Military - Overview
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.
"Military - Overview" showing 2 items.
Sword Presented to Frank Wheaton
- Description (Brief)
- Presented to General Frank Wheaton by the Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates of the 2d Regt R.I. Volunteers on Dec. 13th 1862.
- Description
- Frank (Francis) Wheaton started his military career on the frontier in the 1850s. When the Civil War began he was commissioned as Lieutenant Colonel in the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry. By war’s end he was a brevet Major General in the volunteer Army.
- The blade is long, slightly curved, and double edged. It is decorated with military trophies and floral and scroll designs in gilt and silver chasing. The obverse features an eagle holding an "E PLURIBUS / UNUM" banner, and the reverse bears a "US" monogram. The grip of the nickel plated with a piece of gilded wire that wraps around it in a spiral approximately ten times. The pommel bears the cast of an eagle surrounded by scroll designs on the side. The pommel cap is missing. The knuckle guard is a thin strip of gold metal with floral sprays at the top. There are a number of red jewels on the counterguard. Six of these jewels are found between scrolls, and five of them form a flower between two scrolls. The quillon is shaped like the head of a dragon, and extends down towards the blade.
- The scabbard bears four gold mounts. The first two mounts are almost identical. Both bear two sets of floral sprays in a diamond shape. The top mount features seven red jewels, and the middle mount features six. There is a casting of an anchor between the second mount and the drag. The drag bears a cluster of military trophies and nine red stones. The obverse of the scabbard is inscribed ” Malvern Hill. / BULL RUN. / WILLIAMSBURGH. / Seven Ringes. / ANTIETAM. / FREDRICKSBURGH.” The reverse is inscribed “Presented to / Genl. Frank Wheaton, / by the Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates / of the 2d Regt R.W. Volunteers. / As a token of Regard and Esteem. while their Colonel/ Dec. 13th 1862.” between the top two mounts. There are two carrying rings on the piece, one on the right side of the top two mounts.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1862
- date presented
- 1862-12-13
- recipient
- Wheaton, Frank
- maker
- W. Clauberg
- ID Number
- AF*34844
- catalog number
- 34844
- accession number
- 84827
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Sword Presented to Frank Wheaton
- Description (Brief)
- Presented to Brevet Major General Frank Wheaton by the State of Rhode Island through Governor James Y. Smith, January 1865
- Description
- Presented to Frank Wheaton by the state of Rhode Island in 1865, the blade of this sword is long, straight, and double edged. It is decorated in gold and silver chasing on both sides. The obverse features a "US" monogram and a US shield of arms, while the reverse features and eagle, a face, and a cluster of military trophies. Both sides are also heavily decorated in floral and scroll patterns. The grip of the sword is a woman, perhaps Columbia or Nike, wearing a toga with her right arm raised; originally her right hand held a laurel wreath. There are two stars on her toga. The sword lacks a pommel and knuckle guard. There are two quillons and a counterguard. The smaller quillon is a simple scroll shape, while the larger quillon extends half way up the hilt, and is the same height as the woman figure's waist. This quillon features a very large purple amethyst, surrounded by casts of four cherubs. The counterguard bears a large blue enamel medallion with the initials "FW" cast in the center. The medallion is surrounded by a large laurel wreath and ribbon.
- The scabbard has three gold mounts. The first mount features the seal of Rhode Island on the obverse and a dagger between laurel leaves on the reverse. The second bears a medieval trophy of arms on the obverse and a shield inscribed with the monogram "US" on the reverse. The third mount bears a spray of oak leaves on both sides. Between the second and third mounts is the inscription “BREVET MAJOR GENERAL FRANK WHEATON U.S.V. / For gallant and meritorious service during the war, and especially in the battles of / OPEQUAN, FISHERS HILL AND MIDDLETOWN / BY / The State of Rhode Island THROUGH James Y. Smith Governor, / in conformity with a RESOLUTION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY passed at its Jan'y Session / A.D. 1865” The scabbard has three carrying rings, one on each side of the first mount, and one on the right side of the second mount.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1865
- associated date
- 1865
- recipient
- Wheaton, Frank
- maker
- Collins & Co.
- ID Number
- AF*34845A
- catalog number
- 34845
- accession number
- 84827
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center