Early American .75 Caliber Cartridge Box With Embossed Flap

This box has a number of primitive and early characteristics. The main one is that
the interior wood block has 26 holes that measure close to .8 inch in diameter,
meaning the box was meant to take .75 caliber rounds. While there were captured
British and later import arms of that caliber in use here after the Revolution, the
vast number of French .69 caliber muskets brought in during the war dictated their
dominant later use by the regular army and militia and as patterns for later US
production muskets. The holes are arranged in a standard 9-8-9 configuration,
which suggests the 1808 pattern boxes, but in this case the bottom of the box is
rounded, with no tin, suggesting a space for gun tools, flints and rags has been left
below the block, much like the Revolutionary War American “bag boxes,” though of
a neater configuration. The side panels of the box have rounded tops and bottoms to
accommodate the upper curve of the flap and the bottom of the box.
The box is brown leather, with very good surface, having just minor rubs. The outer
flap embossed. A vertical line runs down either side about 1 inch from the edge. Two
horizontal lines run across the middle of the box to meet them, a little over an inch
apart. Along the upper edge of the lower line are five impressed diamonds about
5/8 inch tall that consist of smaller stamped diamonds. Where the bottoms of these
touch the lower line, a slanting line angles left and right to the bottom edge of the
box, the lines from neighboring diamonds crossing one another just above the lower
edge of the flap to form large Xs, at the intersections of which more of the larger
diamonds are impressed.
A latch tab is crudely sewn to the inside of the flap. The base of a leather thong that
likely held a small leather button is visible on the underside of the box. Two vertical
belt loops are sewn on the back of the box for wear on a waist belt, but empty
stitching holes on them and on the upper back of the box show that they were
retaining straps for a shoulder belt. On the lower front of the box are other stitching
holes showing that chapes holding buckles for the shoulder belt were originally
sewn there, the sling passing partly under the box.
The interior of the flap some writing in large black ink or paint. The writing closest
to the block seems to be a set of initials. Along the edge of the flap is “1862,” likely
the date at which a descendant of the original owner acquired it or perhaps thought
of using it again in a Civil War homeguard unit.
This is a very interesting box in very good condition. The embossing is artistic and
quite obvious. The construction is unusual. And, the accommodation of .75 caliber
ammunition strikes me as quite early, possibly as far back as the Revolution.