| National Museum of American History

Physical DescriptionPrinted paper.Specific HistoryThis citation was awarded to Audie Murphy for “Conspicuous Gallantry and Intrepidity Involving Risk of Life Above and Beyond the Call of Duty In Action With the Enemy,” January 26, 1945. The citation reads:2d Lt.

Description: Physical Description; Printed paper.; Specific History; This citation was awarded to Audie Murphy for “Conspicuous Gallantry and Intrepidity Involving Risk of Life Above and Beyond the Call of Duty In Action With the Enemy,” January 26, 1945. The citation reads:; 2d Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by 6 tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to prepared positions in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, 1 of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from 3 sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued the single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.; General History; Audie Murphy enlisted in the United States Army at age seventeen to make something of himself. By the end of World War II, Audie Murphy's exploits had earned him every medal his country could give. He was the war's most decorated soldier and a national hero. Four years later, as a struggling actor in Hollywood, he turned his wartime experiences into a best selling book, To Hell and Back. He later starred in the film version of his book. He died in an airplane crash in 1971 in Virginia while on a business trip.; His list of medals includes:; Medal of Honor; Distinguished Service Cross; Silver Star with First Oak Leaf Cluster; Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device and First Oak Leaf Cluster; Purple Heart with Second Oak Leaf Cluster; U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal; Good Conduct Medal; Distinguished Unit Emblem with First Oak Leaf Cluster; American Campaign Medal; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with One Silver Star, Four Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns), and one Bronze Arrowhead (representing assault landing at Sicily and Southern France); World War II Victory Medal; Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp; Armed Forces Reserve Medal; Combat Infantry Badge; Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar; Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar; French Fourragère in Colors of the Croix de Guerre; French Legion of Honor, Grade of Chevalier; French Croix de Guerre With Silver Star; French Croix de Guerre with Palm; Medal of Liberated France; Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm
Location: Currently not on view

date awarded: 1945-04-23
date referenced: 1945-01-26

recipient: Murphy, Audie

ID Number: 1985.0428.04
catalog number: 1985.0428.04
accession number: 1985.0428

Physical DescriptionCattle horn etched with map of New York.General HistoryDuring the colonial period, cattle horns were used by woodsmen and by soldiers for storing gunpowder in a safe, dry place. The horns also became decorative objects as they were personalized by the owner.

Description: Physical Description; Cattle horn etched with map of New York.; General History; During the colonial period, cattle horns were used by woodsmen and by soldiers for storing gunpowder in a safe, dry place. The horns also became decorative objects as they were personalized by the owner. Makers carved names, initials, dates, flags, battles, and even full maps on the exterior of the horns.

ID Number: AF.69151M
catalog number: 69151M
accession number: 262277

Physical DescriptionEnglish flintlock pistol, .71 caliber made by an armorer named Gabbitas. It bears the initials "E. B." for Edward Braddock.Specific HistoryGeneral Edward Braddock gave this pistol to George Washington. In 1777 Washington mislaid the gun.

Description: Physical Description; English flintlock pistol, .71 caliber made by an armorer named Gabbitas. It bears the initials "E. B." for Edward Braddock.; Specific History; General Edward Braddock gave this pistol to George Washington. In 1777 Washington mislaid the gun. A letter was sent to Captain Charles Morley on July 2, 1777. It read: “Sir, His Excellency Gen. Washington desires you to look among his effects for a pistol which was mislaid or possibly lost. You will know it by being a large brass barrel and the lock of which is also of brass with the name of Gabbitas, the Spanish armorer, thereon. It has also a heavy brass butt. His Excellency is much exercised over the loss of this pistol, it being given him by Gen. Braddock, and having since been with him through several campaigns, and he therefore values it very highly."; William Gabbitas was actually a British gunsmith, Gabitas being an old Norman French name.

Date made: c. 1752
date made: ca 1750

user: Washington, George
Associated Name: Braddock, Edward
associated person: Braddock, Edward
maker: Gabbitas
associated person: Washington, George
maker: Gabbitas

ID Number: AF.245168.126
accession number: 245168
catalog number: 245168.126

Physical DescriptionAmerican made sliding breech block which is also called a harmonica lock. It is a 5 shot, pill ignition.

