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.

Topic: Civil War, 1861-1865

Shell jacket

As cloth grew scarce in the South, the long frock coat gave way to a shorter sack coat or more often to a shell jacket, which became standard issued in the Confederate Army. This jacket belonged to George William Ramsay of the 17th Regiment of the Virginia Infantry.
Description
As cloth grew scarce in the South, the long frock coat gave way to a shorter sack coat or more often to a shell jacket, which became standard issued in the Confederate Army. This jacket belonged to George William Ramsay of the 17th Regiment of the Virginia Infantry.
associated date
1861-1865
ID Number
AF.67633M
catalog number
67633M
accession number
220760

Vest

This uniform vest, along with the uniform trousers and coat, belonged to Lieutenant Carville of the 165th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment and was donated to the museum in 1906 by the wearer's sister, Mrs. Eliza C. Fiedler.
Description
This uniform vest, along with the uniform trousers and coat, belonged to Lieutenant Carville of the 165th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment and was donated to the museum in 1906 by the wearer's sister, Mrs. Eliza C. Fiedler. In her letter to the museum dated November 3, 1906, Eliza wrote "These things I desire to present to the National Museum as it will be a satisfaction for me to feel that these treasured articles will be in the care of the Government."
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1851-1902
associated person; user
Carville, Charles R.
ID Number
AF.10622
catalog number
10622
accession number
46623

Confederate Army Colonel Robert W. Harper's Frock Coat

This frock coat was worn by Confederate Army Infantry Colonel Robert W. Harper.
Description
This frock coat was worn by Confederate Army Infantry Colonel Robert W. Harper. Double breasted gray heather wool frock coat with two rows of seven large gilt infantry buttons with the raised letter "I" on the face down the front, two at the back waist, one at the bottom of each pocket opening on the rear skirt, and three smaller general service eagle buttons on each cuff. The bottom right button on the right front row is detached from its location and is tied to the top buttonhole with string. The back of the buttons read, "Halfmann & Taylor Montgomery." Both sides of the breast of the coat have button holes. There is a hook and eye closure at the collar. The collar and cuffs are faced with bright blue wool. The facing on the cuffs forms an inverted "V". Above the cuff there is a triple row of 1/8" gold braided metallic lace, called an Austrian knot, sewed on with a single row of gold thread. The gold tape also lines the cuff. The collar has three large five-point gold stars on each side which are woven onto the collar facing with thick metallic thread. There is a small slit pocket on the right front of the jacket above the waist. 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 blue wool. The sleeves are fully lined with cotton twill. The rest of the lining is a dark brownish green 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 is a loop of brownish green cotton at the inside back collar.
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1861-1865
wearer
Harper, Robert W.
ID Number
AF.42577
catalog number
42577
accession number
163704

Confederate Officer's Frock Coat

Physical DescriptionDouble-breasted gray wool with gold braid trim on sleeves and gold-colored buttons. Facing in French blue indicating the coat was worn by a medical officer.Specific HistoryThis is the type of jacket that would have been worn by a Confederate medical officer.
Description
Physical Description
Double-breasted gray wool with gold braid trim on sleeves and gold-colored buttons. Facing in French blue indicating the coat was worn by a medical officer.
Specific History
This is the type of jacket that would have been worn by a Confederate medical officer.
associated date
1861-1865
ID Number
1980.0399.0932
catalog number
U-126
1980.0399.0932
accession number
1980.0399

Drum

This drum was made by an unknown maker in the United States, around 1800-1850. According to the accession record, this was a Confederate drum captured at Yorktown by Capt. D.K. Wardwell of the 22nd Massachusetts Volunteers Porter's Division.Currently not on view
Description
This drum was made by an unknown maker in the United States, around 1800-1850. According to the accession record, this was a Confederate drum captured at Yorktown by Capt. D.K. Wardwell of the 22nd Massachusetts Volunteers Porter's Division.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800 - 1850
ID Number
MI.123076
accession number
18065
catalog number
123076

