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[FEATURED EXHIBIT] Calligraphy Art of William Henry Pratt

August 21, 2022 By James Mitchell Varnum

We’ve walked past this artwork at the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum for years without giving it much thought (believing it was 1990s computer-generated dot art). Boy, were we wrong…

This is an engraving from 1865 where a calligrapher cleverly shaded their penmanship to create a facsimile of Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington using the words of the U.S. Constitution. Here is a description of one in the collection at Mt. Vernon:

“During the 19th century, America’s founding documents – the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence – inspired numerous artists and publishers to produce decorative versions, suitable for framing and display. In this calligraphy portrait, the artist has cleverly shaded the words of the Constitution and amendments, so that George Washington’s face emerges from the text.

Washington’s likeness is based on Gilbert Stuart’s popular ‘Athenaeum’ portrait, originally painted in 1796 and widely copied in paintings, prints, textiles, china, and the dollar bill. Washington’s name also appears, as a signer, at the center edge of his coat collar, about half-way down the white cravat.

The text ends with the 13th amendment’s prohibition of slavery, suggesting a creation date shortly after 1865, but before the passage of the 14th amendment in mid-1866 or its ratification in 1868. Notably, Washington’s portrait did not make its first debut on the dollar bill until 1869.

The artist, William Henry Pratt (1822-1893), was a professor of penmanship in Davenport, Iowa, and the first curator of that city’s Academy of Natural Sciences. He collaborated with the Davenport lithography firm of August Hageboeck on at least three other calligraphy portraits: Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation, Washington and the Declaration of Independence, and Ulysses Grant and the Republican Party platform of 1868.”

BOOK A TOUR AT THE VARNUM MEMORIAL ARMORY MUSEUM!

Pratt Calligraphy Art of Washington
Pratt Calligraphy Art of Washington
Pratt Calligraphy Art of Washington
Pratt Calligraphy Art of Washington
Pratt Calligraphy Art of Washington
Pratt Calligraphy Art of Washington

Filed Under: Museum Exhibits, Varnum Memorial Armory Tagged With: 19th century, museum exhibit, varnum memorial armory

Varnum Continentals Contribute to RI Public School Curriculum

June 11, 2022 By James Mitchell Varnum

The Varnum Continentals are excited to work with the Rhode Island Foundation, Rhode Island Historical Society, and the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society to introduce teachers to a new public school curriculum on the famed First Rhode Island Regiment of the Revolutionary War. Artifacts from the Varnum Armory Museum are a part of the program.

1st Rhode Island Regiment Soldier
Presentation on the New Curriculum
Presentation on the New Curriculum.

Filed Under: Historic Preservation, Museum Exhibits, Varnum Memorial Armory Tagged With: museum exhibit, revolutionary war, varnum memorial armory

[FEATURE ARTICLE] General George S. Patton: Master of the Sword

April 11, 2022 By Brian Wallin

General George S. Patton

There are few military exercises as thrilling as the charge of a cavalry unit, sabers flashing as they face off against the enemy. Of course, with today’s advanced military weaponry, the saber or sword has been relegated to ceremonial use.

However, as recently as the early days of World War II, you could have witnessed a cavalry charge. Two such events, considered to have been the last of them, took place in 1942. In January, the U.S. 26th Cavalry mounted a charge and scattered a group of Japanese troops in a skirmish on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines (later, the starving cavalrymen were forced to eat their horses as they fought against superior enemy forces). On August 23 (or 24), a unit of Italian cavalry using sabers and hand grenades conducted a successful charge against Soviet troops armed with machine guns and mortars in a battle along the Don River.

Varnum Armory’s M1913 Saber

In the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum collection, we have an outstanding representation of American and foreign saber evolution. Among them is the last American design: the M1913 Army model, designed and advocated by none other than General (at the time, Lieutenant) George S. Patton, Jr. His design, in the strict sense, is a sword and not a saber since it employs a straight (rather than curved) blade. It was based on the British M1908 weapon. Patton’s relatively lightweight saber uses a large, basket-shaped hilt and a double-edged straight blade designed for thrusting at an opponent, rather than the slashing motion used in a traditional saber attack. The blade is 35.25-inches long and the overall weight is 2 pounds, 13 ounces.

