Military

Frank Brownell's Medal of Honor

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.

Name: Montgomery, Major L. P.

Major Lemuel Montgomery's Pistol

Physical DescriptionAmerican-made pistol, .38 caliber.Specific HistoryOne of a pair of flintlock pistols Andrew Jackson presented to his friend Lemuel P. Montgomery when he was commissioned as a Major in the 39th U.S. Infantry.
Description
Physical Description
American-made pistol, .38 caliber.
Specific History
One of a pair of flintlock pistols Andrew Jackson presented to his friend Lemuel P. Montgomery when he was commissioned as a Major in the 39th U.S. Infantry. Montgomery was killed in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, March 27, 1814. Montgomery County, Alabama is named for the Major.
General History
Andrew Jackson had a long history with the Indians. During the War of 1812, he led militia forces in a war against Creek Indians. One faction of the Creek sided with the British and fought the United States along the western frontier. This group, known as Red Sticks because of their bright-red war clubs they carried, followed the teachings of the charismatic Shawnee, Tecumseh. The Red Sticks believed that Indians of many tribes needed to unite against the United States.
Andrew Jackson received a plea for help from a tribe of allied Creeks at Talladega. Jackson mobilized an army of 1,200 infantry and 800 cavalry and set out for the Creek fort at Talladega, arriving there in the early morning of November 9, 1813. Jackson surrounded the town with a brigade of militia under General Isaac Roberts on the left and a brigade of volunteers led by General William Hall on the right. The Creek attacked the line held by Roberts’ brigade, and the brigade retreated, allowing hundreds of Creek to escape. The gap was quickly filled by reserves and the position repaired. Within fifteen minutes the battle was over. At least 300 Creek perished on the battlefield while American losses amounted to fifteen killed and eighty-six wounded.
date made
ca 1812
user
Montgomery, Major L. P.
associated person
Jackson, Andrew
manufacturer
Bellah, J.
ID Number
AF.16090
catalog number
16090
accession number
13152
catalog number
2322

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