A private’s military cap marked by a bullet hole; the diary of a woman who tended to the wounded during the Battle of Gettysburg; the chair of the Union general who won the battle. These are among the “Objects of Valor” in an exhibition of that name currently at The State Museum of Pennsylvania.
The title of the exhibition is taken from one of those objects—a placard calling veterans of the 9th Army Corps, 3rd Division, to a reunion that invited guests to “tell again the story of our valor.”
“The goal of the exhibition is to demonstrate the commitment of the commonwealth to memorializing the Civil War through battle relics and personal items,” noted Brad Smith, curatorial supervisor.
Objects and artifacts drawn from the museum’s permanent collection help preserve the legacy of the Civil War. “The difficulty was in selecting those for the exhibition because our collection is so rich,” Smith pointed out.
Some 4 million visitors are expected to descend on the Gettysburg battlefield this summer to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the three-day battle that turned the tide of the war in favor of the North. The State Museum exhibition offers a more intimate and interior observance—and one closer to home.
At the exhibition’s heart and center is Peter Frederick Rothermel’s iconic narrative painting “Battle of Gettysburg: Pickett’s Charge.” Commissioned by the commonwealth and completed by the artist in 1870, it measures 16-by-32 feet and is striking for its graphic nature at a time when war was usually romanticized.
The artist did a great deal of research: visiting the battlefield, interviewing those who had fought or otherwise participated and collecting relics.
“’Battle of Gettysburg’ is pretty realistic, almost gruesome,” Smith said. “It shows dying soldiers and the chaos of battle.”
Rothermel’s painting was the IMAX of its day, he added. “People came from far and wide to see it, and, in the 1890s, it visited Philadelphia (for the Centennial Exhibition), Chicago, Boston and London, as well as Harrisburg.”
The exhibition includes an interactive component relating to the work.
Rothermel is also represented by four smaller paintings depicting other Civil War episodes in which Pennsylvania soldiers and regiments served with distinction.
One of the striking artifacts in the exhibition is the 95-volume set of books listing muster rolls of volunteers. Also shown are artillery flags, a cannon ball, a telegram from Pennsylvania’s adjutant general calling for volunteers to enlist, photographs, presentation swords and a map of the battlefield.
Lest anyone think Gettysburg only recently became a tourist destination, one exhibit case contains postcards, commemorative plates and other souvenirs that date back to shortly after the Civil War.
Another case highlights the service of women, who were factory workers, nurses and volunteers in the war. “The Diary of a Lady of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania,” a memoir by Sarah Broadhead, who tended to those hurt in battle, is featured.
“Broadhead took half the proceeds from the sale of the diary and donated them to the relief of wounded soldiers,” Smith noted.
Also honored are the contributions of the U.S. Colored Troops—the thousands of African Americans who fought on behalf of the Union in segregated units. Among related objects: the Gilmore Medal for valor, which belonged to David Ramsey, who was wounded at Fort Wagner (the battle depicted in the movie “Glory”).
The military cap, or kepi, belonged to Pvt. George Linn, who donated it to the museum in 1915. A Plexiglas rod in the cap shows the trajectory of a bullet he took. “It was a close call, but he was unhurt, “ said Smith. “So he held on to the kepi.”
Several objects in the exhibition belonged to John White Geary—including his coat, boots, saddle, medal and uniform. A Civil War general who had been mayor of San Francisco, Geary later became governor of the commonwealth.
A number of the artifacts had been inscribed. Pvt. John Rivers wrote his initials and unit into the stock of his musket, for example. Augustus Kyle of Chambersburg posted a record of his service inside his drum and also put his initials and those of President Lincoln on the drumsticks. Kyle’s great-great-grandson, a Harrisburg police officer, donated the drum in 1980.
Another drum, with a bullet hole in it, was probably the one Rothermel used in his painting.
More than half the artifacts or objects in the exhibition come from a veteran or from a spouse, children or other relatives. “It’s touching to read the stories and to preserve them in perpetuity,” Smith said. “The core message is that the commonwealth has made a conscious effort to commemorate the war.”
The exhibition is part of an initiative convened by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and Pennsylvania Civil War 150, a statewide partnership of historical organizations and cultural institutions to market activities and events at the regional and local levels and bring quality programming to the observance.
“Objects of Valor” will remain on view indefinitely at the State Museum, 300 North Street, Harrisburg, 717-787-4980 and https://statemuseumpa.org.
