Museum Displays

This is our museum’s centerpiece and pride and joy. It is a depiction of the Battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia with General Phil Sheridan riding Rienzi (a.k.a. Winchester) onto the field of battle to rally the Vermont troops and turn the tide of battle.

The original painting was designed and painted by Vermont native Charles H. Andrus and was done on a massive 17' by 28' canvas, reminiscent of the then popular theater curtains.

The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, fought October 19, 1864, was the culminating battle of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War.  Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal Early launched a surprise attack against the encamped army of Union Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan, across Cedar Creek, northeast of Strasburg, Virginia.  During the morning fighting, seven Union infantry divisions were forced to fall back and lost numerous prisoners and cannons.  Early failed to continue his attack north of Middletown, and Sheridan, dramatically riding to the battlefield from Winchester, was able to rally his troops to hold a new defensive line.  A Union counterattack that afternoon routed Early's army.

At the conclusion of this battle, the final Confederate invasion of the North was effectively ended.  The Confederacy was never again able to threaten Washington, D.C. through the Shenandoah Valley, nor protect one of its key economic bases in Virginia.  The stunning Union victory aided the reelection of Abraham Lincoln and won Sheridan lasting fame.

Here you will find our Forty and Eight boxcar. This rail boxcar was donated to the state of Vermont by the French government after the 2nd World War. France donated one to each state in appreciation of our donation of food gifts via the Friendship Train in 1947 and our assistance in both WWI and WW2.

Forty-and-eights (French: Quarante et huit), typically written 40/8 or 40&8) were French 4-wheel covered goods wagons designed to hold 40 men or eight horses.  Introduced in the 1870s, they were drafted into military service by the French Army in both World Wars.  They were also used by the occupying Germans during in World War II, followed by the Allies.

The Merci Train was a train of 49 French railroad box cars filled with tens of thousands of gifts of gratitude from at least that many individual French citizens.  They were showing their appreciation for the more than 700 American box cars of relief goods sent to them by (primarily) individual Americans in 1948.  The Merci Train arrived in New York harbor on February 3rd, 1949 and each of the 48 American states at that time received one of the gift laden box cars.  The 49th box car was shared by Washington D.C. and the Territory of Hawaii. Parades and ceremonies of welcome were conducted in the state capitols and major cities of almost all the states.  The largest and most attended was in New York City where more than 200,000 people turned out to welcome that state's assigned box car.

We have also been able to acquire these three fine examples of helicopters that we are proud to display on the grounds. These represent a wide variety of aircraft that have been designed for their own distinctive services from medevac, troop carrier and scouting.

UH1V Huey

Utility/transport equipped with one 2-BLADE main rotor and one 2-BLADE tail rotor (1CREW, 11PASSENGERS).

OH6A Osage

Light observation helicopter with 4-BLADE rotor. Used for reconnaissance, target acquisition, command/control.

Bell H-13E

Used in the Korean War primarily for the evacuation of wounded personnel.

Our displays include the M42A1 Duster Anti-Aircraft vehicle with 40MM guns, the M47 Patton w/90MM canon, powered by an 810hp V12 engine and the 105MM canon model M60A3 FT main battle tank.

Here we would like to present a varied collection of the support ground vehicles that we have accumulated over the years! Although these vehicles do not have the glory nor the notoriety associated with the tanks and other ground vehicles we have on display they are what keep the fighting vehicles in service, well supplied and operational.

As you can see we have very diverse selection displayed on the grounds outside our building as well as a couple of items we maintain inside our building.

M220 21/2 Ton 6x6 Used in Maintenance Co's


M-282 3Cyl. Diesel 1 1/4 Ton 6x6


Tracked Small Unit Support Vehicle 1 1/2 Ton


1/4 Ton M151A2 Also known as MUTT


M29 Weasel Cargo Carrier

Here we present another unique piece that we have in our collection, the USS Eclipse field kitchen. This display has been nicely restored and shows very well in person. Stop in and take a look!

