Bristol Train of Artillery at the 2021 Bristol Fourth of July Parade

Bristol Train of Artillery Museum is an

armory Armory or armoury may mean: * An arsenal, a military or civilian location for the storage of arms and ammunition Places *National Guard Armory, in the United States and Canada, a training place for National Guard or other part-time or regular mili ...

museum in

Bristol, Rhode Island Bristol is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, US as well as the historic county seat. The town is built on the traditional territories of the Pokanoket Wampanoag. It is a deep water seaport named after Bristol, England. The population of B ...

, which is the meeting place of the Bristol Train of Artillery, a

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

unit of the Rhode Island Island State Militia and a member of the

Rhode Island Independent Military Organizations The Rhode Island Independent Military Organizations (also known as the Chartered Commands of the Rhode Island Militia) are a group of independently-operated chartered militias in the state of Rhode Island, most of whose histories date back to the ...

. The Bristol Train of Artillery was chartered on February 12, 1776 and has been in uninterrupted existence since then. The current building, which houses the museum collection, dates to 1843. The Museum "collection includes photographs, scrapbooks, drawings, paintings of events. Some records from the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, but much has been lost. Some exhibits of guns, uniforms, flags, hats, helmets, swords and other militaria." The museum is open by appointment only.

References

{{reflist Buildings and structures in Bristol, Rhode Island Military and war museums in Rhode Island Museums in Bristol County, Rhode Island