Major Lemuel Montgomery's Pistol
date: label: date made
content: ca 1812
name: label: user
content: Montgomery, Major L. P.
label: associated person
content: Jackson, Andrew
label: manufacturer
content: Bellah, J.
notes: label: Description
content: Physical Description
label: Description
content: American-made pistol, .38 caliber.
label: Description
content: Specific History
label: Description
content: One of a pair of flintlock pistols Andrew Jackson presented to his friend Lemuel P. Montgomery when he was commissioned as a Major in the 39th U.S. Infantry. Montgomery was killed in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, March 27, 1814. Montgomery County, Alabama is named for the Major.
label: Description
content: General History
label: Description
content: Andrew Jackson had a long history with the Indians. During the War of 1812, he led militia forces in a war against Creek Indians. One faction of the Creek sided with the British and fought the United States along the western frontier. This group, known as Red Sticks because of their bright-red war clubs they carried, followed the teachings of the charismatic Shawnee, Tecumseh. The Red Sticks believed that Indians of many tribes needed to unite against the United States.
label: Description
content: Andrew Jackson received a plea for help from a tribe of allied Creeks at Talladega. Jackson mobilized an army of 1,200 infantry and 800 cavalry and set out for the Creek fort at Talladega, arriving there in the early morning of November 9, 1813. Jackson surrounded the town with a brigade of militia under General Isaac Roberts on the left and a brigade of volunteers led by General William Hall on the right. The Creek attacked the line held by Roberts’ brigade, and the brigade retreated, allowing hundreds of Creek to escape. The gap was quickly filled by reserves and the position repaired. Within fifteen minutes the battle was over. At least 300 Creek perished on the battlefield while American losses amounted to fifteen killed and eighty-six wounded.
place: label: Place Made
content: United States: Tennessee
topic: label: Subject
content: Firearms
label: related event
content: Horseshoe Bend
label: related event
content: Creek War
label: related event
content: Expansion and Reform
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
label: See more items in
content: Military
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content: ThinkFinity
label: Exhibition
content: Price of Freedom
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AF.16090
label: catalog number
content: 16090
label: accession number
content: 13152
label: catalog number
content: 2322
objectType: label: Object Name
content: pistol
label: Other Terms
content: pistol; Firearms; Flintlock; .38 In; Rifled; Muzzle Load; Sa; P
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: iron (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 18 in x 5 1/4 in x 1 3/4 in; 45.72 cm x 13.335 cm x 4.445 cm