The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1881-10-01
A CURIOUS COLLECTION.

The Military Institution Of the United States,
which was organized in June, 1878, has estab-
lished at its headquarters on Governors Island,
a museum of objects not wholly but chiefly mill
tary, which is unique in its way. General Han
cock is president of the institution, and Captain
J. NJ. Sanno, of the Seventh Infantry, is curator
of the museum. Captain Sanno related to New
York reporter recently the history Of some of the
curiosities.
1--WE arrange them in five distinct classes y
said Captain Sanno; arms and armor the
various articles taken from our American Indians,
battle-fags, pictures Including portraits of many
distinguished generals, and trophies and relics.
The most unique thing among the arms is No.
223, pair Of muzzle-loading, flint-lock pistols,
with spring bayOnet attachment. They were
made in London about hundred years ago If
you failed to kill your man with the bullet you
touched this spring, and the bayonet, which lies
along the top Of the barrel flew up and extended
itself rigidly six inches in front of the muzzle.
Then you finished your man with cold steel"
Then there are those Washington vignettes, !"
said the Captain, which Miss Worth has lent u.s..
The vignettes are letters four inches high, form
ing the name of Washington, each letter display
ing pictorially some notable incident in Washing
toms life. The vignettes lie on an extremely
ancient-looking carved card table, with holIows
for the " fish" or counters, which was frequently
used by General Washington and is one of pair
presented by him in 1882 to Judge Berrien, of
Rocky Hill, \. J. Nothing in the museum
said Captain SannO, is more fully authenticated
than this table. WashingtonIs farewell address,
by the way, was written at Rocky Hill!
"This faded tassel," Captain Sanno went on,
"was taken from the canopy over the speakers
chair of the Confederate congress on the day of
the evacuation of Richmond These two old
fashioned hOrse-pistOls, with flint locks, people
generally take to be relics of the war of the Rev
olutiOn. As matter of fact they were found in
the possession of an officer Of the Confederate
army, who was taken prisoner in the late war.
1t is fact, sir, that the man had come into bat
tie with those primitive pistols. L suppose they
served his great-grandfather, and he thought they
would suffice for him."
"What are these old papers?" asked the re-
porter, pointing to some yellow looking printed
sheets lying in glass case.
"They are copies of Bushes Philadelphia Au-
rora, published September A. 1899, and the Genius
of Liberty, published July II, 1909. In the same
case are two old legal documents. One, signed
by Santa Anna, was captured in the war with
Mexico in 1847, the other is an old conveyance
bearing date 1877, and signed by Patrick Henry
What do you think of that for calligraphy?"
Patrick Henry had signed the conveyance in
copper-plate hand resembling the " book keepers
hand of the present day.
Living in a case were two bullets socketed to-
gether ave call them the twin bullets from
Waterloo" said Captain Sanno. zone is English
and the other French. 1t is evident that they
mast have met in mid-air during the battle"
"What is there remarkable about this bent
-barrel?"
"The musket to which the barrel belonged was
one of stack belonging to the Ninety sixth
PENNSYLVANIA Volunteers, struck by shell at
Spottsylvania Courthouse, Va, May 8, 1864 The
barrel was bent into its present shape by the
shell, which at the same time discharged the
other muskets, killing six officers and men,"
"And this curious looking cradle?"
at was captured by the late Lieutenant Henly,
Sixth Cavalry, in an affair with the Cheyennes
chance bullet passed through the cradle, Killed
the pappoose, and then slew the mother. These
are Apache playing cards spreading out several
squares OF solid pasteboard, adorned with rudely-
drawn deSlgns) There are forty in pack. An
Apache card player would gamble away his
grandmother with the most affectionate resigna
ton. Here turning to a sort of skin or fur cape,
from which depended great many thin locks of
dark halr, from four to eight inches in length is
the war dress OF an Indian chief Each piece of
hair is from the head of different warrior under
his command Whenever the chief dons this