United States Colored Troops Flag

Physical DescriptionRed, white, and blue silk flag.Specific HistoryThis flag belonged to the 84th Infantry Regiment, United States Colored Troops. The red stripes bear the regiment's name and number.
Description
Physical Description
Red, white, and blue silk flag.
Specific History
This flag belonged to the 84th Infantry Regiment, United States Colored Troops. The red stripes bear the regiment's name and number. Inscribed on the flag are Port Hudson, where the Louisiana Native Guards and the Corps d'Afrique fought before the 84th formed, as well as four battles in which the regiment took part during the Red River Campaign and an engagement in Texas at war's end.
General History
In June 1863 the Louisiana Native Guards became part of the Corps d’Afrique, and in 1864 soldiers from that corps formed the 84th Infantry Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops. The unit was organized April 4, 1864 and mustered out of service on March 14, 1866. The unit fought primarily in Louisiana with three other regiments of colored troops and a larger force of Union volunteers.
date made
ca 1864
ID Number
1982.0379.01
accession number
1982.0379
catalog number
1982.0379.01

Bearded Man in Uniform

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1860s
ID Number
PG.68.79
accession number
1983.0010
catalog number
68.79

Draft Notice, 1864

The scope and brutality of the Civil War quickly challenged the military resources of the North and South. The Confederacy and the Union established general compulsory military service. Many considered the draft an infringement on their individual liberty.
Description
The scope and brutality of the Civil War quickly challenged the military resources of the North and South. The Confederacy and the Union established general compulsory military service. Many considered the draft an infringement on their individual liberty. Critics charged class discrimination, as the North and South draft laws provided financial ways to avoid service. The debate over a military draft has continued ever since. Today all men are required to register for Selective Service at eighteen years of age. This draft notice was issued for Edrick Frear on April 7, 1864.
date made
1864
ID Number
PL.223929.01
accession number
223929
catalog number
223929.01

Ambrotype of a Confederate Soldier

This intriguing ambrotype shows what appears to be a soldier in a Zouave uniform advancing with weapon in hand. The man shown here-- whether he was a soldier or a civilian portraying one is unknown-- was actually posing for photographer and abolitionist T.P.
Description
This intriguing ambrotype shows what appears to be a soldier in a Zouave uniform advancing with weapon in hand. The man shown here-- whether he was a soldier or a civilian portraying one is unknown-- was actually posing for photographer and abolitionist T.P. Collins, likely as a study for a painting.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1860-1865
ID Number
PG.004697
catalog number
4697
accession number
189067

A Flag of Truce

By late 1864 the war was coming to an end. In December Gen. William T. Sherman completed his destructive march to the sea. Richmond, the Confederate capital, fell early in April, and on April 9, Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant.
Description
By late 1864 the war was coming to an end. In December Gen. William T. Sherman completed his destructive march to the sea. Richmond, the Confederate capital, fell early in April, and on April 9, Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. Over the course of the war, some 623,000 Northern and Southern soldiers died.
This towel was used as a flag of truce by Confederate troops during Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on April 9, 1865. It was preserved by Gen. George A. Custer, who was present at the surrender.
Bequest of Elizabeth B. Custer, 1936
associated date
1865-04-09
associated person
Lee, Robert E.
Grant, Ulysses S.
ID Number
PL.039765
catalog number
39765
accession number
124419

Ulysses S. Grant's chair from Appomattox

On April 9, 1865, General Ulysses S. Grant and General Robert E. Lee met in the home of Wilmer McLean at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, to negotiate the surrender of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to the United States Army.
Description
On April 9, 1865, General Ulysses S. Grant and General Robert E. Lee met in the home of Wilmer McLean at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, to negotiate the surrender of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to the United States Army. Sitting in the chair on the right, Grant discussed the fate of Lee's troops. Then, leaning over the oval table, he drafted and signed the final terms of surrender. While there were still Confederate troops in the field under other commanders, Lee's surrender effectively marked the end of the Civil War.
Union officers, recognizing the significance of the event, individually took pieces of furniture as souvenirs. General E. W. Whitaker grabbed Lee's chair, General Henry Capehart claimed Grant's chair, and General Philip Sheridan took the table and presented it to the wife of Major General George Amstrong Custer. In three separate donations, by 1915, these items were reunited at the Smithsonian Institution.
Date made
before 1865
associated date
1865-04-09
associated person
Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson)
ID Number
PL.010517
catalog number
010517
accession number
45493

