage, and materials carried at antiwar demonstrations.
"Military - Overview" showing 6 items.
Sword Presented to Frank Wheaton
- Description (Brief)
- Presented to Brevet Major General Frank Wheaton by the State of Rhode Island through Governor James Y. Smith, January 1865
- Description
- Presented to Frank Wheaton by the state of Rhode Island in 1865, the blade of this sword is long, straight, and double edged. It is decorated in gold and silver chasing on both sides. The obverse features a "US" monogram and a US shield of arms, while the reverse features and eagle, a face, and a cluster of military trophies. Both sides are also heavily decorated in floral and scroll patterns. The grip of the sword is a woman, perhaps Columbia or Nike, wearing a toga with her right arm raised; originally her right hand held a laurel wreath. There are two stars on her toga. The sword lacks a pommel and knuckle guard. There are two quillons and a counterguard. The smaller quillon is a simple scroll shape, while the larger quillon extends half way up the hilt, and is the same height as the woman figure's waist. This quillon features a very large purple amethyst, surrounded by casts of four cherubs. The counterguard bears a large blue enamel medallion with the initials "FW" cast in the center. The medallion is surrounded by a large laurel wreath and ribbon.
- The scabbard has three gold mounts. The first mount features the seal of Rhode Island on the obverse and a dagger between laurel leaves on the reverse. The second bears a medieval trophy of arms on the obverse and a shield inscribed with the monogram "US" on the reverse. The third mount bears a spray of oak leaves on both sides. Between the second and third mounts is the inscription “BREVET MAJOR GENERAL FRANK WHEATON U.S.V. / For gallant and meritorious service during the war, and especially in the battles of / OPEQUAN, FISHERS HILL AND MIDDLETOWN / BY / The State of Rhode Island THROUGH James Y. Smith Governor, / in conformity with a RESOLUTION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY passed at its Jan'y Session / A.D. 1865” The scabbard has three carrying rings, one on each side of the first mount, and one on the right side of the second mount.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1865
- associated date
- 1865
- recipient
- Wheaton, Frank
- maker
- Collins & Co.
- ID Number
- AF*34845A
- catalog number
- 34845
- accession number
- 84827
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Sword Presented to A. H. Foster
- Description (Brief)
- Presented to Captain A.H. Foster by Company D of the 25th Massachusetts Volunteers Regiment on February 8, 1862.
- Description
- Albert H Foster mustered in as a Captain of the 25th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment on Oct. 12, 1861. He mustered out on Oct. 20, 1864.
- The blade of this Model 1850 presentation sword is single edged and slightly curved. There is a broad, shallow fuller on three quarters of the blade. Floral designs and military trophies decorate both sides. There is an eagle on the obverse and a "US" monogram on the reverse. The shark skin grip is wrapped 14 times with a thin gold metal wire. The counterguard is an ornate sculpture of three parallel gold strips connected with floral sprays and laurel leaves and a “US” monogram. The reverse of the counterguard is a small gold ova. The quillon is a basic solid spiral decorated with a palm leaf engraving on the front.
- The scabbard is gold plated and has two simple, thin gold mounts decorated with laurel leaves. Between the mounts are ornate scroll designs and the inscription “Presented to / Capt. A. H. Foster Co. D. 25 REG. Mass. Vo. / BY / HIS COMPANY / As a token of their regard and esteem for him. / and for his bravery at the battle of Roanoke. / Feb. 8th 1862.” Between the second mount and the drag, there is a complex military trophy and floral spray engraving. The reverse of the scabbard bears no decoration. The scabbard has two carrying rings—one on the right side of the top mount, and the other on the right side of the middle mount.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1862
- date presented
- 1862
- recipient
- Foster, Albert H.
- maker
- Ames Manufacturing Company
- ID Number
- AF*5836 [dup1]
- catalog number
- 5836
- accession number
- 24418
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Plate 31. Battery D, 2d U.S., Artillery, In Action
- Description
- Text and photograph from Gardner's Photographic Sketchbook of the War, Vol. II. Negative by Timothy H. O'Sullivan, text and positive by Alexander Gardner.
