AN ACCOUNT OF THE U, S. NATIONAL MUSEUM. 321 



ington during the War of the Revolution, as also miniature portraits of the General 

 and Martha Washington painted on wood by the artist Trumbull. 



Next in importance to the Washington relics are the almost priceless memorials of 

 General Grant — the saddle, sword, held glasses, and other objects used bj^ him during 

 his military career; all his commissions in the Army, from lieutenant by brevet 

 during the Mexican war up through the several grades to general, and his certificate 

 as I'resldent of the United States; handsomely mounted swords; and the great gold 

 medal with which ho was honored by Congress for his militarj- services; many ele- 

 gant gifts received during his tour of the world, including the beautiful jade vase 

 and ornamented Ijell standard given him by Prince Kuug, of China. 



By the side of these treasures are valuable gifts to Presidents of the United States 

 and to statesmen, soldiers, and other representative Americans ; some Moorish guns, 

 highly decorated with gold and coral, and a gold-mounted sword, gifts to Thomas 

 Jefferson from the Emperor of Morocco; jeweled and gold-scabbard swords pre- 

 sented by citizens of States and cities for military bravery to General Eipley, Com- 

 modores Elliott and Riddle, Admiral Trenchard, Generals Hancock, Paul, and others. 



Here, too, are exhibited the great gold medal presented by Congress to Joseph 

 Francis for his service to the world as inventor of life-saving appliances; the beau- 

 tiful vase presented to Professor Baird by the Emperor of (iermauy as the grand 

 prize of the Berlin International Fishery Exhibition; the silver urn from the citi- 

 zens of Baltimore to Commodore John Kodgers for his services in defense of that 

 city during the war of 1812; the garrison Hag of Fort Motiltrie in December, i860, 

 when that fort was evacuated by Anderson ; the war saddle of Baron De Kalb, who 

 gave his life for American independence; the uniform worn by General Jackson at 

 the battle of New Orleans, and many other individual objects of great historic 

 value. 



A most instructive historic treasure is the Copp collection of household objects 

 and wearing apparel, illustrating the home life of the New^ England colonists from 

 1635 to the period of the war of the Revolution, the gift of Mr. John Brenton Copp. 



As a precious treasure in memory of the immortal Lincoln, there is the original 

 plaster life-mask. Equally interesting are the molds of the hands made by the 

 sculptor Volk, in 1860, just prior to the nomination of Lincoln for President of the 

 United States. 



As a most conspicuous object, and a treasure as well, may be mentioned the 

 original full-sized plaster model of Liberty by Crawford, from which was cast the 

 bronze statue surmounting the United States Capitol. 



Of the sections of Transportation, Engineering, and Xaval Archi- 

 tecture and Physical Apparatus, Mr. J. E. Watkins, curator, writes as 

 follows : 



The collections in transportation, engineering, and naval architecture, although 

 not great in extent, are particularly valuable on account of the historical interest 

 of almost every object which has been collected and is now on exhibition. Notable 

 among the objects is the cylinder of the first steam engine erected on the Western 

 Continent, by .Tosiah Hornblower, in 1753, sixteen years before .James Watt began 

 his investigations of the properties of steam. The Museum has also been fortunate 

 in obtaining the original machinery of the Stevens twin-screw propeller steamboat, 

 constructed and operated in the year 1804, three years before Robert Fulton operated 

 the CJermont on the Hudson River. The original multitubular boiler of the Stevens 

 locomotive of 1825, which ran in Hoboken, N. J., four years before Stephenson's 

 lioclet, also forms a part of this collection. A cylinder and other portions of the 

 locomotive "Stourbridge Lion," the first locomotive built for traffic on the Western 

 Continent, was obtained several years ago through the cooperation of Horatio 

 Allen, who, in August, 1829, first ran this locomotive near Honesdale, I'a. The 

 series showing the development of permanent way in America is uni(iue, as is the 

 NAT MUS l)G 21 



