Decoration, Military

Title:

The Badge of Military Merit (Purple Heart)

Object Name:

Decoration, Military

Creator:

General George Washington

Date:

1782-1783

Material:

wood, veneer, glass, silk, wool, ink on paper

Dimensions:

H-4.75 L-21 Dia-7 inches
Framed Dimension:
Width: 15"
Height: 24 �"
Purple Heart Dimensions:
Width: 2"
Height: 2"
Document Dimensions:
Width: 10"
Height: 11"

Description:

Small heart constructed of lavender silk fabric with a woven floral pattern. The heart is surrounded by a narrow metallic braid, applied with a single row of hand stitches. The fabric of the heart is slightly puffy, but there does not appear to be any batting or stuffing behind it. The heart is stitched to a dark blue worsted wool twill fabric, apparently by the stitches attaching the braid. The yarns in the wool fabric appear to be handspun and the fabric handwoven. This wool fabric in turn is stitched overall to a piece of another wool fabric, this one dyed with synthetic dyes and apparently machine-made.

The fabric is under glass in a frame. On the bottom half of the frame is hand written text on ivory colored paper transcribing General George Washington's order of August 7, 1782 in which he issued honorary badges for valor and merit for soldiers of the Continental Army. One honorary badge was "figure of a heart in purple cloth or silk edged with narrow lace or binding".Cloth and paper are under glass housed within a rectangular molded frame made of wood, veneered in mahogany.

Provenance:

To 'foster and encourage every species of military merit' among enlisted American soldiers, George Washington established the badge of military merit while in his New York headquarters in August 1782. Nicknamed the 'Purple Heart', Washington intended the badge to signify acts of valor and bravery by its recipients. His order directed that 'whenever any singularly meritorious action is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings over the left breast, the figure of a heart in purple cloth, or silk, edged with narrow lace or binding'. By creating such a badge, Washington correctly expected to create a sense of unity and understanding amongst its recipients based on shared experiences. In his own words, Washington so declared that, 'the road to glory in a patriot army and a free country is thus open to all'.

Further to receiving the badge, honorees had their names and regiment recorded in a 'Book of Merit', which was sadly lost in the post-Revolutionary period. Although Sergeants Elijah Churchill (2d Continental Dragoons), William Brown (5th Connecticut Regiment) and Daniel Bissell, Jr. (2d Connecticut Regiment) were most likely the first recipients of the Purple Heart during the Revolution, discharge certificates of other Revolutionary War soldiers indicate that they may have also received the Badge of Merit for their years of faithful service. Other recipients could include John Sithins (2d New Jersey Regiment), Peter Shumway (4th Massachusetts Regiment), and Sergeant William Dutton (7th Massachusetts Regiment). The decoration fell out of use until its revival in 1932, on the bicentennial of George Washington's birth. The 'Order of the Purple Heart' was created by the U.S. War Department. The modern Purple Heart now displays a bust of Washington, and includes his coat of arms. Although it is still awarded for acts of bravery and valor, the Purple Heart is now also awarded to service men and women who are injured or killed by hostile action.

One of only two 18th C. purple hearts known to exist today, this faded silk example was discovered in Deerfield, NH, in the 1920s. This rare piece was unearthed by William Willey, a member of the New Hampshire chapter of the Society of the Cincinnati, which founded the American Independence Museum. It had been stitched to a fragment of a wool uniform. The original recipient of this badge remains unknown, but it is possible that it belonged to one of the three known veterans.

This piece was discovered by William Willey, a member of the New Hampshire Chapter of the Society of the Cincinnati, in Deerfield, New Hampshire, in the 1920s.

Subjects:

American Revolution, decorations, military, medals, Military, militia, Purple Heart, Badge of Merit, Badge of Military Merit

People:

Bissell, Daniel, Brown, William, Churchill, Elijah, Dutton, William, Shumway, Peter, Sithins, John, Washington, George, Willey, William Lithgow

Place of Origin:

New England or New York

Collection Name:

Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire

Item Number:

1990.010

Accession Number:

1990.010

Type of Material:

Objects

Copyright Statement:

For information regarding copyright, permissions, and reproductions contact the American Independence Museum

Credit Line:

Gift of Willaim L. Willey

Participating Organization:

American Independence Museum