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You are here: Home / Archives for revolutionary war

[FEATURED EXHIBIT] Frank Quagan’s rendition of “Varnum’s Black Regiment”

January 12, 2020 By James Mitchell Varnum

At the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum, we have artist Frank Quagan’s rendition of “Varnum’s Black Regiment”, the integrated 1st Rhode Island Regiment formed during the American Revolutionary War.

James Mitchell Varnum was an early proponent for freeing enslaved people in exchange for their service. It is said that he largely is responsible for convincing General George Washington to support the policy.

  • Frank Quagan’s rendition of “Varnum’s Black Regiment”
  • Frank Quagan’s rendition of “Varnum’s Black Regiment”
  • Frank Quagan’s rendition of “Varnum’s Black Regiment”
Frank Quagan’s rendition of “Varnum’s Black Regiment”

Filed Under: Museum Exhibits, Varnum Memorial Armory Tagged With: african american history, revolutionary war, varnum memorial armory

[FEATURED EXHIBIT] 16th-Century Swiss Halberd from the Revolutionary War

January 5, 2020 By James Mitchell Varnum

Probably brought to Rhode Island by early settlers, this European halberd at the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum dates from the 15th or 16th century. A halberd is a type of polearm used in combat to repel mounted cavalry charges and signal or direct troops.

Halberds were used throughout the American Revolutionary War.

16th-Century Swiss Halberd

Filed Under: Museum Exhibits, Varnum Memorial Armory Tagged With: polearm, revolutionary war

[FEATURE ARTICLE] Women in Combat: Rhode Island’s Own Kady Brownell

September 1, 2019 By Brian Wallin

While American women today serve in front-line duties in the armed forces, this wasn’t a common or accepted practice in the past. For example, during the American Revolution, most women stayed home. Some did serve as laundresses, cooks, or nurses in military encampments, but only by permission and only if they proved helpful. A few did wind up on the front lines, by choice or by chance. Over the centuries, American women have served in battle, either in female attire or dressed as men. Some also served as spies behind enemy lines. These pioneers paved the way for today’s total integration of women into combat.

  • Deborah Sampson

The first known American woman to become a combat veteran was Deborah Sampson who served in the Continental Army as Robert Shurtleff. Well known in her lifetime, today her name is less recognized. Born in 1760 in Plimpton, Massachusetts, she came from a poor, but well-known Pilgrim family. Her widowed mother, unable to care for Deborah and her seven siblings, placed Deborah as an indentured servant and farmworker. Self-educated, Deborah taught school at age 18 and later worked in a tavern as a waitress and seamstress. There, she came upon the idea of military service to earn a living wage. Tailoring a cast-off military uniform, Deborah enlisted in the 4th Massachusetts Regiment in the Spring of 1781 under the name Robert Shurtleff.  In spite of her small stature, no one suspected her identity. Her light infantry unit marched to West Point in the waning days of the war where her story took a bizarre twist. The troops engaged a band of Tories. Deborah bayonetted one man to death, but was slashed on her forehead and shot in the thigh. Terrified at being discovered as a woman, she hid the bullet wound from a military doctor. She later pulled the musket ball from her own leg, sewing the wound closed using her seamstress skills. Promoted to corporal, she was sent to Philadelphia by General John Patterson.

There, she became a victim of an epidemic sweeping the city and her true identity was discovered. A doctor, Benjamin Binney, although sympathetic, sent her back to General Patterson. Impressed by her bravery, Patterson saw that she was given an honorable discharge. She returned home to Sharon, Massachusetts. In 1785, she married a local farmer, Benjamin Gannet. They had three children and adopted a fourth. But Benjamin was a gambler and the family fell on hard times. Supporting her family by lecturing on her experiences, she also applied for a military pension. She was unsuccessful until a neighbor, none other than Paul Revere, interceded. In 1805, she was awarded a monthly pension of four dollars. After she died in 1827 at age 66, her husband managed to get a widow’s pension for himself, even though he wasn’t married to her at the time of her service. The government statement approving the pension concluded that Deborah, serving as Robert, “…furnished no other similar example of female heroism, fidelity and courage.” Both the Daughters and the Sons of the American Revolution uniquely honor Deborah’s grave in Sharon. In 1983, she was named the official Heroine of Massachusetts.

There were a few recorded instances of women serving during the War of 1812 and on the battlefield in the Mexican-American War, although in the latter they did not take up arms which brings us to the American Civil War.

