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.

Model 1884; Mounted

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1886
used date
1885 -
ID Number
AF.25101.136
catalog number
25101.136
designer number
99
accession number
64127

M1 Rocket Launcher

Physical DescriptionM1 rocket launcher, 60 mm, known as a “Bazooka.”General HistoryThe United States had a growing stockpile of excellent antitank warheads but lacked a suitable delivery system. Colonel Leslie Skinner, a U.S.
Description
Physical Description
M1 rocket launcher, 60 mm, known as a “Bazooka.”
General History
The United States had a growing stockpile of excellent antitank warheads but lacked a suitable delivery system. Colonel Leslie Skinner, a U.S. Army officer at the Ordnance Proving Ground, was an enthusiastic proponent of rockets. He suggested carrying the hollow charge at the tip of a high-speed rocket. He built a rocket to carry a grenade body, then took a modified 60-mm mortar tube and demonstrated the destructive force of his new weapon in front of high-ranking generals. The officers gathered to see the official demonstrations of other weapons were suitably impressed and Skinner's weapon was ordered into production immediately. The new weapon was soon modified for production and a month later, in May 1942, General Electric had built 5,000 ready for combat. The first model was known as the Rocket Launcher M1. The caliber of 60 mm or 2.36 inches was determined by the grenades used as the warhead, which were already in production. The Bazooka got its nickname for its similar shape to the popular 1930s and 1940s radio comedian Bob Burns’s musical instrument, a homemade trombone he called a Bazooka.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1942
maker
General Electric Company
ID Number
AF.67438M
catalog number
67438M
accession number
243351

Medical Chest for Motor Ambulances at Aviation Camps

First aid chest used by Italian Army in World War I.Currently not on view
Description
First aid chest used by Italian Army in World War I.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1916
ID Number
MG.28627
catalog number
28627
accession number
65023

Dragoon Pistol

Physical Description:This .69 caliber smoothbore flintlock U.S. Light Dragoon Pistol was made by James Hunter’s Rappahannock Forge for the Continental Army. The pistol has brass mountings and a gooseneck hammer.
Description
Physical Description:
This .69 caliber smoothbore flintlock U.S. Light Dragoon Pistol was made by James Hunter’s Rappahannock Forge for the Continental Army. The pistol has brass mountings and a gooseneck hammer. It has a bulbous hexagonal shaped butt.
The lockplate is stamped “RAPA/FORGE” and is marked “FK K VIII” on the inside. The barrel is stamped “I. HUNTER”. The numerals “VIIII” are stamped on the inside of the brass mountings
History:
Rappahannock Forge is also referred to as the Hunter’s Iron Works. It was built before the American Revolution by James Hunter of Stafford County, along the Rappahannock River in Virginia. The only official record of his communication with the Council of Safety deals with horseman’s swords.
This pistol is very similar to other Rappahannock Forge pistols. It is thought that only the 3rd Regiment marked their pistols because those are the only found with markings. This particular pistol was found in a house in Brookline, Ma in 1967. It was purchased by Arnold Mills then sold to the Bitter Collection.
References:
Flayderman, Norm. Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms…and their Values, Gun Digest Books, Iola, 2007. 9th edition.
Gardner, Robert E. Col. Small Arms Makers: A Directory of Fabricators of Firearms, Edged Weapons, Crossbows and Polearms, Crown Publishers Inc, New York: 1963, p. 157.
Smith, Samuel E. and Edwin W. Bitter. Historic Pistols: The American Martial Flintlock 1760-1845, Scalamandre Publications, New York: 1986, p. 58.
Location
Currently on loan
date made
ca 1780
maker
Hunter, James
ID Number
1989.0149.02
accession number
1989.0149
catalog number
1989.0149.02

Flintlock Pistol

Currently on loan
Location
Currently on loan
associated person
Lee, Charles
Associated Name
Morris, Jacob
ID Number
AF.34368A
catalog number
34368A
accession number
71476