The manufacturer for this kitchen was Tappan Range Company ca 1917. The field kitchen is made up of two distinct pieces, the front supply section and the rear oven area.

    

Other items that we have displayed with the field kitchen are:

Civil War McClellan saddle
1902 Pattern Cavalry saddle bags
Civil War period hobbles and handcuffs
US Cavalry water bucket produced by Plante Bros. & Co, circa 1918

Presented here is our own version of the "Lone Sailor." This uniform's donor was a "China Sailor." The uniform has a silk dragon from Shanghai China that was sewn into the neck flap.

The sea bag is an original WWII issue donated by Royal Houghton, who served at Pearl Harbor.

This statue is used to epitomize the spirit and fortitude of all members of the U.S. Navy, from the Revolutionary War up to the present day. Click image for larger version.

The official U.S. Navy Memorial can be seen at this link.

Although this is a limited display at the moment, we are gathering more and more Naval and Coast Guard items that we hope will greatly enhance our ever growing collection of Vermont and US Navy historical mementos.

Vermont has a proud naval heritage ranging from the Revolutionary War up to present. The Colonial navy on Lake Champlain played a major role in our fight for independence. Along with Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold fought and ultimately won many battles on Lake Champlain. From that point on Vermont, and Vermonters in particular, have been an important part of the naval history of the United States.

Below is a partial listing of ships that have namesakes that are tied to Vermont and it's people. Throughout the years and wars there have been many ships that were named for famous Vermont citizens or after select Vermont towns.

USS Lake Champlain
USS Dewey
Admiral George Dewey Biography
USS Woodstock
USS Montpelier

On this page we would like to present a diverse selection of the extensive collection of weapons we currently have on display. As would be expected from a military museum we have a very large and varied selection of weapons on display throughout the museum.

Our collection spans American and World history from the American Revolutionary War up to and including the Iraqi conflict.

1838 Pepperbox pistol French Pinfire revolver

M38 Greasegun

Anti-aircraft gun

Along with the numerous displays of rifles and cannons we have been able to collect an excellent assortment of edged weapons for viewing. These knives and swords also range from the early formation of our country to present.

In the movie shown below we present a small subset of the weapons that we have gathered from all over the world. These weapons are on display throughout the museum.

Please stop by the museum to see our full selection of weapons!

Here you will see that we have a very large assortment of uniforms from just about every war ever fought by our armed forces.

The first image in the below is the dress uniform for Vermont's first four-star general, Gen. Wallace M. Green. Green is a native of Waterbury, Vermont, and was commandant of the Marine Corps from January 1964-December 1967. Greene was also a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President John F. Kennedy.

The slide show will take you through just a small portion of our uniforms from the Revolutionary War through Desert Storm and later. When you stop by the museum we can take you through our displays of the ever changing styles of uniforms and corresponding accessories worn proudly by both the men and women of our armed services.

Gen. Wallace M. Green's Uniform

We also present a small collection of miscellaneous artifacts that show the wide variety of military articles donated to us for display.

Included here are a working G-Nome Rotary engine, a depth charge used by the Coast Guard, two WW1 model plane replicas and an assortment display showing a generator, gas mask, field phone and accessories.

When you visit the museum you will see many more of these types of unique items. It will be well worth the time to stop by!

An engraving after a painting by Alonzo Chappel depicts the Battle of Bennington on Aug. 16, 1777. Image courtesy of the New York Public Library Picture Collection.

The American Revolutionary War was the foundation of the American Republic. This War was fought between the King's forces of Great Britain and the Colonial Revolutionaries between the years 1775-1783. The Second Continental Congress declared independence in 1776.

There were many supposed and/or real reasons for the War, depending on the historian you read. Considered two of the main reasons were that the King of England began to tighten his controls on and require more tariffs in the form of the American Revenue Act, also known as the Sugar Tax, followed by the hated Stamp Act, nothing more than an additional tax levied against the Colonies on all printed materials. With these taxes the Colonies, for the first time, were to pay taxes directly to Britain and not their local legislatures.

