Military

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.

George Washington and five of his officers are featured in a scenic, snowy landscape.
Description
George Washington and five of his officers are featured in a scenic, snowy landscape. Valley Forge was headquarters for the Continental Army in 1777 and 1778 during the Revolutionary War, and is infamous as the place where 2,500 American soldiers died during the winter from exposure and starvation. Based on the artist Veron Fletcher’s painting, which was exhibited at the Smithsonian in February 1855, the print was drawn on stone by Edward Moran, brother of noted artist Thomas Moran. The print came with a two page key that included a biography on each of the soldiers.
Revolutionary War scenes often are used to convey patriotism. This scene highlights the heroic officers rather than depicting the gruesome hardships of war. The officers on horseback are the Marquis de Lafayette, Nathaniel Greene, Anthony Wayne, and Henry Knox. Standing in the background on the right is Col. John Brooks. It should be noted that Alexander Hamilton is not depicted. The building on the viewer's left was the headquarters which was still standing at the time the print was drawn according to the key on the original sketch. Thousands of Americans had prints of Washington in their homes prior to the Civil War. But given the size and $15.00 cost- based on the advertisement by Hensel & Urwiler of Philadelphia- this chromolithograph would have been purchased for a public building, well off school, college, library, or a business such as an eating establishment, or by a wealthy individual.
The original artist for this image was Veron Fletcher, a portrait painter, active in Philadelphia between 1848 and 1870. The lithographer, Edward Moran, was an English immigrant who came to the United States with his family in 1844. Trained by John Hamilton, he is most recognized for a set of 13 paintings which represented the history of marine life in the United States. The publisher was Herline, a company base out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lithographer/engraver Edward Herline, was born in 1825 in what is now in Bavaria, and immigrated to the United States with his brother Gustav in the 1840s. They settled in Philadelphia, and founded Herline & Company, a lithography firm. In 1857, lithographer Daniel Hensel joined the company and the name of the company changed to Herline & Hensel until 1964 when the company obtained another partner and became known as Thurston, Herline & Company.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1855
depicted
Washington, George
Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier Marquis de Lafayette
Greene, Nathanael
Wayne, Anthony
original artist
Fletcher, Veron
lithographer; graphic artist
Moran, Edward
publisher
Herline and Company
ID Number
DL.60.2582
catalog number
60.2582
accession number
228146
This lithograph illustrates the chaos and conflict engulfing northern Mexico during the years of the Mexican-American War from 1846-1848.
Description
This lithograph illustrates the chaos and conflict engulfing northern Mexico during the years of the Mexican-American War from 1846-1848. In these years the United States organized an Army of Occupation, initially led by General Zachary Taylor, to capture cities like Monterrey in preparation for a later assault on the Mexican heartland. The figure on horseback is a Mexican guerilla fighter. These skilled horsemen, often doubling as both patriots and bandits, had an established role in Mexican military tradition, and were actively recruited to combat the U.S. invaders. To understand his limited appeal to the Mexican public, note that the dead figures over whom the guerrillero is triumphantly galloping appear to be Mexican citizens, not invading American soldiers.
The lithographer is unknown.
Description (Spanish)
Esta litografía ilustra el caos y el conflicto que abrumaron al norte de México durante los años de la guerra mexicoamericana entre 1846 y 1848. En este período Estados Unidos organizó un Ejército de Ocupación, inicialmente comandado por el General Zachary Taylor, a fin de capturar ciudades como Monterrey, en preparación para la posterior ofensa al corazón de México. La figura a caballo es la de un guerrillero mexicano. Estos hábiles jinetes, que a menudo actuaban tanto de patriotas como de bandidos, tenían una función establecida dentro de la tradición militar mexicana y se los reclutaba activamente para combatir a los invasores estadounidenses. A fin de comprender el poco atractivo que estas figuras despertaban entre el público mexicano, obsérvese que los muertos sobre los que galopa triunfante el guerrillero parecen ser ciudadanos mexicanos y no soldados americanos invasores.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1848
maker
unknown
ID Number
DL.60.2559
catalog number
60.2559
accession number
228146
This print depicts American forces attacking the fortress palace of Chapultepec on Sept. 13th, 1847. General Winfield Scott, on a white horse (lower left), led the southern division of the U.S. Army that successfully captured Mexico City during the Mexican American War.
Description
This print depicts American forces attacking the fortress palace of Chapultepec on Sept. 13th, 1847. General Winfield Scott, on a white horse (lower left), led the southern division of the U.S. Army that successfully captured Mexico City during the Mexican American War. The outcome of American victory was the loss of Mexico's northern territories, from California to New Mexico, by the terms set in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. It should be noted that the two countries ratified different versions of the same peace treaty, with the United States ultimately eliminating provisions for honoring the land titles of its newly absorbed Mexican citizens. Despite notable opposition to the war from Americans like Abraham Lincoln, John Quincy Adams, and Henry David Thoreau, the Mexican-American War proved hugely popular. The United States' victory boosted American patriotism and the country's belief in Manifest Destiny.