Flintlock Pistol

Currently on loan
Location
Currently on loan
Associated Name
Morris, Jacob
ID Number
AF.34368B
catalog number
34368B
accession number
71476

The Argonne Country

Pencil and watercolor sketch on paper. The sketch shows an American soldier standing in the foreground on the left. He is next to an elaborate cross on a hill, looking out over a village, which is in the background on the right.
Description
Pencil and watercolor sketch on paper. The sketch shows an American soldier standing in the foreground on the left. He is next to an elaborate cross on a hill, looking out over a village, which is in the background on the right. The Argonne forest was the site of a major battle during World War I.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-11
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.26063
catalog number
26063
accession number
64592

Grandpre

A charcoal sketch on paper. This landscape shows Grandpre, France. In the foreground is a battleground with dugouts, barbed wire entanglements, and a bare tree on the left.
Description
A charcoal sketch on paper. This landscape shows Grandpre, France. In the foreground is a battleground with dugouts, barbed wire entanglements, and a bare tree on the left. Beyond the battleground are shell torn buildings, including a large church in the center that has some roof damage. The church is most likely the Église Saint-Médard.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1918
associated date
1917-1918
associated person
War Department
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.25989
catalog number
25989
accession number
64592

Stevens Snare Drum

This drum was made by Abner Stevens in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in 1812.
Description

This drum was made by Abner Stevens in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in 1812. The wood drum shell has been cut down approximately 3 inches from each end and features an image of the American bald eagle on a flag shield with a banner inscribed “LIBERTY OR DEATH.” It has black painted hoops and metal hooks laced with rope through leather ears, used to tighten the hoops. The drum is currently disassembled. The paper label inside the shell is inscribed:

AMERICAN DRUMS
ABNE[R] [S]TEVENS,
HA[S] FOR SALE
TAMBOREANS, BASS & COM[ ]
DRUMS,
MADE IN THE BEST MANNER
At his Factory in the center of the town of
PITTSFIELD, (Ms.) 1812.

The donor provided the following information:

”This drum was carried during five years of the Civil War by Henry K. Bevier, father of donor, who was drum major of the 72d New York Zuaves. He carried the drum through many engagements of the Civil War including the Battle of Gettysburg and also in the Victory Parade held in Washington, D. C. at the close of the War. The family tradition is that this drum was originally purchased by his grandfather who carried it during the war of 1812.”

”Henry K. Bevier was born on December 1, 1843 at Jerusalem in Erie County/New York, the son of Samuel and Rhoda Taylor. On August 5, 1869, he married Mary M. Taylor and in 1873 settled in Elisabethtown, Bartholemew County, Indiana. He later moved to Nebraska and was at the time of his death in his 90's the oldest surviving Civil War veteran in Nebraska."

”Some time after the Civil War, Bevier cut three inches off the top of the drum body and three inches off its bottom and made a new drum which he gave to one son. The remaining center portion, was made into another drum and given to another son, which is the drum donated to the museum.”

Henry K. Bevier (1843-1938 ) [recorded in roster as Brevier] enlisted on May 28, 1861. He was a musician with the 72nd New York Infantry, Company D. He was mustered in June 20, 1861. Bevier was mustered out June 19, 1864.

date made
1812
maker
Stevens, Abner
ID Number
MI.066621
accession number
232886
catalog number
66621

Field Glasses

Brass instrument with a black japan finish. The objective lenses are about 40 mm diameter, and the optics are excellent.
Description
Brass instrument with a black japan finish. The objective lenses are about 40 mm diameter, and the optics are excellent. The “CHEVALIER * PARIS” inscription on each eyepiece refers to an optical firm that was begun by Louis Vincent Chevalier in 1765, and that was still in the business in the late 19th century. The left eye tube is marked “DAY & NIGHT / EXTRA POWER” and the right is marked “ARMY & NAVY / EXTRA POWER.” The case is black leather.
Ref: Paolo Brenni, “19th Century French Scientific Instrument Makers. II: The Chevalier Dynasty,” Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society 39 (1993): 11–14.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
maker
Chevalier
ID Number
PH.323411
catalog number
323411
accession number
251004

