REPORT OF NATIONAL, MUSEUM, 19^. 126 



and Miss Jessie Jay Burge. A silver teapot and creamer made during 

 the colonial period by William Ball, and a silver bowl made during 

 the same period by Joseph Richardson, both of Philadelphia, have 

 been lent by William H. Potter and Beverly R. Potter. The collec- 

 tion of antique furniture has been increased by the transfer of an 

 early American armchair from the Hydrographic Office of the Navy 

 Department. 



An accession of exceptional interest and value was the result of 

 the transfer from Governors Island, New York, of the collection of 

 military relics formerly shown there in the Museum of the Military 

 Service Institution of the United States, which was organized in 

 1878. and which had assembled a notable collection of objects of 

 military and historical interest. The collection had up to the period 

 of the World War been housed in a building assigned by the War 

 Department for that purpose, but the demands for space resulting 

 from the entry of the United States into the War resulted in the 

 storing of the collection in the attic of the building in which it had 

 formerly been displayed, with the result that the valuable materials 

 of which the collection was composed were not only removed from 

 public view, but exposed to serious processes of deterioration. In 

 view of these circumstances the council of the Military Service In- 

 stitution arranged for the transfer of the collection to the Smith- 

 sonian Institution for exhibition in the National Museum, and the 

 process of transferring the collection was accomplished in 1922. 

 The collection includes a varied aggregation of military objects re- 

 lating to various periods of American history, but the majority of 

 which are connected with the Civil War. The object of greatest 

 interest in this connection is the mounted figure of the war horse 

 of General Philip H. Sheridan which was presented by him to the 

 Military Service Institution on the death of the animal in 1878. 

 While the collection contains many objects of popular sentimental 

 and patriotic interest, it is of much scientific value on account of 

 the very complete collection of small arms, such as guns, pistols, 

 and swords which it includes. The last named series is of special 

 interest including many United States Army swords of types not 

 hitherto acquired by the Museum, and many foreign swords of 

 special interest. Among the latter is a very handsome sword which 

 was owned by Gen. Jean Victor Moreau. The collection of American 

 swords includes one owned by Commodore Stephen Decatur. The 

 series of fire arms covers the period of the nineteenth century and 

 includes many interesting and rare specimens. A small cannon of 

 exceptional interest in the collection is one which was captured from 

 the British Army at the battle of Saratoga in 1777. Another gun 

 of note of a later period is an experimental mortar made by D. King 

 of Philadelphia in 1793. 