- In June, 1863, the Sixth Corps made its third successful crossing of the Rappahannock, storming the works that defended the passage, and making prisoners of the garrison. Battery D at once took position, with other artillery of the Sixth Corps, out in the fields, near the ruins of the Mansfield House, where Gen. Bayard was killed, at the time of the first crossing by General Burnside in 1862. This picture was made as the guns were engaging the enemy, the gunners who had just received the order, "cannoniers to your posts," calling to the photographer to hurry his wagon out of the way, unless he was anxious to figure in the list of casualties. In line to the rear of the Battery, is the Veteran Vermont Brigade, acting as a support. Further still, is the bank of the river, skirted by the trees; those to the right being a grove of white poplars around the Mansfield House. With characteristic coolness some of the troops had already pitched their little shelter tents, and were sleeping beneath their frail cover. Better protection was soon afforded by the fine line of earthworks which soon sprung into existence, embrasured for the artillery, and impregnable to attack when lined by the heroes of the Sixth Corps, nobly commanded, as it has always been, by such Generals as Franklin – who organized it – Sedgwick, and Wright.
- This Battery was present at the first battle of Bull Run, where the enemy got a taste of its mettle, while attempting to turn our extreme left, and fall upon the rear of the army. On the organization of Franklin's Division, its commander, Captain – now Colonel – Platt, was made chief of a brigade of artillery in that organization, and Lieutenant, since General, Upton succeeded to the command. Under the latter officer the Battery gained much commendation, and on his promotion to the command of a New York regiment of volunteers, continued its glorious career under Lieut. Williston, being finally transformed into a horse battery, and ordered to the cavalry, where it remained to the close of the war, without ever losing a gun, although the list of its actions was so long that its battle-flag had no space to transcribe them upon.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1863
- maker
- Gardner, Alexander
- ID Number
- 1986.0711.0334.31
- accession number
- 1986.0711
- catalog number
- 1986.0711.0334.31
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Prayer Book
- Description
- Physical Description
- Bound printed paper.
- Specific History
- The Army and Navy Prayer of the Confederate States, printed in Richmond in 1865.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1865
- associated date
- 1861 - 1862
- ID Number
- AF*1860 [dup1]
- catalog number
- 1860
- accession number
- 17461
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
CSS Virginia Model
- Description
- Physical Description
- 1/4-scale model, wood with plastic parts.
- General History
- On April 21, 1861, Virginians claimed an abandoned navy yard at Norfolk, Virginia. There they found the sunken hull of the burned USS Merrimack. The Merrimack was raised and on June 23, 1861 the Honorable S. R. Mallory, Confederate secretary of the navy, ordered it to be converted to an ironclad. That ironclad was christened the CSS Virginia.
- date made
- ca 1960
- associated date
- 1862
- maker
- Arthur G. Henning Inc.
- ID Number
- AF*58728N
- accession number
- 235954
- catalog number
- 58728-N
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Knife, Fork, and Plate from Libby Prison
- Description
- Physical Description
- Metal-and-bone knife and fork and a metal plate.
- Specific History
- This knife, fork, and plate was issued to prisoner of war Colonel John S. Crocker, 93rd Infantry Regiment, New York Volunteers, by the commandant of Libby Prison, Richmond, Virginia, and used by him at Libby and Salisbury prisons, 1862.
- General History
- Libby Prison's three buildings were designed and built as a warehouse by John Enders, who died before putting them to use. Following his death, the warehouse sold to Luther Libby from Maine, who erected a sign "L. Libby & Son, Chip Chandlers". At the beginning of the war, Libby was given 48 hours to vacate the building so it could be used as a prison. The only thing Libby left behind was his sign; the building became Libby Prison. During the war, Libby held over 125,000 men, mostly Union officers. On February 9, 1864, the most bold and daring of prison escapes happened at Libby. One hundred nine Union army officers managed to escape by crawling through a fireplace, sliding down a chimney, and slithering through a 53-foot-long tunnel. The escape came after months of digging with tools smuggled into the prison by a Northern sympathizer, Elizabeth Van Wert, a.k.a. Crazybet. Libby was vacated just before the Union army captured Richmond, and spent the rest of the war empty.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1862
- associated date
- 1861 - 1865
- user
- Crocker, John S.
- ID Number
- AF*75529M
- catalog number
- 75529M
- accession number
- 296035
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center