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CLASSIC CONFEDERATE INFANTRY CARTRIDGE BOX IN VERY GOOD CONDITION - WITH INITIALS "WVT"

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They don’t get much more “Johnny Reb” than this cartridge box, which has the additional allure of a set of soldier’s initials, “W V T” lightly, but very legibly, carved into the outer flap. The box is complete, all original, and not messed with. It is constructed like the US M1855 patterns with both a cross strap sewn into the upper reverse to form loops to secure a shoulder sling and buckles sewn on the bottom to fasten it, and also two vertical belt loops on the back for wear on a waist belt. Both the loops and the buckles are secured by stitching only, with no rivets, as is the latch tab also. The bottoms of the belt loops have wonderful pointed ends, very unlike any of their northern counterparts. Similarly, the box does not waste leather, or time in construction, by having a separate tool pouch sewn to its front, though it still uses the very practical and necessary inner flap with side ears to keep the ammunition dry. The outer flap also has a rather simple outline, with slightly rounded corners and no attempt to produce a scalloped lower edge. We note also that in finishing the box, the maker did not waste time in closing up the tack holes created when the box was fastened to a wood block for final stitching of the seams. Where U.S. boxes show the closure of these holes by stamping them with end of a metal rod, creating an asterisk mark, the maker of this one simply finished the sewing, pulled out the tacks, put the box in the pile and moved on to the next one.

The condition of the box is very good. The finish is very good for a Confederate box, showing some minor scuffs and shallow wrinkles on the outer flap, some crazing on the inner flap and side ears and some stress marks on the belt loops from field use, but good surface and color, black for the most part with some brown showing on the inner flap. The seams are good and not only is the fastening stud in place on the bottom of the box, but the latch tab is full length. The box also retains its two interior magazine tins, both in very good shape, though one is missing the upper divider, the only fault we find in this scarce and desirable no-doubt-about-it Confederate infantry cartridge box.

A helpful customer has written noting a possible “A” appearing after the “T” in the incised “W V T” initials on the box flap, and identified it as belonging to W. V. Tabb of the 2nd NC, wounded in the Seven Days Battles of 1862. That is a possibility, and we are grateful for the suggestion, but opinion on the initials is divided here and even allowing an “A,” we can’t eliminate other "W.V. TA[. . .]” candidates such as W.V. Taylor of the 13th TN, or the much broader pool of men with first and last names fitting those criteria, but whose middle names were simply not listed in the records. So, as tempting as the identification is, and the increased value it entails, we prefer to leave it as inconclusive. Whoever he was, the personalization by the initials has great eye appeal and is a link to an individual soldier who held the box in hand on some particular day and sat down to do it.  [sr][ph:L]

NOTE:  We've been provided with information that this box may likely have been produced by the Atlanta Arsenal; the brown rain flap, generall pattern of the box, method of sewing the belt loops and use of British expense pouch finial match other Atlanta provenance boxes.

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