Description: Physical Description; American made sliding breech block which is also called a harmonica lock. It is a 5 shot, pill ignition. Inscribed “Houston.”; Specific History; This rare Henry Gross rifle belonged to Sam Houston.; General History; One of the most colorful and controversial figures in Texas history, Sam Houston was born in Virginia on 2 March 1793 and spent much of his youth in the mountains of Tennessee. During the second war with England, Houston enlisted as a private but was made sergeant of a company. He excelled in the military. After receiving three near-mortal wounds at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, he rose to the rank of first lieutenant.; He practiced law in Lebanon, Tennessee before running for public office. He sought and won public office and was elected to the US Congress in 1823 and again in 1825. In 1827, Houston was elected Governor of Tennessee by a large majority. In 1832, he moved to Texas along with a few friends and emerged as a prominent player in the state's affairs.; Houston was elected commander-in-chief of the armies of Texas and took control of the Texas forces after the fall of the Alamo. On 21 April 1836, his force defeated Santa Anna and secured Texas independence. Houston was elected the first President of the Republic of Texas. After statehood in 1845, Houston was elected Senator from Texas to the Congress of the United States.

associated person: Houston, Samuel
licensee: Jarre

ID Number: AF.16085
catalog number: 16085
accession number: 13152

Physical DescriptionWood model with plastic parts.General HistoryBuilt by contract with John Ericsson at Green Point, Long Island, and launched January 30, 1862, the USS Monitor saw its first naval action at Hampton Roads, Virginia, on March 9, 1862.

Description: Physical Description; Wood model with plastic parts.; General History; Built by contract with John Ericsson at Green Point, Long Island, and launched January 30, 1862, the USS Monitor saw its first naval action at Hampton Roads, Virginia, on March 9, 1862. Despite the CSS Virginia being almost twice its size, with ten guns, the Monitor with its two eleven-inch turret guns held its own. The engagement ended in a draw. The Monitor sank in a gale off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, on December 31, 1862.

Date made: ca 1960
associated date: 1861
Date the Monitor sunk off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.: 1862-12-31

maker: Arthur G. Henning Inc.

ID Number: AF.58707N
accession number: 235954
catalog number: 58707-N

Physical DescriptionTaxidermied military homing pigeon.Specific HistoryCher Ami was a black check cock homing pigeon, one of 600 English-bred birds donated to the U.S.

Description: Physical Description; Taxidermied military homing pigeon.; Specific History; Cher Ami was a black check cock homing pigeon, one of 600 English-bred birds donated to the U.S. Army Signal Corps’ Pigeon Service of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) by the British Home Forces Pigeon Service on May 20, 1918. Cher Ami likely hatched in late March to early April 1918. His aluminum identification band on his left leg is stamped “NURP 18 EAD 615” which translates as “National Union Racing Pigeon,” born 1918, bred at the registered loft of “EAD,” bird number 615. “EAD” may stand for the loft of E.A. Davidson at St. James’s House, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, England.; Cher Ami and the other English pigeons arrived at the headquarters of the AEF Pigeon Service on May 23. On July 1, the Army assigned Cher Ami and 59 other pigeons to Mobile Loft No. 11 managed by Corporal (later Sergeant) Ernest P. Kockler of Chicago. The birds of Mobile Loft No. 11 supplied pigeons to soldiers of the AEF during fighting in the Aisne-Marne Sector of the Western Front in mid-July to August. On September 21, the loft relocated to Rampont, France in preparation for the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Birds from the loft supported infantry of the 77th Infantry Division fighting into and through the Argonne Forest.; While the surviving evidence is inconclusive, it is possible that Private Omer Richards of New York, a member of the division’s 308th Infantry Regiment, carried Cher Ami and three other pigeons into the forest. On the afternoon of October 4, 1918, legend has Cher Ami as the eighth and last pigeon available to the men known as the “Lost Battalion” under the command Major Charles W. Whittlesey. Surrounded by German forces, the men of the Lost Battalion were fighting off repeated attacks when they found themselves enduring a barrage of friendly artillery due to mistaken position coordinates. To attempt to stop the shelling, Whittlesey dashed off a message carried by Cher Ami which read “We are along the road parallel 276.4. Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. For heaven’s sake stop it.”; About an hour after Richards released the pigeon, Cher Ami returned to Mobile Loft No. 11. Kockler found him with message tube hanging from the remains of the bird’s right leg and a deep wound across the chest cutting through the breastbone, both injuries from either a bullet or shell fragment. The shelling had ceased by the time Cher Ami arrived at his loft, but critically the message provided the exact coordinates of Whittlesey and the Lost Battalion which aided in their eventual relief on the night of October 7.; As a result of the wound, the Army had to amputate Cher Ami’s right leg, ending his military messaging services. On account of his bravery, the French government awarded Cher Ami the Croix de Guerre with palm. The Signal Corps selected him for return to the United States and he arrived in the country on April 16, 1919 to great adulation. Due to his chest wound, Cher Ami grew increasingly weaker and died on June 13. The U.S. Army Signal Corps donated Cher Ami’s remains to the Smithsonian Institution where taxidermist Nelson R. Wood mounted the bird for display.; Posthumously, Cher Ami was inducted into the Racing Pigeon Hall of Fame in 1931 and received a gold medal from the Organized Bodies of American Pigeon Fanciers in recognition of his extraordinary service during World War I. In 2019, Cher Ami received the Animals in War and Peace Medal of Bravery for his actions in World War I. After a century of uncertainly about the pigeon’s sex, in 2021 the Smithsonian conducted DNA testing which confirmed that Cher Ami is definitively a male pigeon.

associated date: 1917 - 1918

ID Number: AF.30714
accession number: 65695
catalog number: 30714

Physical DescriptionModel 1850 forged steel with gilt brass scabbard.Specific HistoryGeneral William T.

Description: Physical Description; Model 1850 forged steel with gilt brass scabbard.; Specific History; General William T. Sherman wore this Model 1850 staff and field officer's sword during the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee, April 6–8, 1862.; General History; One of the greatest battles of the War between the States erupted near the banks of the Tennessee River at Shiloh, Tennessee. On April 6, 1862, General Sidney Johnston launched his attack. The Union forces were quickly driven back; they found themselves rapidly approaching the Tennessee River to the east and Owl Creek to the north. However, the Union troops finally established a line at an area known as "the sunken road." Confederate forces launched eleven attacks against the position, but the line would not break. The area became known as the "Hornets Nest" because of the intensity of gunfire and grazing of bullets. Finally the Southern troops brought sixty-two artillery pieces to bear on the Hornets Nest, many at point-blank range. After holding the position for six hours, the Union forces surrendered. The next morning, the fresh Union forces attacked the tired and surprised Confederates, who believed they had won a great victory. By sheer weight of numbers the federals pushed them back. Resistance stiffened; as the day wore on, the Confederates pulled back and the next day withdrew to Corinth.

date made: ca 1850-1862
used date: 1862-04-06 through 1862-04-08

user: Sherman, William Tecumseh
maker: Ames Manufacturing Company

ID Number: AF.15926
catalog number: 15926
accession number: 59388

Physical DescriptionGerman MP40 "Maschinenpistole .40" submachine gun, .40 caliber.General HistoryThe Maschinenpistole 40, commonly known as the MP40, is similar to the Thompson, but uses a smaller 9-mm round.