Other reasons included the Boston Massacre, where five Colonists were killed and many more wounded, and the Boston Tea Party, which is a well known show of resistance by the Colonists. Also, the formation of the Sons of Liberty, a secret organization created to fight the Stamp Act.

Vermont had declared its own independence in 1777 and, in effect, was an independent nation until it's entry into the United States in 1791. Even though not, in reality, a part of the United States, Vermonters played a large part in and supported the Colonists in the Revolutionary War with its most notable character, Ethan Allen, at the forefront.

Allen led a contingent of the "Green Mountain Boys" into many battles both close to home and throughout many states to our south. These original "citizen soldiers," along with Benedict Arnold, were best known for the capture of Fort Ticonderoga early in the War. The capture of this strategic fortress impeded the advance of the British along the waterways of Lake Champlain from Canada. After the capture of Fort Ticonderoga some of the cannons from that garrison were moved to the Boston area to aid General Washington in his campaign there.

Another important battle for Vermont was the Battle of Bennington. Roughly 2,000 Soldiers, including militiamen from Vermont, New Hampshire,  and Massachusetts, defeated a British force of 700. The end of the day-long battle saw 200 Loyalists dead and 700 captured, with 30 militiamen dead and 40 wounded. This decisive defeat for the British at Bennington led to Lord General John Burgoyne's defeat at the Battle of Saratoga and helped encourage the French to support American independence.

We have been able to collect a good selection of articles and memorabilia that we are showing at our museum.

This war was also known by such names as "The Second War of Independence" and "Madison's War." The war was fought from June of 1812 until the peace treaty was ratified and accepted by President Madison on February 17, 1815.

It was during the American defense of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, that Francis Scott Key is said to have penned the poem that would ultimately end up being the lyrics to "The Star Spangled Banner," our national anthem. Another excellent site about the "Star Spangled Banner" can be found at this link.

A battle of note from our area was the Battle of Plattsburgh, also known in some circles as the Battle of Lake Champlain, was considered the turning point in the War of 1812. A relatively small force of approximately 5,000 Americans, including 2,200 Vermont militiamen, defeated a formidable force of roughly 11,000 British sailors on Sept. 11, 1814. This battle ended the British Invasion from Canada.

Presented here are a few articles that we have been able to collect from various sources over the years.

An U.S. Springfield Model 1795 manufactured in 1811 and used during the War of 1812

A ca. 1795 bayonet that would have been used on the U.S. Springfield musket.

On the bottom we have a selection of grapeshot used during the War of 1812, recovered from Lake Champlain.

The Mexican-American War was fought exclusively in and around Texas, New Mexico, California and Northern and Central Mexico between 1846 and 1848.

This was fought soon after the Texas Revolution. The Texas Revolution was a fight for independence from Mexico by the "Tejas" portion of Mexico. At that time Mexico considered Texas a breakaway province.

One of the causes of this war were the continued claims to Texas from both the United States and Mexican governments. Other reasons were claims against the Mexican government by American citizens for damages during the continuous Mexican Revolutions of the period and the U.S. desire to claim California. At this time the U.S. was fearful that France or Britain may lay claim to California.

What has been debated as another cause of this war was the concept of "Manifest Destiny" which, simply stated, means the belief at the time was that the U.S. had a God-given right to occupy and "civilize" the whole continent. President James Polk, a firm believer in the expansion of the United States westward, supported this concept. 

A consequence of the war and resulting treaty was the Mexican Cession, where California, New Mexico. Arizona, Nevada, Utah and parts of Wyoming and Colorado were sold to the United States for $15 million.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended this war and set the Rio Grande as the border between Texas and Mexico, signed by Mexico and the United States on Feb. 2, 1848.

Five Vermonters served as officers in the Mexican-American War, according to a roster compiled by William Hugh Robarts in 1887: Col. Trueman Ransom commanded the 9th Regiment of Infantry until his death Sept. 13, 1847. Other volunteers were Capt. E.A. Kimball, 2nd Lt. Jesse A. Gove, 2nd Lt. Robert Hopkins, and 2nd Lt. William A. Newman.