Recently, our Museum VP and Curator Patrick Donovan came across a long forgotten book called, “Women of the War; Their Heroism and Self-Sacrifice”. Written by Frank Moore in 1867, it recounts the exploits of a number of women who contributed to the war effort including some who made it into the front lines, mostly wearing men’s attire. My lecture, “Women in Combat”, which I have done for the Varnum Continentals, includes stories from both sides of the war about women who participated in active combat as well as in support roles.

For those who served on the front lines, concealing their identities was not as difficult as it might appear. Many soldiers were still teenagers yet to shave. Ill-fitting uniforms disguised their shape. Most soldiers rarely bathed and everyone slept clothed and ready to fight. Physical exams were initially cursory. Sometimes, young men paraded before a doctor and if they could use their trigger fingers, they were in.

If women acted in a manly fashion, smoking, chewing tobacco, swearing, and playing cards, it was enough of a ruse, since such behavior was completely unexpected in the socially prim Victorian era. Many of their male counterparts figured out what was going on, but the women fought bravely and carried themselves in a soldierly fashion, so their ruse was accepted and even hidden from senior officers.

  • Kady Brownell in uniform with rifle.

A handful of women fought openly in women’s attire. One was Rhode Island’s own Kady McKenzie Brownell, about whom we have written and spoken. Kady proudly dressed in own version of a female uniform. Along with her husband, she fought in heavy combat in two major battles with two different Rhode Island regiments. It’s time to update her story a bit.

Brownell was born in 1842 in a British Army tent in Kaffaria, in British controlled South Africa, the daughter of Scottish-born Colonel George Southwell. Kady’s frail mother died soon after and her soldier father couldn’t care for her. The infant wound up in the care of Duncan and Alice McKenzie, who eventually immigrated with her to Providence, Rhode Island. There is no record of them ever legally adopting Kady.

  • Kady and husband Robert Brownell

This writer found Kady’s name in the 1860 Rhode Island census where she was listed as living with the Rodman family in Providence, RI, and working as a weaver in a textile mill in Central Falls, RI. There she met mill mechanic Robert Brownell, Junior, who was six years older. Kady was nineteen, five foot three with a dark complexion and blue eyes. The pair fell in love, but there was a slight complication. Robert was already married. His wife Agnes soon discovered the romance and divorced him.

Until they left the military, Kady and Robert lived as common law husband and wife. There is only one known picture of them together. Based on the size and style of the photo, it was taken after the war, probably in the 1880’s after the couple had left Rhode Island.

When the war broke out, President Lincoln called for volunteer troops. Rhode Island Governor William Sprague vowed his state would do all possible for the Union cause. He quickly signed up Ambrose Burnside to lead an initial regiment. Sprague himself led the men to Washington where they set up training outside the city in a camp named for the governor. Among the enlistees caught up patriotic fever was Robert Brownell, enrolled in Company H, First Regiment, Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry on April 17, 1861.

Left behind, Kady was frantic and desperate to follow Robert. Eventually she managed to buttonhole Governor Sprague and convince him into taking her along with him when he travelled to Washington to visit the regiment. Kady was reunited with her husband at Camp Sprague.

  • Kady Brownell with sword.

With the approval of Colonel, later Major General, Ambrose Burnside, Kady was at first named a vivandiere, a “daughter of the regiment”. The role had originated in Europe, where women to go to the front lines selling personal items or wine to the troops. Some adopted female attire that mimicked men’s uniforms. A few doubled as water carriers or even nurses. Despite their role and the impression of some, most were not women of “easy virtue”, but served honorably in the field or behind the lines. Determined not to be a water carrier, Kady immediately volunteered as a color-bearer for the 1st Rhode Island.  Now, the role of a color bearer in those days was far from ceremonial.

The regimental flag was a rallying point for troops and served as a guide in the midst of battle where the sound of a bugle or drum could be drowned out by gunfire. Kady was in the front of the line and as such, a target for the enemy who sought to mow down color bearers in order to throw confusion into the opposing ranks. Right from the start, Kady had proved a gutsy and determined young woman.

While at Camp Sprague, Kady convinced her fellow soldiers to teach her how to shoot, and with daily practice she became proficient with a musket. Color bearers also carried arms to protect the colors. To conserve ammunition, men were allowed three shots each at daily target practice. Her fellow soldiers were so impressed with her determination, skill, and coolness that Kady was given the opportunity to fire as much as she wanted. She also practiced daily with her own infantry sword.