Description: Physical Description; German MP40 "Maschinenpistole .40" submachine gun, .40 caliber.; General History; The Maschinenpistole 40, commonly known as the MP40, is similar to the Thompson, but uses a smaller 9-mm round. This submachine gun evolved out of the MP38, which was prone to misfirings that had sometimes lethal results. A simple technical innovation to the hammer eliminated the problem, and the MP40 was born. Total production is unknown but it is believed that more that one million of these weapons were produced between 1940 and 1944.

licensee: Erma Werke - Erfurter Maschinenfabrik
maker: Erma Werke - Erfurter Maschinenfabrik

ID Number: AF.53278
catalog number: 53278
accession number: 188409

Physical DescriptionBlue, white, and red banner with an image of Admiral Dewey in center of white stripe, surrounded by laurels. “Admiral Dewey” in banner among the laurels, American flag, and a navy fleet admiral’s flag. “The Hero” in top blue stripe.

Description: Physical Description; Blue, white, and red banner with an image of Admiral Dewey in center of white stripe, surrounded by laurels. “Admiral Dewey” in banner among the laurels, American flag, and a navy fleet admiral’s flag. “The Hero” in top blue stripe. “Of Manila” in bottom red stripe.; General History; Admiral George Dewey commanded the U.S. Navy’s Asiatic Squadron based in Hong Kong in 1898 when the United States declared war on Spain. Ordered to sail to Manila and capture or destroy the Spanish fleet there, he engaged the Spanish in Manila Bay on the morning of May 1 and completely destroyed it by noon, without a single loss of American life. The Battle of Manila Bay was one of two major American naval victories in the Spanish-American War. The complete rout ended any threat from the Spanish naval forces. All major Spanish ships were destroyed or captured, without any significant damage to American forces. The battle is perhaps best known as the occasion when Dewey uttered one of the most famous statements in American naval history: “You may fire when you are ready, Gridley.” Captain Charles Gridley was the commander of the USS Olympia.

depicted: Dewey, George

ID Number: AF.58669-N
accession number: 232332
catalog number: 58669-N

Physical DescriptionUnited States Springfield Carbine Model 1873, .45 caliber.General HistoryThe Model 1873 "Trapdoor" is the classic Cavalry carbine of the Old West.

Description: Physical Description; United States Springfield Carbine Model 1873, .45 caliber.; General History; The Model 1873 "Trapdoor" is the classic Cavalry carbine of the Old West. The breech block on top of the carbine opened up and flipped forward to load the powerful .45-70-caliber government cartridge. The legendary 7th Cavalry received the first shipment in June 1874 to replace the old Civil War Sharps and Spencer carbines. By 25 June 1876 most of General George Custer’s troops were armed with the Springfield M1873 when they were overrun at the Little Bighorn.

date made: 1876

licensee: Allin, Erskine S.
maker: Springfield Armory

ID Number: 2019.0176.01
accession number: 2019.0176
catalog number: 2019.0176.01

Physical DescriptionWooden box covered with black paper. Inscribed on the cover “Geo. B.

Description: Physical Description; Wooden box covered with black paper. Inscribed on the cover “Geo. B. McClellan.” Paper label on the inside of cover bearing maker's name and address “Schuyler, Hartley & Graham, 19 Maiden Lane, New York.” One white pawn and one black knight are missing.; Specific History; Used by George McClellan during the Civil War.

date made: 1860

user: McClellan, George B.
maker: Schuyler, Hartley & Graham

ID Number: AF.17501
catalog number: 17501
accession number: 61384

Physical DescriptionUnited States Colt M1861 Navy revolver, .36 caliber, backstrap is engraved “Maj. Gen. G. B. McClellan / with Compliments of Col.

Description: Physical Description; United States Colt M1861 Navy revolver, .36 caliber, backstrap is engraved “Maj. Gen. G. B. McClellan / with Compliments of Col. Colt”.; General History; This lighter, smaller-caliber Navy model was popular with ranking army officers, including General George McClellan. The revolver was a present to McClellan from Samuel Colt, famed fire arms manufacturer.

user: McClellan, George B.
patentee: Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company
maker: Colt's Firearms Company

ID Number: AF.32016B
catalog number: 32016B
accession number: 68019

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

Physical DescriptionCloth of red and white stripes. The blue canton features a painted eagle.Specific HistoryThis flag is reputed to have been used in the Indian Wars. The United States often presented flags, sometimes called "Indian Peace Flags" to friendly Indian nations.

Description: Physical Description; Cloth of red and white stripes. The blue canton features a painted eagle.; Specific History; This flag is reputed to have been used in the Indian Wars. The United States often presented flags, sometimes called "Indian Peace Flags" to friendly Indian nations. These flags featured a coat-of-arms including the image of an eagle in their cantons.

date made: ca 1830
associated date: 1830 - 1840; ca 1822 - 1836

ID Number: AF.40498
catalog number: 40498
accession number: 143646

Physical DescriptionThree wool bunting fragments with raveled edges.Specific HistoryThese three fragments were cut from the flag that flew from Fort McHenry in 1814. This was the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner.

Description: Physical Description; Three wool bunting fragments with raveled edges.; Specific History; These three fragments were cut from the flag that flew from Fort McHenry in 1814. This was the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner. In 1880 the fragments were presented to William Carter by Eben Appleton, the grandson of the commander of Fort McHenry. Carter, a local historian, carried the Star Spangled Banner in a parade during Baltimore’s Sesquicentennial Celebration on 13 October 1880. As the flag was being packed for shipment to New York, Appleton cut three pieces and gave them to Carter. Carter’s daughter gave them to the Maryland Historical Society who donated them to the Smithsonian.

date made: 1814
associated date: 1880 - 1889

Associated Name: Appleton, Eben; Key, Francis Scott
maker: Pickersgill, Mary

ID Number: AF.35573
catalog number: 35573
accession number: 93535

Physical DescriptionModel 1841 Mississippi rifle, .54 caliber.General HistoryThis gun derives its nickname of the "Mississippi rifle" from the Mississippi Riflemen led by Jefferson Davis. The Mexican-American War began in 1846.

Description: Physical Description; Model 1841 Mississippi rifle, .54 caliber.; General History; This gun derives its nickname of the "Mississippi rifle" from the Mississippi Riflemen led by Jefferson Davis. The Mexican-American War began in 1846. Davis looked favorably upon the war as the United States stood to acquire considerable land south of the Missouri Compromise line. It was an area in which Southern institutions could expand. Davis resigned his House seat in June and rejoined the army. On July 18, 1846 he was elected colonel of the First Regiment of Mississippi Riflemen. In September of the same year, he participated in the successful siege of Monterrey, Mexico. In June, the army offered him an appointment as brigadier general of a militia unit, but he declined. In traditional Southern style, he believed the appointment was unconstitutional. The United States Constitution, he argued, gives the power of appointing militia officers to the states, not to the federal government.

Date made: 1849
associated date: 1849

maker: Whitney, Eli

ID Number: AF.32808
catalog number: 32808
accession number: 69413

Physical DescriptionBlue cloth with a circle of eight stars, two wide red stripes and one wide white stripe.General HistoryThe Confederate States of America’s first national flag was known as the “Stars & Bars.” This flag flew from 1861 to 1863.

Description: Physical Description; Blue cloth with a circle of eight stars, two wide red stripes and one wide white stripe.; General History; The Confederate States of America’s first national flag was known as the “Stars & Bars.” This flag flew from 1861 to 1863. Each of the eight stars represented a Confederate state in March 1861 when the flag was adopted. The similarity of the design of the Confederate flag and the Union “Stars and Stripes” made it difficult to distinguish between the two in the heat of battle, most notably during the First Battle of Bull Run (known to Confederates as First Manassas). This resulted in troops firing on their own men—or “friendly fire”—and in the capture of a number of prisoners of war.

ID Number: AF.42724 [dup1]
catalog number: 42724
accession number: 165001

Physical DescriptionOxidized metal bugle.Specific HistoryThis bugle was salvaged from the wreck of the USS Maine.General HistoryUSS Maine was a second-class battleship built between 1888 and 1895.