This large chromolithograph was first distributed in 1848 by Nathaniel Currier of Currier and Ives, who served as the "sole agent." The lithographers, Sarony & Major of New York (1846-1857) copied it from a painting by "Walker." While the current location of that painting is unknown, when the print was created, the painting was owned by Captain B. S. Roberts of the Mounted Rifles, as indicated by an inscription below the image.
The original artist has previously been incorrectly attributed to William Aiken Walker as well as Henry A. Walke, as both worked at various times with Currier. The artist of the original painting however is James Walker (1819-1889), who created the "Battle of Chapultepec" 1857-1862 for the U.S. Capitol. This image differs from the painting commissioned for the U. S. Capitol by depicting the troops in regimented battle lines with General Scott in a more prominent position in the foreground. Variant copies of the image from different viewpoints were painted by Walker. James Walker was living in Mexico City at the outbreak of the Mexican War and joined the American forces as an interpreter. Attached to General Worth's staff, he was present at the battles of Contreras, Churubusco, and at Chapultepec was tasked as the artist. Captain Benjamin Stone Roberts, an engineer, was assigned by General Winfield Scott to assist Walker with recreating the details of the battle of Chapultepec. Roberts is depicted in the painting as leading the storming. When the painting was complete, Roberts purchased a copy of the painting for $250.00 (documented in letters and a diary). Captain George T. M. Davis, aide-de-camp to Generals Quitman and Shields also purchased a copy of the painting by Walker, in Mexico City, which was publicized in newspapers and made into a print. By 1848, James Walker had returned to a New York City studio in the same neighborhood as the print's distributor Nathaniel Currier and lithographers Napoleon Sarony and Henry B. Major.
This popular lithograph was one of several published to visually document the war while engaging the imagination of the public. Created prior to photography, these prints were meant to inform the public, while generally eliminating the portrayal of more gory details. Historians have been able to use at least some prints of the Mexican War for study and corroborate with the traditional literary forms of documentation. As an eyewitness, both Walke and Walker could claim accuracy of detail within the narrative. The battle is presented in the grand, historic, heroic style with the brutality of war not portrayed. The print depiction is quite large for a chromo of the period. In creating the chromolithographic interpretation of the painting, Sarony & Major used at least four large stones to produce the print "in colours," making the most of their use of color. They also defined each figure with precision by outlining each in black. This print was considered by expert/collector Harry T. Peters as one of the finest ever produced by Sarony & Major.
Description (Spanish)
Este grabado ilustra a las fuerzas americanas atacando la fortaleza del palacio de Chapultepec el 13 de septiembre de 1847. El General Winfield Scott, representado en la esquina inferior izquierda montando un caballo blanco, condujo la división sureña del ejército estadounidense que tomó con éxito la ciudad de México durante la guerra mexicoamericana. El resultado de la victoria americana se tradujo en la pérdida para México de los territorios al norte del país, desde California hasta Nuevo México. Estos términos quedaron establecidos en el tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo. Debe observarse que las dos naciones ratificaron diferentes versiones del mismo tratado de paz, con los Estados Unidos eliminando en última instancia cláusulas que reconocían títulos territoriales a los ciudadanos mexicanos recientemente asimilados. A pesar de la notable oposición de los americanos a la guerra, como Abraham Lincoln, John Quincy Adams y Henry David Thoreau, la Guerra Mexicoamericana evidenció ser considerablemente popular. La victoria de los Estados Unidos reforzó el patriotismo americano y la fe del país en el Destino Manifiesto.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1848
associated date
1847-09-13
distributor
Currier, Nathaniel
depicted
Scott, Winfield
lithographer
Sarony & Major
artist
Walker, James
ID Number
DL.60.2602
catalog number
60.2602
accession number
228146
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1986.3048.1738
nonaccession number
1986.3048
catalog number
1986.3048.1738
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
Circa 1918
ca 1918
associated date
1917 - 1918
associated person
Stanley-Brown, Rudolph
Stanley-Brown, Katharine
artist
Stanley-Brown, Rudolph
ID Number
AF.59726M
catalog number
59726M
accession number
216896
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
Circa 1918
ca 1918
1918
associated date
1917 - 1918
associated person
Stanley-Brown, Rudolph
Stanley-Brown, Katharine
artist
Stanley-Brown, Rudolph
ID Number
AF.59709M
catalog number
59709M
accession number
216896
This military saddle, decorated with the Mexican national emblem, was taken as a battle trophy during the Mexican War after the American victory at Cerro Gordo, Mexico.In 1848, the United States defeated Mexico in a war for control of the southwestern territory that extended from
Description
This military saddle, decorated with the Mexican national emblem, was taken as a battle trophy during the Mexican War after the American victory at Cerro Gordo, Mexico.