At the First Battle of Bull Run, Kady carried the company colors and her weapons. The battle was a rout for Union forces and Kady became separated from her husband. Although slightly wounded herself, she managed to leave the field still carrying her flag. Kady had lost track of Robert and Colonel Burnside himself let Kady know her husband had survived unhurt. The couple was reunited in Washington. By then, their initial ninety-day enlistment had expired. They returned to Providence and were mustered out.

Robert soon volunteered again, along with most of the men of the 1st Rhode Island, this time with Company A, of the Fifth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. Guess who went along? Kady and Robert served under now General Ambrose Burnside. Their unit was sent to North Carolina, initially as an infantry unit. They were promised easy duty.

Kady again carried the colors. At one point, she is said to have prevented a catastrophe during the Battle of New Bern, when she recognized a body of troops about to be mistaken for Confederate forces. According to an officer who witnessed the incident, she called a warning, crying out, “Don’t fire; they are our men!”  The troops were from another Rhode Island unit and had made the mistake of wearing grey hats. Many likely would have died except for Kady’s action.  Put into the heaviest fighting, they led the assault and fired the first shots at Matthew’s Hill. The unit lost eight men.

Robert, by then a first sergeant, sustained a serious leg wound at New Bern. Kady, by then assisting at a military hospital, was reunited with Robert. She nursed him and other soldiers, including Rebel prisoners. In early 1863, the couple was sent back to Rhode Island. Both were mustered out and Kady received official discharge papers. Back in Providence, Rev. William McDonald, at the Methodist Episcopal Church, officially married her and Robert at last, on November 7, 1863.

The Brownells moved to Connecticut and settled in Bridgeport where she was accepted in 1870 into the Grand Army of the Republic Elias Howe Post #4 on the basis of her discharge papers. She was the first woman known to have been admitted to the GAR. For a while, she gained some measure of fame and earned much needed money by lecturing on her experiences. She and Robert later moved to New York City where she and Robert worked for the city park department as custodians at the Morris-Jumel Mansion on Washington Heights. She became well known to tourists who visited the facility.

Over the years, the depth of her service was often questioned but enough evidence existed to drown out the naysayers. She had kept her company colors, her discharge papers, and her saber with her name engraved on the scabbard. In 1884, by an Act of Congress, she was granted a government pension ($8.00 a month) based on her service as a Daughter of the Regiment and for her wound at the First Battle of Bull Run.

In a sidebar story to flowery piece published in the July 22, 1899 Philadelphia Times, the 57-year-old Kady and her husband spoke of their wartime experiences. He was much more vocal, and complimented his wife’s bravery on the field. But Kady expressed a different view to the reporter. “The war, with all its legacy of bitterness and hatred is over,” she said quietly, “and in the hearts of these brave men who lost the day there is nothing but a tender love and trust in us who saved the Union. For myself, I did my duty, under discipline, and with that I am content until it shall please God to call me.”

Kady and Robert lived out their later years at the New York State Women’s Relief Corps Home in Oxford, NY. The home had been set up for U.S. Civil War veterans and enabled married couples to remain together. Kady died there on January 5, 1915 at the age of 72. Her funeral was held under the auspices of the GAR in New York City.

Her husband managed to scrape together the money to send her body back to Rhode Island by steamboat where was laid to rest in the North Burial Ground in Providence, RI. Now here’s the kicker to our story.

  • Kady Brownell’s gravesite.

Robert had her buried in the same plot as his first wife. Given their limited finances, it was probably just common sense. The date of his death is missing from the tombstone, because he isn’t there. Robert never made it back to Providence to join his two wives. He died eight months after Kady on September 29, 1915 at age 79 and wound up in an unmarked gravesite in East Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. By the way, the emblem of the Grand Army of the Republic is engraved on Kady’s tombstone.  The Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War have named a unit in her honor: Tent #36 in Long Island City, New York. Color bearer, front line soldier, devoted wife: that was Rhode Island’s own Kady Brownell.

In the later decades of the 20th century and in recent years, more and more opportunities have opened for women in all branches of the service. Today, thousands serve in active combat and in positions of high command.

We’ve come a long way from the Deborah Sampsons of the American Revolution to the likes of Kady Brownell, and her sisters of the U.S. Civil War. Only a handful gained lasting recognition. Many were simply forgotten.