Description: Physical Description; Oxidized metal bugle.; Specific History; This bugle was salvaged from the wreck of the USS Maine.; General History; USS Maine was a second-class battleship built between 1888 and 1895. It was sent to Havana, Cuba, in January 1898 to protect American interests during the native revolt against the Spanish government. On the evening of February 15, 1898, the Maine sank when its forward gunpowder magazines exploded. Nearly three-quarters of the battleship's crew died. American popular opinion blamed the Spanish for the sinking of the Maine and war followed within a few months. In 1912 the Maine's wreck was raised to clear the harbor and to facilitate an investigation into the cause of the sinking. The remains were subsequently scuttled in deep waters north of Havana.

date made: before 1898

ID Number: AF.31188
accession number: 66761
catalog number: 31188

Physical DescriptionLithographic print.General HistoryGeneral Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of the North culminated in the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest single-day battle in American history.

Description: Physical Description; Lithographic print.; General History; General Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of the North culminated in the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. More soldiers were killed or wounded at Antietam than all the American dead in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War and the Spanish-American War combined. On September 17, 1862, General Robert E. Lee and 30,000 Confederate troops faced Major General George McClellan and 60,000 Union troops. It should have been a clear victory for McClellan, especially since his army had captured Lee’s Special Order No. 191 which directed Stonewall Jackson to march on Harpers Ferry. McClellan failed to use this information wisely, choosing instead to remain cautious. Jackson took Harpers Ferry and moved his 45,000 troops on to Antietam to reinforce Lee’s troops. McClellan was recalled to Washington and was relieved of his command.

date made: 1888
copyright date: 1888
associated date: 1862 09 17

maker: Kurz & Allison-Art Studio; Kurz & Allison-Art Studio

ID Number: AF.58125
accession number: 204114
catalog number: 58125

Physical DescriptionThis Sharps carbine, .52 caliber, was confiscated following John Brown’s raid at Harpers Ferry.General HistoryAs a boy of five, John Brown witnessed a slave his own age being beaten with a fire shovel. He vowed to become a foe of slavery.

Description: Physical Description; This Sharps carbine, .52 caliber, was confiscated following John Brown’s raid at Harpers Ferry.; General History; As a boy of five, John Brown witnessed a slave his own age being beaten with a fire shovel. He vowed to become a foe of slavery. By the mid-1800s, Brown was fulfilling his vow. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 allowed the two states to decide the issue of slavery by a popular ballot. The fight in Kansas was so intense that the state earned the nickname of “Bleeding Kansas.” As Missouri pro-slavery “Ruffians” flocked to Kansas, New England abolitionists bankrolled “Free-Soilers” to move to the settlement of Lawrence, Kansas. Henry Ward Beecher raised money to purchase Sharps rifles for use by antislavery forces in Kansas. Rifles, said Beecher, are “a greater moral agency than the Bible” in the fight against slavery. The guns were packed in crates labeled "Bibles" so they would not arouse suspicion. Soon the Sharps rifles sent to Kansas were referred to as “Beecher’s Bibles.” In 1856, after abolitionists were attacked in Lawrence, John Brown led a raid on scattered cabins along the Pottawatomie Creek, killing five people. Kansas would not become a state until 1861, after the Confederate states seceded. John Brown had another plan to bring about an end to slavery, a slave uprising. He contracted with Charles Blair, a forge master in Collinsville, Connecticut, to make 950 pikes for a dollar a piece. Brown would issue the pikes to the slaves as they revolted. On October 16, 1859, Brown led his group to Harpers Ferry where he took over the arsenal and waited for the slaves to revolt. The revolt never came. Two days later Robert E. Lee and his troops overran the raiders and captured John Brown. Brown was found guilty of murder, treason, and inciting slave insurrection. On December 2, 1859, he was hanged.
Location: Currently not on view

Associated Name: Brown, John
licensee: Sharps, C
maker: Sharps

ID Number: AF.43496
catalog number: 43496
accession number: 164794
serial number: 17353

Physical DescriptionGerman Walther P38 pistol, 9 mm.General HistoryThe Carl Walther Company began development of a new military pistol in the mid-1930s to replace the WW I Luger design.