In the early 20th century, the U.S. Army had decided to replace the cavalry saber model that had been in use since 1861 (see below). At the time, Patton, a passionate believer in the power of the saber, was “Master of the Sword” at the Mounted Service School, at Fort Riley, Kansas.

A highly accomplished swordsman who had competed in the Olympics and trained in Europe where he perfected his aggressive thrust attack pattern, George Patton was known among his peers as “Saber George.” On his return from training with the best fencing master in Europe, Monsieur Clery, Patton told the Army’s Adjutant General, “The whole French system of mounted saber fencing is concentrated in the word, ‘attack!’” (Napoleon at the Battle of Wagram, before the cavalry of the guard passed in review prior to a charge, the French Emperor called to them, “Don’t Cut! The Point! The Point!”. In other words, attack your enemy with your saber. That single word “Attack!” would become synonymous with Patton’s entire Army service.

Patton (right) fencing in the modern pentathlon of the 1912 Summer Olympics

While at Fort Riley, Patton designed a radical new weapon and prepared a detailed training manual for its mounted and dismounted use. The official manual he authored in 1914 outlined both mounted and dismounted saber techniques emphasizing the aggressive “cut and thrust” attack. With his typical assertive style, he managed to have his saber approved for general issue.

Saber Exercise 1914

Quoting from then Lieutenant Patton’s report:

“In the Peninsula War the English nearly always used the sword for cutting. The French dragoons, on the contrary, used only the point which, with their long straight swords caused almost always a fatal wound. This made the English protest that the French did not fight fair. Marshal Saxe wished to arm the French cavalry with a blade of a triangular cross section so as to make the use of the point obligatory. At Wagram, when the cavalry of the guard passed in review before a charge, Napoleon called to them, ‘Don’t cut! The point! The point!’”

The saber commonly used by U.S. Cavalry units up until the acceptance of Patton’s saber was the M1906, which had changed little from the curved weapons carried by U.S. cavalry units in the American Civil, Western Indian, and Spanish-American Wars. In 1846, the preferred weapon of Army officers was the saber and West Point cadets were drilled in its use. The Varnum Memorial Armory Museum is also home to a Model 1872 officer’s saber, which is representative of the style of weapon that immediately preceded the implementation of Patton’s design.

But the Patton weapon did not have a long use. At the beginning of the American involvement in World War I, several U.S. cavalry units armed with the M1913 were sent to the front, but they were held back. Horse-mounted troops were easy prey for enemy troops equipped with Gewehr 98 rifles and MG08 machine guns (examples of both are also in the Varnum Armory collection). Those cavalrymen who saw combat did so dismounted, using their horses only to travel.

Cadet George S. Patton

Although an avid swordsman, Patton readily recognized that warfare was rapidly changing. He adapted his style of “move forward and attack” to his use of tanks in battle, a technique that became his trademark combat style in World War II. Patton had gone to war as an aide to General Pershing with whom he had also fought in the pre-war punitive action against Mexican outlaws. The fiery Patton was not interested in a rear echelon position and was able to secure a role in organizing the Army’s tank warfare program. Wounded in action, he successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of the tank in battle and ended the war as a Lieutenant Colonel. Typical of Patton, he visualized the future role of armor in warfare and continued to advocate for its use between the two world wars. (On a side note, Patton joined with Dwight D. Eisenhower in the early development of tank warfare during and after World War I.

The Patton Saber in the Varnum Armory Museum collection is 44-inches long overall, hilt to blade tip. The blade is two-edged, straight and tapered, and made of forged steel. The front edge runs the whole length of the blade and is double-edged for half its length. It has bloodletting grooves running down each side of the blade to within 4 ¾ inches of the point. The grips are hard black rubber. The basket guard is sheet steel. The hickory wood scabbard is covered with rawhide and waterproofed olive drab canvas, woven to eliminate a seam.  Considering the weight of the bell and grip assembly, it is balanced much closer to the hand than the typical weapon associated with the name “cavalry saber,” reinforcing Patton’s intention that it was to be used to thrust, rather than slash at an opponent (Remember, “The point! The point!”). However, Patton himself never had the opportunity to use his weapon in battle.