But, their pioneering spirit evolved into the eventual acceptance of women in every facet of military service. Navy Lieutenant Andrea Goldstein, USNR, writing for the U.S. Naval Institute’s Proceedings, noted “these largely unsung women broke convention to prove that a nation is strongest when it draws on 100 percent of its talent.” Elizabeth Leonard, a historian at Colby College in Maine, in an article in the Washington Post, noted that the removal of the ban on women in active combat was nothing new, it was simply that we let disappear the stories of women combatants in past wars…women who often served in roles that defied existing conventions. Said Professor Leonard, “They fought. They bled. They died. We should know that, and unlike the past, we should remember.”

Filed Under: Feature Article Tagged With: civil war, Deborah Sampson, feature article, revolutionary war

Return to the Varnum House Museum: An Interview with Barbara Weaver

May 6, 2019 By Brian Wallin

Varnum House Museum
Varnum House Museum

It’s been a while since we sat down with Varnum Continentals Vice President and Varnum House Museum Curator Barbara Weaver. A lot has happened at the historic house on the hill. Thanks to an extensive series of renovations funded through both individual donations and the generosity of charitable foundations, the home of General James Mitchell Varnum and his wife Martha “Patty” (Child) Varnum, the house has been restored virtually to its appearance during the period when the Varnums called it their home.

Recently, we talked with Barbara about the projects she has overseen and what the future holds for the house at 57 Peirce Street.

Varnum News: The Varnum House was designed and constructed by John Reynolds in 1773, considered to be East Greenwich’s most important 18th century architect and builder. His design for the General replicated the popular Georgian style of the period. What were some of the key elements he employed? Varnum himself was certainly a well-educated and knowledgeable man of his time. Would he have offered input to Reynolds?

Barbara Weaver, Varnum House Curator and Varnum Continentals Vice President
Barbara Weaver, Varnum House Curator and Varnum Continentals Vice President

Barbara Weaver: It is quite possible that the house reflected Varnum’s personal taste. Reynolds had already built a couple of homes in town: the Eldredge House at the corner of Peirce and Division Streets and the Whitmarsh home at 294 Main Street, also known as the “Brick House”. These are known as Georgian style, and were a very common design in the colonial period between 1730 and 1776.

Varnum News: Why did Varnum choose to build the house in its location? There would have been other suitable lots available

Barbara Weaver: The house was built across from the Kent County Courthouse, which was very convenient since Varnum was a prominent lawyer at the courthouse. The building was frequented by the most influential leaders of the colony and was also one of the locations where the colonial general assembly met (the assembly rotated meetings between East Greenwich, Providence, Bristol, Newport, and South Kingstown). He bought the plot from John Peirce for $90.

Varnum News: The house was finished shortly after Varnum left to take part in the Siege of Boston. From that time until he ended his service in the Continental Army, was he able to spend much time in East Greenwich with his wife? She must have been like many other colonial women of the time, left to manage household affairs on her own.

Martha "Patty" Varnum
Martha “Patty” Varnum

Barbara Weaver: Since the Varnums were prominent and very wealthy, there would have been lots of entertaining. Guests were General George Washington, General Nathanael Greene, Marquis de Lafayette, Comte de Rochambeau, Governor William Greene, and many other prominent dignitaries. Although we don’t know exactly when Washington visited, he was in Rhode Island between 1776 and 1781. Lafayette stayed with the Varnum’s on at least one occasion and presented them with the beautiful bowl that is displayed in the second-floor bedroom named in honor of the French military leader.

Varnum News: After service to the state and new federal governments, Varnum was appointed a federal judge in the Ohio territory. He left Rhode Island in late 1788 and on the journey west was taken ill. He died in January of 1789 in Marietta, Ohio at the age of 41. Patty Varnum had remained in Rhode Island, not knowing she would never see her husband again. What happened to her after his death?

Barbara Weaver: The Varnums were a very devoted couple from what we know. He wrote her a very tender letter during his military service and we have the letter on display. They never had children. After her husband’s death, Martha (Patty) Varnum lived at her sister’s home in East Greenwich, RI. She never remarried.  The Varnum name was continued on his brother’s side. We have had their descendants visit the house in recent years.

James Mitchell Varnum Marker in Ohio
James Mitchell Varnum Marker in Ohio

Varnum News: So, take us through the decades up to the 20th century. What happened to the Varnum House? Through whose ownership did it pass? Were there any major changes during the years?

