Mouth Harp

ca. 1770 – 1780

Many soldiers carried a mouth harp as it was easy to play and small enough to fit into a soldier's haversack. The instrument was placed in the mouth and a "vibrator," located in the center of the harp, was plucked to make the sound. The pitch of the sound was changed by moving the tongue in a back and forth motion. On their off-duty hours, soldiers often played musical instruments with each other.

Iron. L 5.6, W 4.2, H 0.5 cm
The George C. Neumann Collection,
Valley Forge National Historical Park, VAFO 1328