Varnum Armory’s M1913 Army Model Saber
Varnum Armory’s M1913 Army Model Saber
Varnum Armory’s M1913 Army Model Saber

The Model M1913 was also known as the Enlisted Cavalry Saber and between 1913 and 1918, the Springfield (Massachusetts) Armory produced over 35,000 units. These were marked “SA” and carried a serial number. Only a few thousand of these remain and are avid sought by militaria collectors.  Another 93,000 were produced by a civilian contractor, Landers, Frary, and Clark between 1917 and 1918. These carry no serial number but are marked with the letters LF&A to distinguish them. At the outbreak of World War II, many of the Patton Swords were cut up for use as trench knives by soldiers and drop knives used by OSS agents. These weapons are also collectable.

Lt. George S. Patton demonstrating the sword.

In 1934, the Adjutant General’s office discontinued issuing the saber to the cavalry. Its days as a military weapon were over. Despite strong lobbying by many supporters including Patton, who tried valiantly in 1938 to keep the weapon in use, the decision was made just prior to the start of World War II to place the majority of sabers in storage and use them only for ceremonial purposes. In 1941, the Springfield Armory was already gearing up for massive production of the Army’s Garand rifle.

As noted, Patton went on to polish his reputation as a commander who transferred his assertive saber technique to the fast-moving armored warfare through the course of World War II. He replaced his saber with his trademark ivory handled pistols. Always at the head of his commands, Patton was instrumental in giving the Army armor its nickname of “hell on wheels.”

Today, in the hands of a trained expert, the saber still presents a powerful reminder of its role in war. The “Master of the Sword” still exists in the U.S. Army. At the West Point Military Academy, the head of the Department of Physical Education who is responsible for both an academic and non-academic physical program carries the title. Patton held the title at Fort Riley simultaneously to the officer assigned to the role at West Point where the “Master” or MOSH as he (or she) is known, has existed since the academy’s first Master of the Sword, Pierre Thomas, was appointed in 1814. And, yes, a woman has held the position. Col. Maureen LeBoeuf served as MOSH between 1997 to 2004.

The entire Varnum Memorial Armory Museum collection of swords and sabers, including the Patton Saber, can excite the imagination, calling to mind the skill and training required to successfully use these weapons in combat as well as their use as ceremonial accessories.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK A TOUR AND SEE ALL OF OUR SWORDS AND SABERS!

RECOMMENDED READING

“War As I Knew It” by George S. Patton
“Saber Exercise 1914” by Lt. George S. Patton Jr.
“Diary of the Instructor in Swordsmanship” by George S. Patton Jr.
“George S. Patton: An Outstanding General. The Entire Life Story. Biography, Facts & Quotes” by The History Hour
“George S. Patton: On Guts, Glory, and Winning” by Gary L. Bloomfield
“Patton: The Man Behind the Legend, 1885-1945” by Martin Blumenson
“Patton: Blood, Guts, and Prayer” by Michael Keane
“Patton: Ordeal and Triumph“ by Ladislas Farago
“I Marched with Patton: A Firsthand Account of World War II Alongside One of the U.S. Army’s Greatest Generals” by Robert L. Wise

-END-

Filed Under: Feature Article, Museum Exhibits, Varnum Memorial Armory Tagged With: museum exhibit, varnum memorial armory, world war I, World War II

[FEATURED EXHIBIT] Cold War Memorabilia: Signature of Soviet Spy John A. Walker

March 30, 2020 By James Mitchell Varnum

The Varnum Memorial Armory Museum has acquired a rare piece of Cold War memorabilia. Here’s the signature of the Soviet spy, John A. Walker, who sold U.S. Navy secrets for 18 years in one of the most damaging espionage cases of the Cold War.

Varnum Continentals member, John Fischer, studied under Walker to earn his U.S. Naval School Radioman Class A certificate that is signed by Walker. See below for details on this fascinating story. Thank you, John, for donating this unique piece of Cold War history!

See the images in this post for details on this unique exhibit.

  • Close-up of the signature of Soviet spy John A. Walker.
  • Detailed history of the Navy Radioman’s certificate signed by John A. Walker.
  • Navy Radioman Class A certificate signed by spy John A. Walker.
  • Search and Rescue team for US Antarctic Winter-Over Party 1971-1972. John Fischer was the team radioman (2nd person from left). McMurdo Station Antarctica.