Horstmann & Sons Snare Drum

This snare drum was made by William H. Horstmann & Sons, In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, around 1830-1857. It has a dark-brown stained wood shell with a pattern of 64 brass tacks around the sound hole, and two skin heads.
Description

This snare drum was made by William H. Horstmann & Sons, In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, around 1830-1857. It has a dark-brown stained wood shell with a pattern of 64 brass tacks around the sound hole, and two skin heads. There are two black-painted wood hoops drilled with 10 holes each for rope which is laced through leather ears, used to tighten the hoops. The printed label is inscribed:

WM.H.HORSTMANN & SONS,
MILITARY FURNISHERS
No. 51 North Third Street
PHILADELPHIA

Hortsmann, born in Germany, emigrated to the United States and established himself as a maker of fringe, laces, and trimmings in Philadelphia, in 1815. William Horstmann & Sons were located at North Third Street between 1830 and 1857, manufacturing and importing everything from textiles and trimmings to military goods including drums, pistols, and swords. As the company expanded, Horstmann & Sons moved the factory to 5th and Cherry Streets and their storefront to 2223 Chestnut Street. Later the company would grow to two stores in New York and an agency in Paris. William Horstmann retired from the company in 1845, and his sons, William and Sigmund continued the family business until 1872.

According to the donor, this drum was picked up by a soldier by the name of Dunlevy from the Battle of the Wilderness, fought on May 5-6, near Fredericksburg, Virginia, in 1864.

Location
Currently not on view
date made
1830 - 1857
maker
Horstmann, William H. & Sons
ID Number
MI.070935
accession number
279458
catalog number
70935

The Road to Essey

Charcoal sketch on white paper. Sketch shows groups of American soldiers marching off into the distance between army motor trucks on a dirt road. The road is surrounded by large dead trees and barbed wire entanglements on either side. Rolling hills and fields in the distance.
Description
Charcoal sketch on white paper. Sketch shows groups of American soldiers marching off into the distance between army motor trucks on a dirt road. The road is surrounded by large dead trees and barbed wire entanglements on either side. Rolling hills and fields in the distance. The sky is very cloudy and dark with observation balloons floating in the distance.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
artist
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.26080
catalog number
26080
accession number
64592

Discharge of Benjamin Loring

Date made
1783
1794
associated date
1783
issuer
Washington, George
recipient
Loring, Benjamin
associated institution
New York Artillery Regiment
maker
Washington, George
ID Number
AF.73520M
catalog number
73520M
accession number
286278

2nd Model Kriegsmarine Scabbard with Hangers

date made
ca 1939
ID Number
2010.0247.02
accession number
2010.0247
catalog number
2010.0247.02

Officer's Samurai pattern

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1981.0837.01
accession number
1981.0837
catalog number
1981.0837.01

Army Signal Corps Female Telephone Operator Uniform

U.S. Army Signal Corps Female Telephone Operator "Hello Girl" uniform, World War I. The uniform consists of a coat, skirt, and overseas cap, each made of navy blue wool.
Description
U.S. Army Signal Corps Female Telephone Operator "Hello Girl" uniform, World War I. The uniform consists of a coat, skirt, and overseas cap, each made of navy blue wool. The coat has several patches and insignia, including the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) General Headquarters patch on left sleeve and the Chief Operator rank insignia on the right sleeve. There are two overseas service chevrons on the lower left sleeve, denoting 6 months of service each. On the left breast is the World War I Victory Ribbon with silver citation star. This uniform was worn by Helen Cook and donated by her through The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America.
The Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators unit was formed in late 1917 following an urgent request from General Pershing. The AEF was in desperate need of bilingual switchboard operators to improve vital communications at the front. By the end of the war, over 400 women had been trained by the Army as "Hello Girls" and over 200 had served overseas, with many receiving Distinguished Service medals.
Upon returning home after the war, "Hello Girls," unlike women who had served in the Navy, were denied veteran benefits as Army regulations at the time defined soldiers as male. It wasn't until over 60 years later, in 1979, that the Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators were finally given their veteran status and benefits.
ID Number
1998.0165.35.01
accession number
1998.0165
catalog number
1998.0165.35.01