Barbara Weaver: In 1788, Varnum sold the mansion to the original architect, John Reynolds.  There were at least ten owners after that.  Clark, Brayton, and Bowen were some of the families that owned Varnum’s mansion in the 1800s.   The Trimmer brothers — current Varnum Secretary Mark and Varnum Trustee David — are direct descendants of Dr. William Shaw Bowen, and they serve as docents, as well as members of the Varnum Continentals Historic Military Command.

Varnum News: In 1939, then Varnum Continentals Commander Colonel Howard Allen took steps to acquire the Varnum House. What motivated the purchase?

Varnum House Museum docents in period costume
Varnum House Museum docents in period costume

Barbara Weaver: The property had come up for sale that year. Colonel Allen was responsible for saving the mansion from being sold for building lots.  “The Allen Room” on the second floor is named in his memory.

Varnum News: From that time until the turn of the new century, was there any major restoration?

Barbara Weaver: None, to my knowledge. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 but little was done to improve the property.  Colonel Allen did arrange to have the kitchen remodeled in memory of his wife. Other than that, only general maintenance was done for many years. You can imagine that a house as old as this requires considerable care.

Varnum News: Recognizing the importance of preserving the House and its history, you and your husband have undertaken and organized a renovation program at the house. Take us through that, please.

Barbara Weaver:  In 2015, I became a Vice President of the Varnum Continentals and Curator of The Varnum House Museum. I began doing a thorough cleaning and polishing of the rooms and hallways.  Next, my husband Bill, who is also a member of the Varnum Board of Trustees, reviewed every room and the grounds to see what was needed. It seemed that everywhere we looked something needed attention. We identified some key areas of concern. Both the house and carriage house required a complete exterior paint job. The two massive chimneys needed repointing. The second-floor ceilings were in dire condition, with some debris actually coming down. We also continued the renovation of the windows and shutters. Being a historic building, all this work had to be done by tradesmen experienced in such projects. Needless to say, this was an expensive undertaking.

After identifying the importance, Bill and I created a plan and identified a two-year initiative (Editor’s Note: the Varnum Board was simultaneously addressing capital improvements at both the Varnum Memorial Armory and the Varnum House during this period). In the first year, we turned to the Champlin Foundation, who had been generous in the past. We applied for a grant of $69,585 to make the first in a series of critical repairs and upgrades.  It was approved and these projects were completed. We were also delighted to receive a number of individual donations in support of small restoration projects.

Along the way, the Varnum trustees and members also pitched in with yearly cleanups of the grounds.   Speaking of the grounds, I would be remiss if I did not take special note of and express our sincere gratitude for the commitment of the URI Master Gardeners program. Over the past several years, they created and still maintain a colonial garden.

Hand-painted wallpaper from China (circa 1850s)
Hand-painted wallpaper from China (circa 1850s)

The following year, we returned to the Champlin Foundation and they generously responded with a grant of $ 101,745. This has enabled us to restore the circa 1850’s wallpaper,  hand painted in China and installed in the early  1900’s in the massive first floor hallway. We have also painted the exterior of the circa 1800 Carriage House at the rear of the property. Our window restoration was also completed under the most recent grant along with the repair of the massive stone wall that surrounds the grounds, which will be completed in the next few months .

At this point, sweat equity deserves a mention. We took furniture out of all the rooms to polish the floors and then polished all the furniture before it was returned to the rooms.  Bill and I personally painted several of the rooms. Our docents have also generously stepped up to help, as this was a massive job in itself. Incidentally, I have to add here that I don’t know what we would do without my husband’s generous dedication of his time and talents. No matter what I ask of Bill, he always steps up to the challenge.

Varnum News: During the renovations, did you experience and surprises? Any significant finds?

Barbara Weaver:  Yes, we found that many unexpected repairs were needed throughout the entire building. That is where “Yankee Ingenuity” came in handy with Bill’s knowledge of mechanical and structural skills. Having been involved in three other museums, I have a knowledge of period decoration and was able to draw upon that in putting the rooms back into shape.

Varnum News: As you look at the house today, what are the elements of which you are most proud to share with visitors?

William Frecker pianoforte and Lafayette bowl
William Frecker pianoforte and Lafayette bowl

Barbara Weaver: We are different from so-called “farmhouse” museums in that we have so many very fancy items that would be found in a well-to-do household of this period.  These include the “Lafayette bowl”, the circa 1850’s wallpaper (which is a treasure in itself) and a 1797 William Frecker mahogany pianoforte. That instrument is one of only a few existent examples. We also have on display a portrait of Joseph Bradley Varnum (the General’s brother) and portraits of Amy Varnum, (great granddaughter of J.B. Varnum).  One very special item is a miniature portrait of Patty Varnum, believed to be the only image of its kind.