Filed Under: Museum Exhibits, Varnum Memorial Armory Tagged With: cold war, museum exhibit, varnum memorial armory

Burnside Memorial Flags Update: Findings of National Interest

February 16, 2020 By James Mitchell Varnum

Here’s the update you’ve been waiting for! Several weeks ago, we moved six historic, hand-painted silk flags from the Burnside Building (Bristol, RI), to the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum for evaluation and conservation.

DONATE TO HELP WITH THIS PROJECT!

This flag restoration has blossomed into a complex and costly project that will require hundreds of hours to complete (including research and labor from numerous individuals and organizations).

The Varnum Continentals are a private non-profit receiving no federal or state funding. We depend on donors to perform these critical but labor-intensive preservation projects. Please support us!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE!

Acquiring the Burnside Flags in Bristol, RI

Having been housed at Burnside since 1883, the flags are believed to be associated with General Ambrose Burnside‘s American Civil War service. Although in poor condition, they can be made displayable again through a painstakingly tedious conservation process. We unfurled them for first time in many decades in early February 2020.

To help with this amazing project, Andy Santilli built a massive work table in the Varnum Armory’s new archival preservation space to give us the space needed to do the Bristol flag conservation project at the armory. Thank you! And kudos to the Town of Bristol for working with us on this important project.

  • Flags being removed from the Burnside Building.
  • Wrapped Burnside flags.
  • Maria examining the flags.
  • U.S. Civil War Memorial at the Burnside Building in Bristol, RI.
  • Flags under inspection at the Varnum Armory.

Next, we needed to carefully unfurl the flags.

Unwrapping the Flags for the First Time in Decades

Here’s where dedicated teamwork really starts to come into play! In addition to Varnum Memorial Armory Museum curator Patrick Donovan, we also benefit from the incredible talents of textile conservator Maria Vazquez and contractor/carpenter Andy Santilli. They have been doing incredible work to restore the Burnside Memorial flags that we recently picked up in Bristol, RI. Also on hand has been Brendan Synnamon, (owner of the Union Drummer Boy Shop in Gettysburg, PA), to provide an expert opinion.

These images show Maria carefully removing the flags from the suffocating plastic in a nail-biting procedure. Later, they were humidified before being unfurled for the first time in decades. That process will take place in our newly constructed flag conservation humidification chamber, designed and built on the fly by Andy Santilli.

  • Removing the Burnside flags the suffocating plastic.
  • Removing the Burnside flags the suffocating plastic.
  • Varnum Armory’s flag conservation humidification chamber.

At this point, we’re not the only ones interested in this amazing restoration project.

Documentary Filmmaking by Rhode Island PBS

As we got deeper into this project, it became obvious that we’d stumbled upon something so truly historic that it deserved more attention than many of our other exhibits. So, in steps Rhode Island’s Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) to film the entire restoration project. The final product will absolutely be televised locally, but it’s also possible that this story will be televised nationally.

  • Maria Vazquez unfurling the historic flags.
  • Brendan Synnamon of the Union Drummer Boy Shop on camera with RI PBS.
  • RI PBS zooming in on an engraved finial of a flag pole dated 1687 and 1724.
  • Filming the unfurling of an incredibly rare flag from the 17th and 18th century.
  • Brendan Synnamon of the Union Drummer Boy Shop hard at work and on camera.
  • Jamie McGuire in his element as director for RI PBS.

And we’re happy to have them here, because it turns out that we may have findings of national interest.

Unfurling the Flags and Initial Findings

Now that they’re unfurled, we do have some big news!

1687 Nathan Byfield Flag

One of the flags appears to be a national treasure. It is a beautiful silk, gold-colored flag with its original pole and finial. Material culture experts believe this was made in the latter half of the 1600s, possibly a King Philip’s War-era flag. The finial is engraved on each side: “Gift of Col Nathan Byfield to the First Company of Militia” … “Capt Nathan Byfield 1687” … “For Bristol for the time being 1724”.

Having died in 1733, Nathan was a veteran of King Philip’s War, a member of the Ancient & Honorable Artillery Co., and was one of the founders of Bristol, RI, among other things. The flag appears to be stained with blood. Much research is needed in addition to blood and DNA testing.

But, this may be the oldest flag from the Americas in existence.