American Library Association Uniform

Women's American Library Association (ALA) uniform from World War I, consisting of a hat, coat, shirtwaist, necktie, skirt, and insignia.
Description
Women's American Library Association (ALA) uniform from World War I, consisting of a hat, coat, shirtwaist, necktie, skirt, and insignia. The hat is green velour, the coat and skirt are olive green wool gabardine, the shirtwaist is white crepe de chine, and the tie is greenish brown silk. Metal lapel and hat insignia and cloth sleeve insignia show "ALA" over an open book. This uniform was donated by the ALA through The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America.
The ALA's mission during World War I was to provide American men in the armed forces with reading material during their off-duty and recovery hours on transport ships, in camps, and in hospitals. Men served as librarians for the ALA, while women typically engaged in fundraising, sorting and preparing books, and working at ALA headquarters.
Source:
Vivian Lea Young, “'Petticoats Are Part of this Uniform': American Women Volunteers of the First World War and Their Uniforms” (Master's thesis, George Washington University, 1987).
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1917-1918
ID Number
1998.0165.60.04
accession number
1998.0165
catalog number
1998.0165.60.04

American Library Association Uniform

Women's American Library Association (ALA) uniform from World War I, consisting of a hat, coat, shirtwaist, necktie, skirt, and insignia.
Description
Women's American Library Association (ALA) uniform from World War I, consisting of a hat, coat, shirtwaist, necktie, skirt, and insignia. The hat is green velour, the coat and skirt are olive green wool gabardine, the shirtwaist is white crepe de chine, and the tie is greenish brown silk. Metal lapel and hat insignia and cloth sleeve insignia show "ALA" over an open book. This uniform was donated by the ALA through The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America.
The ALA's mission during World War I was to provide American men in the armed forces with reading material during their off-duty and recovery hours on transport ships, in camps, and in hospitals. Men served as librarians for the ALA, while women typically engaged in fundraising, sorting and preparing books, and working at ALA headquarters.
Source:
Vivian Lea Young, “'Petticoats Are Part of this Uniform': American Women Volunteers of the First World War and Their Uniforms” (Master's thesis, George Washington University, 1987).
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1917-1918
ID Number
1998.0165.60.02
accession number
1998.0165
catalog number
1998.0165.60.02

Model 1896

maker
Springfield Armory
ID Number
AF.229564
catalog number
229564
accession number
42272

American Library Association Uniform

Women's American Library Association (ALA) uniform from World War I, consisting of a hat, coat, shirtwaist, necktie, skirt, and insignia.
Description
Women's American Library Association (ALA) uniform from World War I, consisting of a hat, coat, shirtwaist, necktie, skirt, and insignia. The hat is green velour, the coat and skirt are olive green wool gabardine, the shirtwaist is white crepe de chine, and the tie is greenish brown silk. Metal lapel and hat insignia and cloth sleeve insignia show "ALA" over an open book. This uniform was donated by the ALA through The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America.
The ALA's mission during World War I was to provide American men in the armed forces with reading material during their off-duty and recovery hours on transport ships, in camps, and in hospitals. Men served as librarians for the ALA, while women typically engaged in fundraising, sorting and preparing books, and working at ALA headquarters.
Source:
Vivian Lea Young, “'Petticoats Are Part of this Uniform': American Women Volunteers of the First World War and Their Uniforms” (Master's thesis, George Washington University, 1987).
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1998.0165.60.01.02
accession number
1998.0165
catalog number
1998.0165.60.01.02

