Recently donated artifacts belonging to a Continental Army officer have provided the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia with a unique glimpse into the past. The items, originally owned by Lieutenant Samuel Gerock, include a remarkable wallet fashioned from an animal skin drumhead. This unusual wallet contains a pocket almanac and wartime papers, offering firsthand accounts of pivotal battles like Trenton and Princeton, as well as lesser-known engagements.

The wallet's inscriptions and contents are particularly significant, providing researchers with new insights into the Revolutionary War period. According to Matthew Skic, the museum's senior curator, Gerock's records are valuable not only for the battle details they reveal but also for the light they shed on how veterans sought financial support after the war.

Among the items is Gerock's pocket almanac, which features his own sketch of the Battle of Spanktown, fought near Woodbridge, New Jersey, in 1777. These artifacts played a crucial role in 1818 when Gerock presented them as evidence of his service while applying for government assistance. The items remained within Gerock's family for generations, eventually being donated by his great-great-great-granddaughter, Nanette Reid Osborne, in honor of her mother.

Osborne expressed her joy at the artifacts finding a home where they can be appreciated and studied by the public. Currently, these historical treasures are on display in the Oneida Indian Nation Atrium on the museum's second floor.