138 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1921. 
which fell within the area of the Fort, and some of them of the 
diameter of this vase.” These interesting souvenirs of the bombard- 
ment of Fort McHenry have been installed in the case with the 
original United States flag which flew over the fort at that time 
and which inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words of the 
Star Spangled Banner. They are presented to the Museum by Mr. 
Alexander Gordon, jr., of Baltimore, a great-grandson of Lieut. 
Col. George Armistead. A very handsome gold mounted and jew- 
eled sword presented to Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan in 1861 by 
the city of Philadelphia was donated to the Museum by his daughter, 
Mme. Paul Desprez. A particularly interesting relic in connection 
with the lives of famous Americans is an iron wedge bearing the 
initials “ A. L.” which was used by Abraham Lincoln when a resi- 
dent of New Salem, Hl., 1830-1834, and given by him to Mentor 
Graham, his instructor in surveying. This important memento of 
the early life of the great war President has been presented to the “ 
Smithsonian Institution by Mr. Henry W. Allen, of California. 
Other notable relics of the Civil War acquired during the past fiscal 
year were a dress sword with belt, sash, gauntlets, and spurs, pre- 
sented to Brig. Gen. Marcus La Rue Harrison by the officers and 
men of his command, the First Arkansas Regiment, and donated to 
the Museum by Mrs. Harrison. The National American Woman’s 
Suffrage Association has added to their already large and interesting 
collection of relics in the Museum a gold badge presented to Susan 
B, Anthony by the Citizens Suffrage Association of Philadelphia in 
1848, a flag pin presented to her by the ladies of Wyoming on the 
occasion of her eightieth birthday in 1900, and the distinguished 
service medal awarded to Dr. Anna Howard Shaw by the United 
States War Department for especially meritorious and conspicuous 
service as chairman of the Woman’s Committee of the Council of 
National Defense during the War with Germany. The biographical 
collections have also been increased by a large collection of objects re- 
lating to the scientific career of Joseph Henry, first Secretary of 
the Smithsonian Institution, transferred from the division of me- 
chanical technology. 
The principal feature of the period costumes section of the his- 
torical collections, namely, the series of costumes worn by mistresses 
of the White House, has been brought up to date by the addition of 
the dress worn by Mrs. Ellen Louise Wilson during the first adminis- 
tration of President Wilson. This costume of satin brocade, the 
bodice trimmed with rhinestones and pearls and the train of lace, 
has been lent by Mrs. Wilson’s daughter, Miss Margaret Wilson. 
Other additions of note to the costumes section included a number 
of costumes covering the period from colonial times to the present 
day, both American and European, the gift of the estate of Mrs. 
