Original pine lid from ammunition crate.  Measures 15 ¾” x 12 ¼” with six screw holes.  Top side is painted the regulation olive drab.  Stenciled in white paint, it is addressed to “LT. O.E. MICHAELIS / ORD DEPT / CHATTANOOGA / [additional lines unreadable]”.

The ends of the lid are marked “700 MINIE BULLET”.  This is when the other 300 would have been Williams “cleaner” bullet cartridges.

Stenciled on underside in black paint is “WATERTOWN ARSN^L. / MASS. JULY 1864.”  Here the “JULY” is mostly rubbed out. Under this a second stencil (obviously with the correct month of manufacture), “WATERTOWN ARSN^L. / MASS. AUG. 1864.”

Condition of wood is good; no rot or splits. Unfortunately, some black substance was spilled on the lid and obscures some of the stenciling.

The ordnance officer to whom the crate was addressed was Otho Ernest Michaelis.  He enlisted in 1863 in the Signal Corps and was quickly transferred to the Ordnance Corps where he rose to the rank of major by the time of his death in 1890. He was apparently quite intelligent and a brief history of him is included.   [jet]

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