REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 21 



exhibits. Many lal)cl8 for alcoves, cases, and oroups prepared during 

 the year have been submitted to the printer. 



Dirislon of Tlhfory. — In no other section of the Department has such 

 decided advance been made as in that of American history. This 

 branch is under the custodianship of Mr. A. Howard Clark, hut as he 

 is necessarilv nuich preoccupied with editorial duties, a great deal of 

 th(^ work has fallen to the share of his assistant, Mr. Paul lieckwith; 

 and the head curator has from the start given all possil)le aid and 

 encouragement to the work, which he regards as of first importance 

 in the national collection. 



At the beginning of the preceding fiscal year the exhibits of the 

 section were confined to a few cases in the North Hall. The floor 

 space then accounnodated the collections of ceramics, lacquers, coins, 

 and metal work, besides many things of minor importance. Now% the 

 historic collections occupy the floor space almost exclusively and the 

 Rotunda also is utilized by this section. Mr. Clark's report for the 

 year contains the following paragraphs: 



During the last decade general interest in American history has rapidly increased, 

 and to keep pace with this popular demand the Section of American History in the 

 National Museum has been gradually developed until it has become one of the most 

 instructive branches of the Museum. 



The year ending June .30, 1899, was an eventful one in American history, and the 

 war with Spain caused public attention to be centered on the military as well as the 

 political history of the country. To illustrate and perpetuate the history of events 

 of the year, the head curator of the Department of Anthropology permitted an 

 extension of the space heretofore allotted to historical relics and encouraged the col- 

 lection of as many objects as possible that pertained to the war, and in making this 

 special increase in the collection it was found possible to add considerably to the 

 series of objects illustrating earlier events in the nation's history. 



The actual number of accessions during the year was 165, which included about 

 1,027 individual specimens. Among the most important may be mentioned a large 

 numljer of objects gathered by Mr. Beckwith during a trip to Porto Rico and Cuba, 

 including a very exhaustive series of swords of Toledo steel, representing the various 

 arms of the service, flags, uniforms, and the paraphernalia of military life. 



Other very interesting accessions were received from the Navy Department, ini'lud- 

 ing numerous relics recovered from the battle ship Maine, destroyed in Havana Har- 

 bor, bronze cannon captured from the Spanish in Manila by Admiral Dewey, relics 

 from Cervera's fleet destroyed off Santiago, and numerous relics of various battles 

 and events of the war with Spain. The War Department also contributed some 

 Spanish rifles and other objects. Many individuals, particularly Gen. G. H. Harries, 

 Capt. H. C. Wilson, Lieut. J. C. Ord, Capt. Richard P. Leary, Admiral Charles 

 O'Neil, Capt. Robley D. Evans, contributed objects of special interest. 



There has been installed in the section a special case devoted to historical objects, 

 loaned by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, including personal 

 relics of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, James Madison, Lord 

 Fairfax, and others eminent in American history. 



The collection of the Daughters of the American Revolution has been made of 

 added interest by the exhibition of personal relics of Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, 

 . and some interesting objects pertaining to the colonial history of Maryland. 