American Library Association Uniform

Women's American Library Association (ALA) uniform from World War I, consisting of a hat, coat, shirtwaist, necktie, skirt, and insignia.
Description
Women's American Library Association (ALA) uniform from World War I, consisting of a hat, coat, shirtwaist, necktie, skirt, and insignia. The hat is green velour, the coat and skirt are olive green wool gabardine, the shirtwaist is white crepe de chine, and the tie is greenish brown silk. Metal lapel and hat insignia and cloth sleeve insignia show "ALA" over an open book. This uniform was donated by the ALA through The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America.
The ALA's mission during World War I was to provide American men in the armed forces with reading material during their off-duty and recovery hours on transport ships, in camps, and in hospitals. Men served as librarians for the ALA, while women typically engaged in fundraising, sorting and preparing books, and working at ALA headquarters.
Source:
Vivian Lea Young, “'Petticoats Are Part of this Uniform': American Women Volunteers of the First World War and Their Uniforms” (Master's thesis, George Washington University, 1987).
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1917-1918
ID Number
1998.0165.60.05
accession number
1998.0165
catalog number
1998.0165.60.05

The Railhead Dump at Ménil-la-Tour

A charcoal and watercolor sketch on brown paper mounted on a white matte paper sealed in the front with a glass sheet and backed by a plastic sheet wrapped in plastic wrap. The scene is of a railhead dump at Menil-la-Tour.
Description
A charcoal and watercolor sketch on brown paper mounted on a white matte paper sealed in the front with a glass sheet and backed by a plastic sheet wrapped in plastic wrap. The scene is of a railhead dump at Menil-la-Tour. Approximately nine men wearing blue, possibly French, are seen in the sketch all over the picture. Seven men are working around a tall pile of baled hay seen in the center of the sketch. Another two men are working on the right side, dragging a sheet. Several tall covered piles are seen besides the hay pile. Two flat cars are seen on the rails. Trash is seen in on the right side behind a lone tree. Behind the trash is a building.
The sketch is mostly colored, but it is not entirely sketched. The sky is colored blue. The tree and the grass are painted green. Other colors include light blue, red, and brown/pink for the ground.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918-06
maker
Smith, J. Andre
ID Number
AF.26058
catalog number
26058
accession number
64592

Model 1917

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1918
associated date
1917 - 1921
maker
Bartunek, John M.
ID Number
1979.0915.01
accession number
1979.0915
catalog number
1979.0915. 01
designer number
1268

Webster Snare Drum

This snare drum was made by John Webster, near Spencertown, New York, around 1790-1820. It has a painted shell with a painted eagle with its characteristic “frog-legged” design that appears during the period of the 1790s to about 1820 on U.S.
Description

This snare drum was made by John Webster, near Spencertown, New York, around 1790-1820. It has a painted shell with a painted eagle with its characteristic “frog-legged” design that appears during the period of the 1790s to about 1820 on U.S. militia canteens, belt plates, cap insignia and knapsacks. Also this basic design, with a shield on the eagle‘s breast, was used on the U.S. Peace medals of 1792 and 1793. There are 13 stars painted on the drum shell in a circular pattern around the eagle motif. Also, there are 4 additional stars painted vertically to the right side of the eagle motif.

The drum has two wood hoops drilled with 9 holes each for rope, which at one time, was laced through leather ears, used to tighten the hoops. There are 2 skin heads in poor condition and remnants of a gut snare. The drum is disassembled and would require conservation to bring it back to its original condition. It is accessioned with a pair of hardwood drum sticks. There is a label inside the shell that is inscribed:

“I was made by John Webster 3 miles north of Spencertown Meeting House Sept 1779”

As indicated in correspondence with the previous owner, this drum was brought back from the War of 1812 by Captain John George Snyder. Further research is needed to determine details of Snyder’s military career.

date made
1790-1820
ID Number
1989.0355.01
catalog number
1989.0355.01
accession number
1989.0355

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