The Henry rifle was the immediate forerunner of the famous Winchester rifles. About 14,000 Henrys were made between 1860 and 1866...

In 1855 Secretary of War Jefferson Davis was instrumental in the creation of two regiments of cavalry. It was recommended that the cavalry have a distinctive hat; it is sometimes called the Jeff Davis hat. It also was referred to as the Hardee hat, after William Joseph Hardee, an officer of the 2

This Sharps rifle was made especially for John Brown, though it bears no maker’s mark or number. Brown carried this weapon on his Kansas campaign in 1856 and later presented it to Charles Blair of Collinsville, Connecticut. In 1857, Brown contracted Blair to forge pikes for the clandestine slav

Captain George B. McClellan toured Europe with a military commission looking at new military tactics. He returned and developed a new modified cavalry saddle. In 1859, the U.S. War Department adopted the McClellan saddle. They remained the standard issue throughout the history of the horse cavalr

Physical Description White cotton with gunner's mate patch on left sleeve. Specific History This jumper or shirt would have been worn by an enlisted seaman.

Physical Description Handwriting on paper attached to bamboo. Specific History Emilio Aguinaldo’s address to the Philippine people, bearing his seal. The paper is attached to a woven bamboo board. It was found one morning hanging on a fence in the town of Bugasou, P

Physical Description Large yellow stripe with anchor and coat of arms. Red stripes on either side of yellow. Specific History Spanish admiral’s flag captured by United States gunboat Petrel from the cruiser Isla de Luzon during the Battle of Manila

Physical Description Light khaki jacket with blue facings with epaulettes and gold-colored buttons. Wool felt hat with cotton braids and gilt threads. Specific History Jacket and hat worn by Colonel Leonard Wood in Cuba. While serving as an assistant su

Blue wool uniform coat, gold-colored buttons on jacket front and sleeves. Epaulettes and gold trim at neck and cuffs. This coat adheres to the 1813 uniform regulations; single-breasted, of dark blue wool, four buttons placed lengthwise on the sleeves and skirts. A gold star is embr

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 “Bleeding Kansas.” John Brown bought 2,000 of these revolvers and sent them to Kansas for the “Free-Soilers.”