Our intention is not to repeat all of the history behind this war since it is already well documented at other locations on the Web. Suffice it to say that we have an extensive selection of pieces on display at our museum.

The War between the States was fought between 1861-1865 by the United States of America, and the secessionist southern states, also known as the Confederate States of America.

During this period there were approximately 3 million soldiers engaged in the War and over 620,000 men perished during the four and a half year period.

Vermonters, also known as "The Green Mountain Boys," played a large part during this war. It is claimed that there was a higher percentage of Vermonters killed vs. the total number of volunteers than any other state except one. For an comprehensive look at a virtual museum with an excellent record of Vermonters who fought and perished during this conflict, click here.

Our museum's pride and joy is our 17x28 painting of Sheridan's Ride that we have at this link or through our "Other Displays" section on the navigation bar to the right. It depicts the Battle of Cedar Creek in Virginia, which included a force of the 8th Vermont brigade "Green Mountain Boys," as painted by Vermont native Charles H. Andrus.

A significant battle for the Green Mountain Boys, this battle was the culmination of the Union counterattack led by Gen. Phil Sheridan in October 1864. The Vermont Brigade rode through Middletown and helped break the Confederate defenses on the high ground near Belle Grove.

Provided below is an exceptional selection of pieces that we have on display relating to the American Civil War. We also have a large collection of books that have been donated to us for our library. Stop in to see these!

It is generally agreed that the cause of this war was what is described as the atrocities of the Spaniards against the Cuban population. Some would say that these atrocities were "exaggerated" by the press, driving American sentiment to become involved in their plight.

The conflict began after the sinking of the American battleship, the USS Maine and deaths of 266 men in February of 1898 as the ship sat in Havana's harbor. Although there is no clear defined evidence of what really caused the explosion on the ship, an accident or a Spanish mine, most blamed the Spaniards and their lack of control of the harbor.

Vermont Sen. Redfield Proctor made a speech in March of 1898 to the U.S. Senate describing the deplorable conditions the Cubans were living in. Senator Proctor had served as the "Secretary of War" under President Benjamin Harrison and was considered to be very influential in military matters.

This conflict was declared a war by congress on 20 April, 1898 and fought through 1898 until the official signing of the peace treaty, the "Treaty of Peace," also known as "The Treaty of Paris," on Dec. 10 1898 in Paris. The treaty was ratified by the United States Congress on Feb. 2, 1899.

As a result of this war the United States gained control of the Spanish colonies of the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico.

While Vermont Soldiers did not see combat, they endured warfare of a different sort, battling disease and low morale. Writing to the Vermont General Assembly in 1929, Brig. Gen. Herbert T. Johnson, the adjutant general, said this:

"The First Vermont Volunteers did not see battle but did experience indescribable misery through the Nation's neglect. I am certain the Regiment would have preferred, yes, welcomed, battle to the suffering, heat, poor water, typhoid fever, dysentery, disgusting food, and lack of medical equipment at Chickamauga. Vivid, undimmed by the years, is my memory of the suffering of the sick, their courageous fights to live, and the despair of those trying to aid them. All honor to them and to those men of Vermont who went stoically about their duties, half sick, through that terrible experience. Soldiers true, all of them."

Other notable Vermonters serving in the Spanish-American War included Admiral of the Navy George Dewey, the Navy's only five-star admiral, and Navy Capt. Charles E. Clark, who sailed the USS Oregon 14,000 miles from San Francisco, around the tip of South America, to rendezvous with the American fleet near Cuba.

Soldiers await passage at a train station in Bellows Falls, Vermont, April 2, 1918. Photo courtesy of the Vermont Historical Society, used under a Creative Commons non-commercial, no-derivative, share-alike license.

The First World War was also known as "The Great War" and "The War to End All Wars." This was the first worldwide military conflict that took place between 1914 and 1918 and included the nations that made up the Allied powers and the Central powers.

The primary causes of the conflict were entrenched in the European history of the previous century, particularly with the appearance of Germany as a great world power. The main catalyst for European hostilities was the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist.

Other incidents leading up to the involvement by the United States in this war were a secret letter sent to Mexico from Germany asking them to join the war as German allies and the sinking of several American merchant ships, including Titanic's sister ship, the Lusitania, by German U-boats. The United States officially declared war against the Central powers on April 6, 1917.

Such things as Big Bertha, tanks, submarines and huge Battleships were used for the first time in this War. Another major change in the way wars would be fought in the future was the use of aircraft.

Hostilities between the Allied and Central Powers continued until the signing of the Armistice on Nov. 11, 1918. Armistice Day is a national holiday in France, with British Commonwealth nations observing the day as Remembrance Day and the U.S. observing it as Veterans Day.

We have been able to collect a large selection of memorabilia from WWI which we would like to present here. It is not possible to detail our whole collection on this site so please stop by to see the complete displays. The links below will take you to other pages in our site that deal extensively with our WWI collection.

Soldiers with the 43rd Infantry are shown in this photo from the Pacific Theater during World War II. Photo courtesy of the 43rd Infantry Division on Facebook.

World War II was officially fought between 1939 and 1945. Germany's re-emergence as a world power in the late 30's was one of many individual events leading up to it. It is generally accepted that the Second World War was initiated when Germany invaded Poland. From this point on Germany's aggression eventually involved all of Europe.

At the same time, during the 30's and 40's the Japanese had invaded China and Indochina. This aggression by the Japanese, and ultimately a pact with the German government, was to cause a total global war to ensue.

The United States became involved in the War when the Japanese bombed our naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Dec.7, 1941. Following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor the United States declared war on Japan. Three days later, after Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S., cementing American engagement in the Second World War.

On May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered to the Allied forces. The destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by atomic bombs brought the war in the Pacific to an abrupt end, with Japan surrendering on Aug. 14, 1945.

While thousands of Vermonters served on every front throughout World War II, the 2nd Battalion, 172nd Infantry was the only unit to deploy.

In September 1942, they departed for the South Pacific as part of the 43rd Infantry Division. There, they participated in the New Georgia Invasion with an assault on Rendova Island and the taking of Munda airfield on Aug. 5, 1943. On New Georgia, Vermont native Leonard Wing was promoted to Major General and assumed command of the 43rd. After resetting in New Zealand, the Division turned back the Japanese's attempt to break through the Wewak trap at the Drinimuor River in New Guinea. On January 9, 1945 MG Wing led the Division on the invasion of Luzon.

It completed an assault landing at San Fabian, Lingayen Gulf, with the mission to secure the Army's left flank and bottle up the Japanese at Baguio. Throughout the initial 30 days of fighting on Luzon, the Division held the Japanese in the mountains, while other Divisions smashed through to Manilla. By late January, the 43rd had overrun 125 artillery positions and destroyed the Japanese defenses around Lingayen. By Feb. 13, 1945, Rosario, Sison, and Pozzorubio were in American hands, and the 43rd had killed as many Japanese soldiers as all the other divisions combined. The Division continued to press throughout the spring, culminating with the seizure of the Ipo Dam in May 1945. The 2-172nd spearheaded the assault that would later earn the Division the nickname, "Winged Victory" in honor of Maj. Gen. Leonard Wing, who is the only National Guard officer to retain command of an active combat division as a Guardsman during World War II. For their efforts, the unit received the Arrowhead device on the Meritorious Unit Citation, denoting participation in an amphibious assault landing.

The 43rd fought in the Philippines until the end of the war, returning home in October 1945.

Wing graduated from Rutland High School in 1910 and then attended Norwich University. In 1919 he joined the Vermont National Guard's 172nd Infantry Regiment as a Second Lieutenant and served as Rutland City Attorney until 1921. From 1921-1925 Wing served as Rutland's City Judge. He rose through the ranks and in 1933 received promotion to Colonel as the 172nd's commander. He was promoted to Brigadier General in 1937 as commander of the 86th Infantry Brigade, 43rd Infantry Division. In 1939 Wing was elected to Norwich University's Board of Trustees and was named Executive Assistant to Governor Stanley Wilson. In 1942 he was named commander of the division's 68th Field Artillery Brigade, and later that year he was appointed as the 43rd Assistant Division Commander. He became the Division's commander in 1943 as a Major General.  He tragically died in December 1945 from a heart attack, just two months after returning home from the war.

Below are links to Vermont WWII casualties, as listed in the National archives for:

• Navy, Marine and Coast Guard Personnel
• Army and Army Air Force Personnel

As a result of WWII, the Korean peninsula was separated at the 38th Parallel with the North being occupied and supported by the Soviet Union and its allies, and the South, occupied by the United States and its allies.

This war started when the North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea. Active hostilities took place from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953, but to date, no formal peace treaty has been signed. Initially fought between the North and South Koreans for control of the Korean peninsula, it eventually escalated into what was considered by many to be a proxy war between the United States and its allies and the Chinese and Russian communist regimes.

This conflict was often called a "policing action," mainly to bypass the need for Congress to present an official "declaration of war." Many Americans, and especially American Veterans of the Korean War, consider this to be the "forgotten war" because it is seldom referred to as a major conflict by historians.

For a list of Vermonters who died in the Korean War, click here.

First Lts. Patrick McDonald and Bert McIntyre, Soldiers with the 131st Engineer Company, Vermont National Guard, inspect North Vietnamese artillery shells after an attack. McDonald is from Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, and McIntyre is from Pittsford, Vermont. Photo by retired Sgt. 1st Class Ross Andrews, 131st.org; used with permission.

This conflict was fought mainly in South Vietnam from 1959-1975. It was started initially by the North Vietnamese Viet cong guerillas who were attempting to overthrow the South Vietnam government of Ngo Dinh Diem.

Fighting on one side was a coalition of forces which included the United States, the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.

The North Vietnamese alliance of forces included the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and the National Liberation Front, a communist led South Vietnamese guerrilla movement. These forces were backed largely by the Chinese communist regime.

This conflict has also been considered another "proxy" war between the United States and its allies and the communist regimes of the Soviet Union and China. The war was part of a larger regional conflict involving the neighboring countries of Cambodia and Laos, which was also known as the Second Indochina War.

This was a long and costly war for the United States. Approximately 51,000 soldiers died from 1959 through 1973, when the U.S. troops were withdrawn. Another 150,000 troops were wounded during this same period. More than 1,500 service members are still listed as prisoners of war or missing in action, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

Click here for a list of Vermonters killed during the Vietnam War as listed by the National archives.

Also known as the first Gulf War or the first Persian Gulf War, the first U.S. conflict with Iraq began shortly after then Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, invaded his neighboring country of Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990. Hussein had accused Kuwait of overproduction of oil and also stealing oil from his Rumaila Oil Fields by angle drilling across the Iraqi border. 

In response, and due to fears that Iraq might invade Saudi Arabia next, the United States launched Operation Desert Shield Aug. 7, 1990, and attempted to pressure Iraq via the United Nations to leave Kuwait. A U.N. Security Council resolution gave Iraq until Jan. 15, 1991, to leave or else face an armed response. 

Operation Desert Storm commenced Jan. 16, 1991 and consisted of two phases. An air phase consisted of over 100,000 sorties, with aircraft dropping more than 88,000 tons of bombs. A ground campaign began Feb. 21, 1991, and liberated Kuwait City less than 100 hours later.

By March 3, 1991, Iraqi leaders accepted a provisional truce, with a formal ceasefire taking effect April 6, 1991. Enforcement of no-fly zones over the northern and southern portions of Iraq continued, however, until the U.S. invaded Iraq in March 2003.

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