In 1848, the United States defeated Mexico in a war for control of the southwestern territory that extended from Texas to California. Many Americans hailed the victory as fulfilling their "manifest destiny" to expand across the continent. But expansion also posed new challenges to American democracy, including the extension of slavery and preserving the rights of Mexican citizens living in the ceded territory.
Location
Currently not on view (strap; strap fragment)
Date made
ca. 1840-1860
associated user
Harney, William Selby
ID Number
CL.005664
accession number
22920
catalog number
5664
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
Circa 1918
ca 1918
associated date
1917 - 1918
associated person
Stanley-Brown, Rudolph
Stanley-Brown, Katharine
artist
Stanley-Brown, Rudolph
ID Number
AF.59731M
catalog number
59731M
accession number
216896
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1919
ca 1898
associated date
1898
ID Number
ZZ.RSN82660W24
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
associated date
1914 - 1918
ID Number
ZZ.RSN82658W78
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1898
associated date
1898
ID Number
ZZ.RSN82660W23
Charcoal and ink wash sketch on white paper. Soldiers lead teams of horses across a river. In the background are several buildings, trees, more horses, and vehicles. There is a bridge on the right. Beneath the sketch are two printed labels affixed to the cardboard mount.
Description
Charcoal and ink wash sketch on white paper. Soldiers lead teams of horses across a river. In the background are several buildings, trees, more horses, and vehicles. There is a bridge on the right. Beneath the sketch are two printed labels affixed to the cardboard mount. The label below the center of the sketch reads: "ARTILLERY HORSES IN THE RIVER AT / ANDILLY / BY W. MORGAN / TRANSFERRED FROM THE WAR DEPARTMENT / 2919". The label beneath the sketch and to the right reads "8. x15397 / ARTILLERY HORSES IN THE RIVER AT ANDILLY. / W. MORGAN".
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Morgan, Wallace
ID Number
AF.25761
catalog number
25761
accession number
64592
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1907-1910
Associated Date
1910-09-29
ID Number
2018.0166.0015
catalog number
2018.0166.0015
accession number
2018.0166
Pair of Mexican leather spur straps. The two decorated leather spur straps are embroidered with silver and green thread and each feature metal plates on one end.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Pair of Mexican leather spur straps. The two decorated leather spur straps are embroidered with silver and green thread and each feature metal plates on one end.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
AF.18961
accession number
62555
catalog number
18961
This horse was presented to General Philip Sheridan by the officers of the Second Michigan Cavalry in 1862. He was three years old, was jet black with three white fetlocks, and stood 16 hands high.
Description
This horse was presented to General Philip Sheridan by the officers of the Second Michigan Cavalry in 1862. He was three years old, was jet black with three white fetlocks, and stood 16 hands high. Originally called "Rienzi" after the town of Rienzi, Mississippi, his name was changed to "Winchester" by Sheridan after he carried Sheridan on his famous ride from Winchester, Virginia, to Cedar Creek, Virginia on October 19, 1864, in time to rally his troops and turn almost certain defeat into victory. While Cedar Creek was his most famous engagement, Winchester and Sheridan were actually together for more than forty others. Winchester was even present at Appomattox Courthouse in April 1865 for the official surrender of the Confederate Army.
Despite being wounded in battle several times, Winchester lived to be almost 20 years old. After his death in October 1878, he was preserved and mounted; in 1879, Sheridan presented him to the Military Museum at Governors Island, New York. Winchester was exhibited there until a fire in 1922 forced the museum to transfer him to the Smithsonian Institution; a military escort accompanied him to his new home amid much fanfare. He was put on display in the National Museum until 1964, when he moved to the newly opened National Museum of American History.
Horse and man have forever been immortalized and commemorated in poetry, song, sculpture, museum exhibits and battlefield recollections. Portraits, sketches and poems all immortalized Sheridan’s famous ride atop Winchester. The most famous of these poems was written by Thomas Buchanan Read, a painter; the poem, entitled "Sheridan's Ride", became an instant sensation and was even thought to have helped Lincoln get reelected. Read followed up the poem in 1865 with a painting of the same title.
associated date
1861-1865
user
Sheridan, Philip H.
ID Number
AF.32870
catalog number
32870
accession number
69413
Graphite and black ink wash sketch. Outdoor scene of a large temporary structure where soldiers, horses, and wagons are gathered. One of the soldiers is shoeing a horse. Beige wove paper mounted on tan card ruled with decorative graphite lines.Currently not on view
Description
Graphite and black ink wash sketch. Outdoor scene of a large temporary structure where soldiers, horses, and wagons are gathered. One of the soldiers is shoeing a horse. Beige wove paper mounted on tan card ruled with decorative graphite lines.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-05-20
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
maker
Duncan, Walter Jack
ID Number
AF.25692
catalog number
25692
accession number
64592
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1904
ID Number
2016.0066.163
accession number
2016.0066
catalog number
2016.0066.0163

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