Militia Drilling
Though New York City was not attacked during the War of 1812, residents feverishly reinforced fortifications and militia regiments trained in preparation for the worst. Here, militiamen are drilling near one of the city’s four arsenals, which was built in 1808, when the state authorized the construction of "an arsenal, laboratory and workshops and ordnance yard ... between Elm and Collect streets, not to exceed the sum of $13,000," according to an 1889 history of New York during the War of 1812. In the foreground are the remnants of Fresh Water, or Collect, Pond. In 1803, New York began draining the heavily polluted pond, which was then replaced in 1815 by the infamous Five Points neighborhood.
Artwork Details
- Title: Militia Drilling
- Artist: William P. Chappel (American, 1801–1878)
- Date: 1870s
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on slate paper
- Dimensions: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4 in. (15.6 x 23.5 cm)
- Credit Line: The Edward W. C. Arnold Collection of New York Prints, Maps, and Pictures, Bequest of Edward W. C. Arnold, 1954
- Object Number: 54.90.509
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
William P. Chappel
1870s
William P. Chappel
1870s
William P. Chappel
1870s
William P. Chappel
1870s
William P. Chappel
1870s
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.