CIVIL WAR
U.S. NAVY BATTLE RATTLE

divisor line

19th CENTURY BATTLE RATTLE
& WARNING

SIGNAL

Marked USN



 

 

PRESENTED is a U.S. Navy ship’s BATTLE RATTLE of Civil War vintage.
These rare noise makers duplicate the sound of the firing of numerous muskets, and were also used to sound a general
alarm.

 

In the authoritative book by COL Robert Rankin, “Small Arms of the
Sea Services”, the author reports on page 8, “All hands were called to repel boarders by a sounding gong and by battle
rattles and verbal commands. Sounding the gong alone summoned pikemen only to repel boarders. The battle rattle was often
used to call back boarding parties. Navy regulations required that hand rattles be made of white oak “or some other similar
wood.”

The marks, hand stamped on the frame on three lines, are: A.E. CO. over PAT 1865 over USN

              Ratchet
           A.E.Co./PAT 1865/USN

 

The frame and handle of the rattle appears to be made from oak while the slat and cog may be ash. The parts
are held together by a screw and a carriage bolt. The frame of the rattle swings around the handle turning the ratchet
which snaps the slat producing a sharp, piercing rat-a-tat sound. This replicates the firing of numerous small arms in succession.

 

DIMENSIONS:

9 1/2″L x 3 1/2″ W x 1 3/8″ T
Add 5 1/4″ for handle  Weight

divisor line
Shipping & Packaging

The cost of shipping, packing, handling, and insurance to your destination, will be calculated point to point and is an additional charge. You may email us to get these costs. We price our shipping honestly, but we expect to be reimbursed for the nominal cost of packaging materials and handling.

Our Unconditional 'No Nonsense' Guarantee

If not completely satisfied with your purchase it may be returned, if without damage, within three days of receipt in its original packaging. Return items must be insured for their full value. Only a prior email authorization by us for the return is required. Shipping charges are refundable if due to our error within the continental United States.

International buyers welcome, but inquire first. We have satisfied customers worldwide.

Standard Forms of Payment

Bank wire transfer, cashier’s check, money order, or personal check in which case the item will be held until cleared. Our prices are quoted net to us so that the use of credit cards or PayPal incur extra charges. Terms on overseas sales are different.

Established in 2003

Celebrating 18 Years of Exellence in Nautical Antiques

Join Our Mailing List


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Land and Sea Collection. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact