Military Relics

APRIL 23,1864. ]

(Previous Page) of General GRANT and General McCLELLAN. For the navy sword the favorites are Admiral FARRAGUT and Commander ROWAN, of the New Ironsides.

The Museum of Flags, Trophies, and Relics, in the Union Square Buildings, contains a wonderful collection of rare and curious articles. The whole number of relics on exhibition is one thousand and twenty-two. There are old guns, old uniforms, old swords, old pistols—relics of the Revolutionary fight, and specimens from the battlefields of the present war against rebellion—balls, hand-grenades, shells, tomahawks, rapiers, Sandwich Island daggers, and Indian arrows—battle-flags and guidons—regimental colors that went through the Mexican war and reappeard in this one—Ellsworth memorials, and relics made sacred because Washington used them—a mere description of which would fill a volume. Among the more interesting momentoes of the present war are two or three dozen

of BATTLE-FLAGS of NEW YORK REGIMENTS, some of which have been riddled by the enemy's shot, their staffs splintered, their bearers killed, but were still saved from the rebel clutch. We give on this page a view of these flags as they appear at the Fair.

The Mexican trophies consist of a Mexican flag captured at Mazatlan, pieces of flag-staff, swords, etc.--all illustrating the heroism of our army in the Mexican war.

Our artist also presents an illustration of the

sword surrendered by BURGOYNE to General GATES on the battle-field of Saratoga, and another of a Highland sword found in a house in Cherry Street after the evacuation of New York.

Among other relics in this department are the

spur worn by Major ANDRE at the time of his capture, and the sword carried by LAFAYETTE while in the service of the Colonies. The original bowie knife—the first of its kind—is also exhibited. It was forged in a common blacksmith shop on the Red

River, by James Bowie, who subsequently lost his life at the Alamo in 1836, and was used by him in the celebrated running-fight at Natchez, in 1828, where half a dozen persons were hacked to pieces. This knife was given by Bowie to its present pos-

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sessor in gratitude for kindness to him when wounded. The relics of the war of 1812 consist of the flags of the British ships Cyane, Frolic, Peacock, and Highflyer—all contributed front the collection of the United States Naval School at Newport.

Among the rebel curiosities on exhibition are two flags bearing the "Southern Cross ;" a piece of the flag that was found flying on the State House at Baton Rouge ; and another flag captured by a naval officer, bearing this motto: "Our cause is just, our duty we know ;

In God we trust, to battle we go."

There are also bits of shell, grape-shot, rifled projectiles, hats and caps, over coats and pay rolls, telegraph wires, boarding pikes and mail bags—all of which were once rebel property, and now speak to the fathers and mothers of our brave volunteers of the dangers through which they are passing in defense of liberty and good government.

Several views of the interior of Libey Prison and of

the exterior of Ligon's Tobacco Factory at Richmond, the Jail at Columbia, South Carolina, and Castle Pinckney, at Charleston, have a similar interest to visitors, many of whom, no doubt, have had friends in those habitations of rebel cruelty.

HARPER'S WEEKLY

ARMY AND NAVY SWORDS.

DEPARTMENT OF ARMS AND TROPHIES—MEXICAN FLAGS CAPTURED AT MAZATLAN, MEXICO.

1. SWORD SURRENDERED BY GENERAL BURGOYNE TO
GENERAL GATES.—2. HIGHLANDER'S SWORD.

DEPARTMENT OF ARMS AND TROPHIES—PIECES OF
FLAG-STAFFS.

DEPARTMENT OF ARMS AND TROPHIES—FLAGS OF NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS.