Kittanning Medal Given by the Corporation of Tlie City of Philadelphia
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Kittanning Medal given by the Corporation of tlie City of Philadelphia. Washington Peace Medal presented to Historical Society of Pennsylvania March 18, 188i> by Charles C. CresBon. He bought two (this a'nd the Greeneville Treaty medal) for $30.00 from Samuel Worthington on Sept 2!>. 1877. Medal belonged to Tarhee (meaning The Crane), a Wyandot Chief. Greeneville Treaty Medal. The Order of Military Merit or Decoration of the Purple Heart. Pounded Try General Washington. Gorget, made by Joseph Richardson, Jr., the Philadelphia silversmith. THE PENNSYLVANIA MAGAZINE OF HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY. VOL. LI. 1927. No. 2. INDIAN AND MILITARY MEDALS FROM COLONIAL TIMES TO DATE BY HARROLD E. GILLINGHAM.* "What is a ribbon worth to a soldier? Everything! Glory is priceless!" Sir E. B. Lytton, Bart. The nature of man is to demand preferences and distinction. It is uncertain who first instituted the custom of granting medals to individuals for acts of bravery or for military services. Scipio Aemilius is said to have bestowed wreaths of roses upon his men of the eleventh Legion at Carthage in 146 B. C., and the Chinese are reported to have issued awards during the Han Dynasty in the year 10 A. D., though no de- scription thereof is given. Tancred says there used to be in the National Coin Collection of France, a gold medal of the Roman Emperor Tetricus, with loops at- tached, which made it appear as if it was an ornament to wear. Perhaps the Donum Militare, and bestowed for distinguished services. We do know that Queen Elizabeth granted a jewelled star and badge to Sir Francis Drake after his famous globe encircling voy- age (1577-1579), and Tancred says these precious relics were at the Drake family homestead, "Nutwell * Address delivered before the Society, January 10, 1927 and at the meeting of The Numismatic and Antiquarian Society February 15, 1926. VOL. LI—7 97 98 Indian and Military Medals to Date. Court" thirty years ago. The same Queen also granted a gold medal and chain to each of the superior Officers of her navy who took part in the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. One of these was in a New York pawnshop four years ago, and rests at present in a famous English collection. Since the time of Queen Elizabeth medals were given to Commanders of the British army and navy, for famous victories, though few were awarded for services during our War for Independence, and none to the rank and file. It was not until after the battle of Waterloo that England gave to all men who took part in that famous event— officers and soldiers alike—silver medals to wear, as evidence of their participation in the defeat of Na- poleon I. The practice was discontinued until 1848, when Queen Victoria instituted service medals for all living soldiers and sailors who had taken part in the various wars from 1793 to 1814; and to an amateur col- lector it seems odd to find this service medal for, say, the battle of FORT DETROIT (August 1812) with the effigy of the Queen thereon, when the event oc- curred seven years before her birth. Let us consider the effect of a medal. It is told of one of Napoleon's soldiers, who when the Emperor had conferred upon the valorous man the Knighthood of France, with a yearly allowance of 1200 francs, the soldier remarked, "But I would rather have the Cross;" meaning the Legion of Honour. Though he received both when decorated. When Napoleon was being taken on board H. M. S. " Better ophon" on his way to St. Helena, he remarked that he saw no sailors or soldiers wearing medals, and when told it was not customary with the English service, he remarked, "Such is not the way to excite and cherish military virtue." It is reported that Lord Roberts ("Bobs of Kandahar" as Kipling calls him) made the remark that he valued his Victoria Cross more than his title. Indian and Military Medals to Date. 99 The soldiers or sailors of all nations wear their medals or ribbons with great pride, as evidence of their ser- vices to their country. There is something so personal in collecting articles given to an individual for a deed performed, or in commemoration of some service ren- dered ; especially when it is known the article was worn by the recipient with much pride. It is this angle of the collecting of these pieces which has so interested the writer. The purpose of this paper is to treat of the Medals and Decorations of the Colonies and of the United States; those which were made to be worn on the per- son. The earliest Colonial medals were given to the Eed-men as evidences of friendship. After the Eevo- lution they were bestowed upon the Indian chiefs who made a visit to the "Great White Father." A medal was frequently given to each head Chief after the sign- ing of a treaty. Hence such pieces are often called Indian Peace Medals, and it is rather curious that there is no Official Governmental record of the number of these early medals made, to whom awarded, nor by whom they were executed. It is supposed such records—if any—were destroyed when the English burnt the National Capital August 24th, 1814, and for which they were severely criticised at home. The earliest Indian medal of the thirteen original Colonies, of which we have any record, was given by Virginia. By an Act of 1661 there were caused to be made, possibly in that colony, " Silver and plated placques to be worn by the indians when visiting the settlements." One of these, called the Patomeck Medal, is now in the Virginia Historical Society at Eichmond. It is of silver, about 4x6 inches in size and rather of unskilled workmanship. On the obverse is a crude representation of a tobacco plant and scrolls; above which is YE KING OF. On the reverse is a similarly engraved plant and the word PATOMECK, with the 100 Indian and Military Medals to Date. "e" overlined. The surface edges are engraved to represent scrolls and foldings, while the medal is holed for suspension. The same museum has the Queen of Pamunkey medal—so called—though it is thought to have been intended as a frontlet or cap decoration, as it has metal loops on the back for attachment. It was on a cap when presented to the Society. This is evidently hand made of beaten silver, consisting of three, convex sections surrounded by scrolls and wreaths. In the centre are the Arms of Great Britain, encircled by a Garter inscribed HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE. Around this is engraved CHARLES THE SECOND, KING OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, FRANCE, IRELAND AND VIRGINIA. Note the "Virginia." Above on the shield is the Royal Crown and at the bottom is engraved THE QUEEN OF PAMUNKEY. While Queen Anne was on the throne (1702-1714) Robert Hunter, the Colonial Governor of New York is said to have proposed that medals be given to the Chiefs of the Five Nations (The Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas and Senecas). While these medals bore the effigy of the queen, they are believed to have originally been made to commemorate the vic- tories of the Duke of Marlborough in 1709; the result of which brought about the Treaty of Utrecht and the retirement of the French from the Netherlands. During the reign of George I (1714-1727) brass, bronze and copper medals were presented to the Chiefs of the Six Nations (The Tuscaroras having joined the Five Nations). Several of these medals have been found within the confines of this Commonwealth, in- dicating that the original recipients had been in Penn- sylvania. In 1814 one was dug up from an old Indian burying ground near Wilkes-Barre; another was found at Tunkhannock in 1837 and later one found at Point Pleasant, West Virginia. There are several variants Indian and Military Medals to Date. 101 of this medal, both in size and detail of design. The one shown is from the collection of the American Nu- mismatic Society of New York. On the obverse is the laurated bust of the king with his title, and on the re- verse is depicted an Indian shooting an arrow at a deer, standing under a tree. In 1721 the Governor of the Colony of Pennsylvania —Sir. William Keith—presented to the Seneca chief, Goshont, a gold coronation medal of George I. charg- ing him to "deliver this piece into the hands of the first man or greatest chief of the Five Nations, whom you call Kannygoodt, to be laid up and kept as a token of friendship between them."* But no other record of the medal is known. "In 1753 Sir Danvers Osborne, Governor of the Colony of New York, brought from England thirty silver medals for presents to the Chiefs of the Six Na- tions." These were of silver and showed on the ob- verse the laurated bust of king George II (1727-1760) with his title in Latin and on the reverse the Eoyal Arms. Small brass medalets of this design have been found, which indicate a more liberal distribution among the indians. During the French and Indian Wars (1753-1760) Colonel John Armstrong of Carlisle, led a party of 300 colonists against those treacherous Delaware in- dians who had been waging warfare against Fort Duquesne and vicinity. On September 8 1756 he sur- prised them in their village of Kittanning, destroyed houses, released captives and routed the red men.