Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-01-01
A NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WAR.
Trophies of American History and
Relics of Ancient VaIor.
New York Tribune

/ lands at Governor lSIaHQ is The
| Clock Tower building, IN which the
Military Service institution has its
Museum. In this building are collect
| ed 1 lis curiosities, all connected with
/ the history and art of war or some
great general who filed the world
with the splendid tumult Of his
deeds" There are the swords Of
crusaders that have flashed back the
suns of Palestine and Scottish clay
mores; that were dra wn III the cause
Prince Charlie. Swords Of Chinese
| mandarins and Japanese princes, old
pieces of ordnance that date back to
the infant days of gunpowder, and
| battle flags that have waved over sea
and land In g hundred battles of the
republic, are arranged in the upper
and lower halls of the building. In
the center Of the lower hall is Win
chester, Sheridan's old war horse,
dead and gone through the hands Of a
| taxldermist. 1t was this horse, then
called Rienzi, that
brought Sheridan all the way
From Winchester down to save the day.
At one end of the upper hall is the
card table of Washington, at which
| the father of his country used to have
| his quiet rubbers at Mount Vernon. Tt
is of carved mahogany, and on the
red baize covered top are square places
of polished mahogany on which to lay
the cards and oval ones to hold the
winnings. In an alcove is the camp
bed Of the Mexican Gen. La Vega.
This bed was captured along with the
general by the I'd dragons, when
they swept across the plains of Resaca
de la Palma. on May 6, 1919. Gen.
La Vega was not in the bed when he
and it was captured, but was fighting
gallantLy at the head of his troops.
The unfortunate generals spurs also
grace the museum.
Another relic of the Mexican war is
an artillery battle flag Of scarlet on
which is inscribed, Bath. Acto de
Lagos" It was captured by a soldier
of the Sd artillery at the storming of
Cherubusco.
There is a Corean flag of yellow
serge hanging on the walls in one
place. On it a winged tiger is en-
broidered in colors 1t was captured
by Corporal Vopel, of the marine
corps, in 1871, when the marines and
blue jackets from the American feet
took by assault the Corean fort which
had fred upon them. The flag be-
longed to a picked body Of Coreans
from the interior called the Tiger
Hunters"
One interesting relic is piece of
the flag that foated over Fort Sumter
when it was bombarded by the rebel
batteries in 1851. It was this flag that
Mai. Anderson was finally obliged to
to haul down, and which he took with
him when he marched out of Sumter
with drums beating and colors flying.
There are also some captured rebel
flags, torn with shot and shell, that
were carried ia the Mexican war and
the war for the preservation Of the
union
In specimens of cannon and small
arms the museum is particularly rich.
Some ancient and deliberately orna-
mented cannon are relics of the war
with Mexico, in which they were
captured. There are some English
and French mortars and field guns of
| the eighteenth century, and American
guns of the same date. There is
| Spanish wall-piece, mounted on
heavy musket stock 1t weighs nine
! five pounds and was one Of the dogs
of war which Cortez let slip upon the
| terrified Aztecs when he overthrow
| the empire of the Moatezumas.
Among the interesting swords is the
Quarter deck sword" of Commodore
| Decatur which that gallant officer
wore in all the engagements in the
| Mad h,oh h IN nd ho
pride of the Barbary pirates. The
other swords are an East Indian cut
lass which formerly belonged to- Jung
Bahadur, prince of Nepaul, a crusa-
der's sword on the blade of which is
inscribed: ''-jor Adjvtorivm-Devs
Mevm," and claymore of the clan
| Stuart. There are also some beautiful
Albanian, Persian, and East Indian
swords with hits heavy with carved
| ivory, and silver blades beautiful with
| Danaascene work.
Among the recent additions to the
museum IS the Greedy Arctic flag. It
was for four years In the Arctic
regions and < - the flag which Lieut..
Lockwood Unfurled at the point near
est the pole reached by man. Among
| the other relics of the Greedy expedit,
ion are pieces of sealskin clothing
issued for food IN the last days of the
party's terrible suffering at Cape
| Sabine.
In the museum is a fine collection
of ancient military works published
IL different countries. One is called
San Abridgement of English Mill
tary Discipline D printed in 1885. One
series of orders reads as follows:
Dragons have a care (at which
time they pull off their right-hand
gloves and place them under their
grdles). Lay your right hand to
your musket-Poise your musket-
Rest your mus et-Cock and guard
-Present-Fire. Another interest
| ing book is the Science of Artillery,
Concerning Cannon, Guns, Saltpetre,
| Fireworks. How They Should be
Managed; What it is Necessary for
MaSter-Gunner to Know . h11hliShed