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Civil War (Percussion) Cap Pouch

Capacity:
Could carry at least 200 rifle musket caps and many more pistol caps. Also carried a cone pick, captive in a leather loop in a back corner of the box.

Measurements:
There are minor variations in these cap pouches. Measurements are about: overall height: 3 5/16" , overall wide: 3 9/16",
overall thickness: 1 5/8".

Colour, materials and construction:
Uniformly black, these stiff leather pouches had an outer cover/ flap with internal closing tab and inner flap. Beneath the inner flap, the opening to the pouch cavity was filled with wool from a strip of sheepskin sewn on the back of the box. The interference of the wool in the mouth of the pouch cavity prevented caps from bouncing or jostling out. The inner flap had two attached ears, one on each side, sewn to the outside ends of the inner flap. These ears further protected the percussion caps from rain or debris, entering the pouch from the sides. The back of the box had two belt loops for the standard leather waist or sabre belt attached with stitching or rivets and stitching to the back of the box.

Markings:
These pouches, made over a long period of time and by a myriad of producers, have a wide variety f markings. Almost all are stamped with an inspector's cartouche (usually a large oval containing inspection data) and many are stamped on the inner flap with a maker's name and city. A commonly seen, flower-like is not an informational mark but merely a mark left by a tack used to secure the work to a board for stitching by the leatherworker.

General Order No. 60 dated June 1872, stated that, "The infantry cap-pouches, for the present, will be used for pistol cartridges". This use due to a tremendous surplus of the pouches left from the Civil War, continued until the early 1890's, from photo evidence of that time frame. Note that the order made no mention of modification of the pouches (wool of inner flap removal,etc) so these refinements were left to the decisions of the field and account for the great variety of modifications seen.

Civil War era percussion cap pouch

A rare original Civil War era percussion cap pouch. This pouch has the leather outer flap stamped with an inspectors cartouche. The inner flap has a maker mark stamped on it.The cavity has the correct sheepskin with wool sewn on the back. This pouch survived modifications and is still in original untouched condition. (more photos will follow)