Varnum News: You speak of the Varnum House Museum docents with special pride and affection.

Barbara Weaver: Oh, absolutely! Volunteers are the heartbeat of a non-profit organization in any capacity. However, docents, especially our talented and dedicated team, are a treasure. Without them we could not have accomplished all that we have. You usually think of docents as guides. But, our team generously pitches in with cleaning and polishing the rooms. They are available for special events to bring the house and its contents to life for guests. They provide tours to school groups and others. We are fortunate to be able to open the house for regular visiting hours during the summer with the presence of our docents. They dress in reproduction colonial garb, which adds a flair to the tour. In the museum field, we often speak of “keeping history alive”. Our docents are the epitome of that commitment. Using an instructional docents guide developed for the purpose, they have become extremely knowledgeable of the museum house, its contents as well as General Varnum’s life and career.

Docents Day at the Varnum House Museum
Docents Day at the Varnum House Museum

I have been a member of the Varnum Continentals for some 15 years now. As I mentioned, I worked in three other museums and am knowledgeable of museum workings.  Through my activities with the Daughters of the American Revolution over the years, I visited historical sites and attended programs on American history. (Editor’s Note: Barbara has also served as RI State Regent of the DAR). What the Varnum House Museum has that makes it so special is our large and truly dedicated team of docents.

Varnum News: It is said that the preservation of a major historic treasure like the Varnum House is an ongoing process. Do you have any special things you would like to see in the immediate future?

Barbara Weaver:  Oh, yes. I have a list. Of course, I am always adding to it. For example, I would like to acquire appropriate framing for the many portraits on the second-floor hallway and also add interpretive signage for the grounds at the museum.

Varnum News: If James Mitchell Varnum and his wife were to return to the house, do you think would they feel in familiar surroundings? What would you say to them as they entered their former home?

Barbara Weaver:  Yes, I think they would feel like they were home as we have tried to restore and now preserve the house as close to the original mansion as possible. I am so honored and privileged to act as Curator of this historic gem. We owe a great debt of thanks to the late Colonel H.V. Allen whose foresight made it possible for the building to be acquired for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations. If the General and Mrs. Varnum were to walk through the front door, I would love to be able to say, “Welcome home. My team and I have tried to make your beautiful home as comfortable and as much like it as it was when you lived here.”

Varnum members are encouraged to make the community aware of the Varnum House operating schedule. Group tours are available by appointment in June and September. Summer hours for visitors in July and August are Sundays from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.

Be sure to mark your calendar for the Varnum House Museum Colonial Yuletide to be held Saturday, December 7, 2019 from 4:00 to 8:00 pm.

The House and grounds are available for special event rentals such as weddings and receptions. For more information, contact: house@varnumcontinentals.org or call 401-884-1776.

Filed Under: Feature Article, Varnum House Museum Tagged With: 18th century, feature article, revolutionary war, varnum house museum

[FEATURE EXHIBIT] 17th Century Fowler Birding Gun Restored by the Varnum Continentals

April 5, 2019 By James Mitchell Varnum

17th Century Fowler Birding Gun
17th Century Fowler Birding Gun

This ancient Fowler was purportedly carried by Thomas Gould of North Kingstown as he patrolled the beaches of Quidnesset watching for Tory and British ships during the American Revolutionary War. It is a conglomeration of early European parts and some crude American-made parts. This old flintlock birding gun dates from the late 1600s to early 1700s. The stock had been broken in three places and was missing the ram rod and ram rod pipes.

It has been lovingly restored by Varnum member, Russ Malcolm, and is on display at the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum.

17th Century Fowler Birding Gun
17th Century Fowler Birding Gun
17th Century Fowler Birding Gun
17th Century Fowler Birding Gun
17th Century Fowler Birding Gun

Filed Under: Historic Preservation, Museum Exhibits, Varnum Memorial Armory Tagged With: 18th century, featured exhibit, revolutionary war, 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.

Recent Posts

  • [DEC. 12 DINNER MEETING] Speaker Greg Banner on The Halifax Disaster
  • Varnum Armory Bathroom Renovation!
  • Watch the Varnum Armory on Rhode Island Wave!

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