Description: Physical Description; German Walther P38 pistol, 9 mm.; General History; The Carl Walther Company began development of a new military pistol in the mid-1930s to replace the WW I Luger design. In 1938, the Werhmacht adopted Walther's design and called it the "Pistole 38." The pistol went into full production by mid-1940 and became standard issue in the World War II. Although never as famous as the Luger pistol, the P38 was issued to far more troops.

licensee: Walther
maker: Mauser

ID Number: AF.58195M
catalog number: 58195M
accession number: 209540

Physical DescriptionEnglish-made Mexican cavalry flintlock carbine, .58 caliber marked with the Mexican symbol of an eagle devouring a snake.

Description: Physical Description; English-made Mexican cavalry flintlock carbine, .58 caliber marked with the Mexican symbol of an eagle devouring a snake.

ID Number: AF.43462
catalog number: 43462
accession number: 164794

Physical DescriptionBlue wool jacket with gold trim on sleeves and gold-colored buttons. Navy wool cap with a leather brim and leather trim. Adorned with a metal star.Specific HistoryService jacket and cap worn by Rear Admiral David G.

Description: Physical Description; Blue wool jacket with gold trim on sleeves and gold-colored buttons. Navy wool cap with a leather brim and leather trim. Adorned with a metal star.; Specific History; Service jacket and cap worn by Rear Admiral David G. Farragut while directing the fire of the flagship Hartford during the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864. It was during the Battle of Mobile Bay that Farragut uttered the infamous words, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”; General History; Farragut was born in Tennessee, raised in Louisiana, and lived in Virginia but at the outbreak of war he moved his family to New York and fought for the Union. The Battle of Mobile Bay was the culmination of his long naval career which began as an 11-year-old midshipman during the War of 1812. In 1866 Farragut became the first person in the history of the United States Navy to be awarded the rank of admiral.

associated date: 1862 - 1864

user: Farragut, David Glasgow

ID Number: AF.11781
accession number: 51104
catalog number: 11781

Physical DescriptionGold coins fused by heat.Specific HistoryThis pile of five-peseta coins was fused together by the fire aboard the Spanish ship Infanta Maria Teresa, flagship of Admiral Pascual Cervera.General HistoryInfanta Maria Teresa led the sortie out of Santiago Bay on J

Description: Physical Description; Gold coins fused by heat.; Specific History; This pile of five-peseta coins was fused together by the fire aboard the Spanish ship Infanta Maria Teresa, flagship of Admiral Pascual Cervera.; General History; Infanta Maria Teresa led the sortie out of Santiago Bay on July 3, 1898. As the flagship of Admiral Pascual Cervera, it drew the bulk of the American fire. The Teresa was seriously damaged and on fire. An attempt was made to ram Commodore Winfield Schley's flagship, USS Brooklyn, but when that failed, Admiral Cervera ran theTeresa ashore, allowing his crew to be saved. Despite being ravaged by fire and magazine explosions, the United States Navy believed the Teresa was salvageable. It was refloated and taken to Guantanamo Bay for preliminary repairs. As it was towed to Norfolk, Virginia, for rebuilding, it was caught in a tropical storm. The tow line was cut, and the Teresa was lost at sea.

ID Number: AF.35389
catalog number: 35389
accession number: 91675

Military

Audie Murphy's Medal of Honor Citation

Powder Horn

Braddock Pistol

Sam Houston's Rifle

Model of the Monitor

Cher Ami

General William T. Sherman's sword and scabbard

German MP40 "Maschinenpistole .40" Submachine Gun

Admiral Dewey Banner

Model 1873 Springfield Trapdoor Carbine, marked NOV/76

McClellan's Chess Set

McClellan's Colt Model 1861 Navy Revolver

Major Lemuel Montgomery's Pistol

Eagle in Canton Flag

Fragments of the Star Spangled Banner

Mississippi Rifle

First Confederate National Flag

Encrusted Bugle

Battle of Antietam Lithograph

Sharps Carbine

German Walther P38 Pistol

Mexican Cavalry Flintlock Carbine

Rear Admiral David G. Farragut's Service Coat and Cap

Fused Gold Coins