A good Civil War period saddle valise that would dress up an officer’s saddle. Black leather, made with rounded body and flat bottom, with two flat leather loops on the underside for attachment to the rear of a saddle with straps and provided with handles on the ends for carrying. This has an outer flap that fastens by the narrow straps with buckles and an inner flap with slits to pass over standing staples, through which a strap (now missing) would pass to lock it down. The interior is lined with blue-stripped ticking, which has a pocket on the underside of the flap, closed by a ribbon tie. In the body this has a second lining over it of brown cotton that closes with buttons, one of which is still present.

In form this looks like the artillery valises still used during war on Grimsley style saddles next to the team drivers, but these were common elements of horse furniture used in the militia and as part of a mounted officer’s horse furniture throughout the war long after enlisted men had gone to saddle bags and simple blanket rolls. This has decorative border lines and a large incised circle at the center of the top with lines radiating from the center to the edge like a compass, and the edges of the flap is bound with leather showing a red tone that may have been a red Morrocco tone or a lot brighter, dressing it up even more. The color and surface  of the body are good, showing expected crazing to the finish with some rubs and small flakes, but nothing offensive, with some wrinkling and slightly more rubs to the left side, not affecting the incised central design. There is a partial open seam on one end and one of the leather handles is broken, all of which could be fixed up.

This would add to an officer’s saddle rig whether US or CS, and in the latter case might also be the sort of thing a southern enlisted cavalryman might have brought along from civilian life or militia service.  [sr][ph:L]

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