Civil War Soldier

Photographs can be powerful connections to the past. Soldiers, for example often had their portraits made before going off to war so that loved ones would have a rememberance of them in the event they did not return.
Description
Photographs can be powerful connections to the past. Soldiers, for example often had their portraits made before going off to war so that loved ones would have a rememberance of them in the event they did not return. This decorative mat is unusual and suggests the pride the owner may have felt about his status as a fighting soldier.
Ambrotypes were most popular in the mid-1850s, and, therefore, are less common than other formats for portraits of Civil War soldiers. Ambrotypes are cased collodian negatives backed by dark cloth, paper, or varnish. In this example, pink coloring has been applied to the subjects's cheeks to make the portrait feel more warm and human.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1861-1865
maker
unknown
ID Number
PG.75.17.927
accession number
322775
catalog number
75.17.927

Tintype Portrait of a Union Soldier

This tintype depicts a portrait of a Union artilleryman. The insignia on his coat and had have been painted gold and his cheeks have been tinted pink. An order issued by the U.S.
Description
This tintype depicts a portrait of a Union artilleryman. The insignia on his coat and had have been painted gold and his cheeks have been tinted pink. An order issued by the U.S. War Department in 1858 called for enlisted men to receive each year one dress hat such as the Hardee hat this man is wearing and a fatigue or forage cap.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1860s
ID Number
PG.75.17.187
catalog number
75.17.187
accession number
322775

Ambrotype of Union Soldiers Posing with Flag, circa 1863-1865

This ambrotype of Union soldiers posing with a United States flag was taken around 1863. The cheeks of the soldiers were hand-tinted to give them a rosy look.Currently not on view
Description
This ambrotype of Union soldiers posing with a United States flag was taken around 1863. The cheeks of the soldiers were hand-tinted to give them a rosy look.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1863-1865
ID Number
PG.75.17.922
accession number
322775
catalog number
75.17.922

insignia

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1861 - 1865
ID Number
AF.8043A
catalog number
8043A
accession number
36367

Texas waist belt plate

Southerners had a greater assortment of belt plates compared to Northerners. One example was this waist belt plate with the familiar lone star symbol for Texas.Currently not on view
Description
Southerners had a greater assortment of belt plates compared to Northerners. One example was this waist belt plate with the familiar lone star symbol for Texas.
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1851-1860
ID Number
AF.60670M
catalog number
60670M
accession number
223708
collector/donor number
SK426

Knife, Fork, and Plate from Libby Prison

Physical DescriptionMetal-and-bone knife and fork and a metal plate.Specific HistoryThis knife, fork, and plate was issued to prisoner of war Colonel John S.
Description
Physical Description
Metal-and-bone knife and fork and a metal plate.
Specific History
This knife, fork, and plate was issued to prisoner of war Colonel John S. Crocker, 93rd Infantry Regiment, New York Volunteers, by the commandant of Libby Prison, Richmond, Virginia, and used by him at Libby and Salisbury prisons, 1862.
General History
Libby Prison's three buildings were designed and built as a warehouse by John Enders, who died before putting them to use. Following his death, the warehouse sold to Luther Libby from Maine, who erected a sign "L. Libby & Son, Chip Chandlers". At the beginning of the war, Libby was given 48 hours to vacate the building so it could be used as a prison. The only thing Libby left behind was his sign; the building became Libby Prison. During the war, Libby held over 125,000 men, mostly Union officers. On February 9, 1864, the most bold and daring of prison escapes happened at Libby. One hundred nine Union army officers managed to escape by crawling through a fireplace, sliding down a chimney, and slithering through a 53-foot-long tunnel. The escape came after months of digging with tools smuggled into the prison by a Northern sympathizer, Elizabeth Van Wert, a.k.a. Crazybet. Libby was vacated just before the Union army captured Richmond, and spent the rest of the war empty.
date made
1862
associated date
1861 - 1865
user
Crocker, John S.
ID Number
AF.75529M
catalog number
75529M
accession number
296035

Model 1855 Foot Officer's Sword used by General John Halderman

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated person
Halderman, John A.
ID Number
AF.6243
catalog number
6243

Ulysses S. Grant's Field Glasses

Physical DescriptionThese field glasses belonged to General Ulysses S. Grant, and were probably used during the Civil War. The objective lenses are 55mm diameter and give a good image. The length is 160 mm (closed).
Description
Physical Description
These field glasses belonged to General Ulysses S. Grant, and were probably used during the Civil War. The objective lenses are 55mm diameter and give a good image. The length is 160 mm (closed). The cloth covered barrels are flared slightly at the eye end; the outer 55 mm are cylindrical.
General History
Ulysses S. Grant, a West Point graduate who fought with distinction in the War with Mexico, found postwar life in the West unbearable and resigned from the army in 1854. When the Civil War began, he offered his services and soon took command of a volunteer regiment. In September 1861 he was appointed Brigadier General of Volunteers by President Abraham Lincoln. In February 1862 Grant took Fort Henry and attacked Fort Donelson. When the Confederate commander asked for terms, Grant replied, "No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted." The Confederates surrendered, and President Lincoln promoted Grant to Major General of Volunteers. Grant fought one of the bloodiest battles in the West at Shiloh, but it was not the decisive victory that the Union wanted. President Lincoln believed in Grant and refused to remove him from command, saying "I can't spare this man–he fights." His next major objective would cut the Confederacy in two. Grant maneuvered and fought skillfully, winning Vicksburg, the key city on the Mississippi, and breaking the Confederate hold on Chattanooga. Lincoln appointed him general in chief in March 1864. Grant directed Sherman to drive through the South while he himself, with the Army of the Potomac, pinned down Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. On April 9, 1865, at Appomattox Court House, Lee surrendered. Grant wrote out magnanimous terms of surrender that would prevent treason trials.
user
Grant, Ulysses S.
ID Number
AF.77336M
accession number
308316
catalog number
77336M

Colt Second Model Dragoon Revolver

In total, over 19,000 six-shot .44 caliber First, Second and Third Model Colt Dragoon revolvers were produced between 1848 and 1861. Many were purchased for military issue by both the U.S. and individual state government and were used during the Civil War.
Description
In total, over 19,000 six-shot .44 caliber First, Second and Third Model Colt Dragoon revolvers were produced between 1848 and 1861. Many were purchased for military issue by both the U.S. and individual state government and were used during the Civil War. This particular revolver is one of a pair owned by Benjamin F. Butler. Butler served in the Massachusetts state militia in the 1840s and 50s, and became a Major General of Volunteers in the U.S. Army during the Civil War.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1851
associated person
Butler, Benjamin
patentee
Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company
maker
Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company
ID Number
AF.79225M
catalog number
79225M
accession number
317939
serial number
10603

Model 1863 Rifle Musket

Produced at the Springfield Armory the .58 caliber Model 1863 Rifle Musket included several improvements on the Model 1861 including the elimination of the clean-out screw in the bolster just under the nipple, and the use of split type barrel bands with elimination of barrel band
Description (Brief)
Produced at the Springfield Armory the .58 caliber Model 1863 Rifle Musket included several improvements on the Model 1861 including the elimination of the clean-out screw in the bolster just under the nipple, and the use of split type barrel bands with elimination of barrel band springs.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1863
associated date
1863
maker
Springfield Armory
ID Number
AF.NM404
catalog number
NM404
accession number
319944

insignia

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1861 - 1865
ID Number
AF.8043B
catalog number
8043B
accession number
36367

Confederate Battle Flag

Physical DescriptionRed, white, and blue cloth.General HistoryThe Confederate battle flag was born of necessity after the Battle of Bull Run. Amid the smoke and general chaos of battle, it was hard to distinguish the Confederate national flag, the “Stars and Bars," from the U.
Description
Physical Description
Red, white, and blue cloth.
General History
The Confederate battle flag was born of necessity after the Battle of Bull Run. Amid the smoke and general chaos of battle, it was hard to distinguish the Confederate national flag, the “Stars and Bars," from the U. S. national flag, the "Stars and Stripes.” Confederate Congressman William Porcher Miles suggested that the army have a distinct battle flag. General Pierre T. Beauregard chose a variation on the cross of St. Andrew. The battle flag features a blue cross, edged with a white band on a red field. There are three stars on each arm of the cross and one star in the center. The stars represented each of the states of the Confederacy, plus one. Beauregard was betting that one of the states with pro-Confederacy leanings, Maryland, Kentucky, or Missouri, would join the Southern cause. That never happened, but the flag remained the same for the remainder of the war.
date made
1861
associated date
1863-07-02
ID Number
AF.59858M
catalog number
59858M
accession number
219818

Lanyard and Pick

Physical DescriptionBone carving.General HistorySoldiers who were held prisoner faced enormous boredom. They would often find debris and use it to make objects to pass the time.
Description
Physical Description
Bone carving.
General History
Soldiers who were held prisoner faced enormous boredom. They would often find debris and use it to make objects to pass the time.
associated date
1861 - 1865
ID Number
AF.69076M
catalog number
69076M
accession number
261780

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