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.

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1857
ID Number
ZZ.RSN80767W14
accession number
64127
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1886
associated date
1885 - 1902
ID Number
ZZ.RSN80777W10
accession number
64127
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1857
ID Number
AF.22812 [dup1]
catalog number
22812
accession number
64127
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1872
ID Number
ZZ.RSN80768W23
accession number
64127
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1891
associated date
1891 -
ID Number
ZZ.RSN80777W44
designer number
198
accession number
64127
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Associated Date
1872 - 1879
associated person; user
Grant, Ida H.
maker
Hatfield & Sons
ID Number
AF.13497
catalog number
13497
accession number
54682
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1857
ID Number
ZZ.RSN80768W08
accession number
64127
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1890 - 1902
ID Number
AF.24911
accession number
64127
catalog number
24911
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1892
user
1898 01 01, 1901 12 31
used date
1885 - 1902
user
William Dart
wearer
North, Virginia L.
ID Number
1992.0436.03
catalog number
1992.0436.03
accession number
1992.0436
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1887
associated date
1887 - 1902
ID Number
ZZ.RSN80777W29
accession number
64127
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1887 - 1902
ID Number
ZZ.RSN80777W21
accession number
64127
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1832
ID Number
ZZ.RSN80738W09
accession number
64127
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1907
used date
1902 -
associated date
1902
wearer
Pershing, John J.
associated person
Pershing, John J.
maker
Haas, John G.
ID Number
AF.54936
accession number
193392
catalog number
54936
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
used date
1880 - 1902
ID Number
2007.0069.04
catalog number
2007.0069.04
accession number
2007.0069
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1863 - 1872
ID Number
ZZ.RSN81823W74
accession number
64127
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1917 - 1921
ID Number
1978.0062.08
accession number
1978.0062
catalog number
1978.0062.08
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1854
ID Number
AF.22823 [dup1]
accession number
64127
catalog number
22823
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1872
ID Number
ZZ.RSN80768W38
accession number
64127
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1851 - 1854
1851
ID Number
AF.22757
catalog number
22757
accession number
64127
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1898 - 1899
ID Number
2007.0069.07
catalog number
2007.0069.07
accession number
2007.0069
This is Confederate Army Brigadier General Marcus J. Wright’s double breasted gray wool frock coat. The coat originally had two rows of eight large gilt eagle staff-type buttons down the front, placed in pairs. The bottom pair of buttons on the right side are now missing.
Description
This is Confederate Army Brigadier General Marcus J. Wright’s double breasted gray wool frock coat. The coat originally had two rows of eight large gilt eagle staff-type buttons down the front, placed in pairs. The bottom pair of buttons on the right side are now missing. Three small buttons are also missing on each cuff, and two buttons are missing on the bottom of each pocket in the rear of the coat. Both sides of the jacket have button holes. There is a hook and eye closure at the collar. The collar and cuffs are faced with buff wool and the cuffs form an inverted "V". There are four rows of elaborate 1/8" gold braided metallic lace, called an Austrian knot, sewed on with a single row of gold thread above the cuff. The gold tape also lines the cuff. The collar has a wreath with three gold stars enclosed and embroidered in gold and silver thread on each side. The center star on each side of the collar is larger than the others. The buttonhole flaps and front of the skirt are piped with blue wool. The coat is fully lined. The button flaps and the inside of the collar are lined with buff wool. The sleeves are fully lined with cotton twill. The rest of the lining is a tan-colored cotton. The chest, shoulder, and underarm are lightly padded and quilted. There is a slit breast pocket on the inside left. There is a deep pocket in each coattail in between the coat and the lining. There are remnants of a loop made of cotton at the inside back collar.
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1861-1865
user; associated person
Wright, Marcus Joseph
ID Number
AF.34754
catalog number
34754
accession number
83543
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1884
1872
ID Number
ZZ.RSN80769W00
accession number
64127
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
used date
1858 - 1872
ID Number
ZZ.RSN80768W11
accession number
64127
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
used date
1884 -
ID Number
AF.75539M
catalog number
75539M
accession number
297383

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