Cartridge boxes - no infantryman would be without one. Designed to hold 40 rounds of ammunition, it either attached to the waist belt or, more commonly, was supported over the left shoulder and rest on the right hip. We offer two of the most common examples used during the Civil War.
On this page, you will find:
Pattern of 1861 - .58 caliber
Pattern of 1861 - .69 caliber
Cartridge Box Belt
Box and Breast Plates
Front
Back
Amongst the most common cartridge box of the Civil War was the pattern of 1861. Like the originals, our reproduction features the ability to attach it either to the cartridge box belt (available below) or the waist belt. The waist belt straps are sewn and riveted as per the originals. Inside the box you'll find two tins to hold cartridges and an interior pocket to hold cleaning supplies.
Front
Back
Interior
Like its .58 caliber counterpart, this cartridge box is made to attach to either the cartridge box belt of the waist belt. The main difference between the boxes is their size. This was designed with the .69 caliber elongated ball in mind. .69 caliber elongated ball is the Ordnance Department name for the .69 caliber minie ball.
This box was patterned off an original in our collection. Be sure to check out the View Originals page and look at a comparison between our orignal and our reproduction.
Often called a "Cartridge Box Sling" by re-enactors, the Ordnance department called this item the Cartridge Box Belt. It slips through the upper loop of our Pattern of 1861 box and then buckles at the bottom. The picture above shows a detail of how to do that. Our Cartridge Box Belt is XX" long.
Box and breast were an issued item with the cartridge box to Union infantryman. Sometimes the breast was removed by veteran soldiers, but remember they had to pay for what they lost! There are excellent images of entire companies having their breast plates that were taken in 1864. One period method to attach these plates is to cut two holes for the loops to push through the box or cartridge box belt and then thread a small strip of leather throught loops.
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