  • Brendan Synnamon and Maria Vazquez preserving history at the Varnum Armory.
  • Silk gold-colored flag with it’s original pole and finial. Made in the latter half of the 1600s, possibly a King Philip’s War-era flag.
  • Tassles from a silk gold-colored flag with it’s original pole and finial. Made in the latter half of the 1600s, possibly a King Philip’s War-era flag.
  • Silk gold-colored flag with it’s original pole and finial. Made in the latter half of the 1600s, possibly a King Philip’s War-era flag.
  • Engraved finial of a flag pole dated 1687 and 1724.
  • Engraved finial of a flag pole dated 1687 and 1724.
  • Silk gold-colored flag with it’s original pole and finial. Made in the latter half of the 1600s, possibly a King Philip’s War-era flag.
  • Engraved finial of a flag pole dated 1687 and 1724.
  • Brendan Synnamon, Maria Vazquez, and Ryan Meyer restoring incredibly rare flags. RI PBS films in the background.
  • Engraved finial of a flag pole dated 1687 and 1724.
  • Silk gold-colored flag with it’s original pole and finial. Made in the latter half of the 1600s, possibly a King Philip’s War-era flag.
  • Engraved finial of a flag pole dated 1687 and 1724.
  • Silk gold-colored flag with it’s original pole and finial. Made in the latter half of the 1600s, possibly a King Philip’s War-era flag.
  • Silk gold-colored flag with it’s original pole and finial. Made in the latter half of the 1600s, possibly a King Philip’s War-era flag.
  • Engraved finial of a flag pole dated 1687 and 1724.
  • Silk gold-colored flag with it’s original pole and finial. Made in the latter half of the 1600s, possibly a King Philip’s War-era flag.

And here are some of the other valuable flags we’re working to restore.

1861 33-Star U.S. Civil War Flag

  • A 33-star (1861) flag with period field repairs and possible blood stains.
  • Brendan Synnamon, Maria Vazquez, and Ryan Meyer with a 33-star (1861) flag with period field repairs and possible blood stains.
  • Brendan Synnamon and Ryan Meyer inspecting a rare flag case from the early U.S. Civil War period.
  • Brendan Synnamon and Maria Vazquez preserving history at the Varnum Armory.
  • A 33-star (1861) flag with period field repairs and possible blood stains.

1890 Post No. 15 G.A.R. Flag

  • Presented by Post No.15 G.A.R. May 26, 1890.
  • Presented by Post No.15 G.A.R. May 26, 1890.
  • Presented by Post No.15 G.A.R. May 26, 1890.
  • Presented by Post No.15 G.A.R. May 26, 1890.
  • Presented by Post No.15 G.A.R. May 26, 1890.
  • Brendan Synnamon, Maria Vazquez, and Ryan Meyer working to restore these incredibly rare flags.
  • Presented by Post No.15 G.A.R. May 26, 1890.

DONATE TO HELP WITH THIS PROJECT!

You can help with this historic restoration project. The Varnum Continentals are a private non-profit receiving no federal or state funding. We depend on donors to help us perform these costly and painstaking preservation projects.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE!

Keep watching this space! There’s certainly more news to come regarding these amazing flags!

Filed Under: Historic Preservation, Museum Exhibits, Varnum Memorial Armory Tagged With: 17th century, burnside flags, flag, historic preservation, museum exhibit, varnum memorial armory

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[DEC. 12 DINNER MEETING] Speaker Greg Banner on The Halifax Disaster

December 3, 2022 By James Mitchell Varnum

In December 1917, a World War I ammunition ship blew up in Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia. This massive event was listed as the largest man-made explosion in human history prior to atomic weapons and totally devastated the city. Thousands died. Our December speaker, Varnum Member Greg Banner, will describe the background, event, response, and results and discuss aspects of military, nautical, local, and emergency response history.

About the Varnum Continentals

The Varnum Continentals are committed to the preservation of the historic heritage of our community, our state, and our nation. Please take a virtual tour of our museums to learn more about our mission to encourage patriotism. You can participate with us through active membership and/or philanthropic support in our non-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Museum tours are welcomed and our facilities may be rented for suitable events.

Our Mission

The Varnum Continentals are committed to encourage patriotism through the Varnum Armory Museum, the Continental Militia, and the James Mitchell Varnum House and thus to preserve, support, and communicate the military history of our community, our state, and our nation.

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