Pre 1900 U.S. Equipment

Under Construction

Haversacks & Field Packs

The term haversack comes from the seventeenth century Low German word hafersach meaning “a cavalry trooper's bag for horse provender,” literally an oat sack. By the mid-eighteenth century the French were using the word havresac to mean “a single strapped bag worn over one shoulder and used for carrying rations.” This term came over into English with the same meaning.

To carry this further, the haversack is defined as a bag for rations, spare ammunition, and personal items carried by a sling across the body over the left hip. The canteen is usually carried on the opposite side as it is not large enough to interfere with the manipulation of the long arm and bayonet. It was often issued along with a similar item carried on the back that was designated as a blanket bag and was for the blanket and spare clothing. This could be carried on the transport when available. The haversack was always worn by the marching soldier.

The Haversack

The Civil War Cartridge Box

The development of muzzle-loading smoothbore muskets and the corresponding paper cartridges necessitated a simple effective means of carrying ammunition that would protect the delicate ammunition for the elements and rough handling as is seen on the battlefield. The leather cartridge box or pouch became a readily accepted form of ammunition conveyance by and the individual soldier. What began as a simple pouch holding loose projectiles developed into a box featured a heavy flap cover and internal tins to hold the paper cartridges of the new advanced rifled muskets.

The widespread issue of the M1855 rifled percussion fired musket in 58 caliber spurred the issue of a revolutionary new cartridge box, the Model 1855/57. This box was fitted with the aforementioned heavy heavy cover flap as well as an inner protective flap. The total capacity was 40 rounds of 58 caliber paper cartridges with 20 in the upper, readily accessible portion of the tin inserts. Another 20 rounds were contained in the lower portion of the tin which required removal to access. The cartridge box was attached to wide shoulder sling, though was also provided with loops on the back to attach to a waist belt. The percussion caps were carried in a smaller fleece lined leather pouch fitted to the waist belt by two narrow loops. The heavy flap cover was fitted with gilt finished brass US oval plate. Later versions of the Cartridge box (M1864) eliminated the brass plate.

The Hagner Cartridge Box

The 1870 St. Louis Ordnance Board evaluation of cartridge boxes examined a submission from Colonel P.V. Hagner. Col. Hagner was the commanding officer of Watervliet Arsenal who submitted two patterns of 50-70 leather cartridge boxes. The St. Louis board found sufficient merit in Hagner’s design that they ordered fifty trials boxes produced. They performed well enough that a quantity was produced for the Army Chief of Ordnance Infantry and Cavalry trials.

The Hagner boxes were produce in two unique designs, each carrying 24 rounds of .50-70. A tall flat version was designated No. 1 and so stamped on the back of the box. The No. 2 was lower and thicker though still carried 24 rounds of 50-70 ammunition. Both were clearly marked Watervliet Arsenal.

The 1872 Infantry and Cavalry trials tested the 1872 Brace System for which the Hagner were initially designs as well as the Dyer cartridge pouch. The Hagner system was not well received by the Infantry, which eventually settled for the McKeever Cartridge box design. The Cavalry found the No. 1 Hagner to be well suited for garrison service, though not for field use. Numerous problems were encountered with the brace mounted boxes most of which related directly to rounds coming loose in the box and closing strap not being secure enough for riding on horseback.

When the Army adopted the 45-70 cartridge as standard a large number of Hagner boxes were modified by adding a leather strip just above the canvas loops. Some medication of this type included short fingers extending into the loop to provide a more secure hold of the smaller diameter 45-70 cartridges. State militias who were using the 50-70 caliber arms readily adopted the Hagner cartridge box, though when they transitioned into 45-70 caliber arms the boxes were then modified. Finding Hagner cartridges boxes that have not been modified is quite difficult.

The No. 1 Hagner Cartridge Box

The No. 2 Hagner Cartridge Box

Frazier Patent Cartridge Box

On January 5^th 1878, Jos. W. Frazier filed for a patent regarding and improvement to cartridge pouches, his patent was granted April 23, 1878. The improvement initially involved a hollow box into which a packet of cartridges was inserted. A cover, hinged at the bottom edge and featuring a curved top, was held in place by a short leather tab sewn to the back of the cartridge box. The original design also featured a metal spring fitted inside the curved top that upon closing would bear down on the cartridges providing tension of the tab closure and securing the cartridge firmly in the box. The standard production version of this was changed to simplify the design and address deficiencies of the spring closure. The Frazier Patent box now featured a wooden insert bored out for 18 50-70 cartridges in two rows. The most common variant of this box is the belt mounted version though a shoulder strap variant also was produced. This box was never place into Federal service and was primarily in national Guard Units. The design was found to be robust though when subjected field combat condition was prone to sever damage due to the hinged cover having to be rotated forward to open.

The McKeever Cartridge Box, 1874 to 1910

The McKeever Cartridge box was designed by First Lieutenant Samuel McKeever, Second Infantry. The leather box was carried on the waist belt and was originally designed for the 1874 Palmer Brace system. It was made in two rectangular shaped sections, hinged with a leather bellows at the bottom. The front half of the box would fold down exposing two rows of ten rounds of ammunition The box held 20 rounds of 45-70 ammunition in canvas loops which were attached to internal leather or canvas bellows which allowed the cartridges to tilt forward to be easily removed. There were four distinct patterns with sub variants due to regional manufacture and material changes. The McKeever was very clean and neat in appearance though not completely suitable for extended field campaign use and was thus relegated to garrison use. Variants were made for Cadet use at Military Academies and a version was produced around 1924 that was a blank non-functional box for dress wear only. The McKeever cartridge box was produced from 1874 to 1910 for the 45-70, the 50-70 and 30 U.S. (30-40 Krag) cartridges.

Variant table;

First Pattern, Early Style; Flat sides, Leather Bellows, Canvas Loops, Brass Closure tab plate, No Corner reinforcing, 45-70.

First Pattern, Late Style; Flat sides, Leather Bellows, Canvas Loops, Brass Closure tab plate, Corner Reinforcing tabs, 45-70.

Second Pattern; Tool Swell Side, Defined, Leather Bellows, Canvas Loops, Brass Closure tab plate, Corner Reinforcing tabs, 45-70.

Second Pattern. Mills; Tool Swell Side, Defined, Mills Woven Web Bellows and Loops, Brass Closure tab plate, Corner Reinforcing tabs, 45-70

Third Pattern; Tool Swell Side, Rounded, Canvas Bellows, Canvas Loops, NO Closure plate, NO Corner Reinforcing, 45-70.

Fourth Pattern; Tool Swell Side Rounded Defined, Canvas bellows and loops, Steel fittings, 30 U.S.

The Cartridge Belt

Following the regular issue of Cartridge breechloading rifles and carbines, the U.S. Army determined that a standardized form of carrying ammunition needed to be adopted. The former method used leather cartridge boxes which were not well suited to field use on the frontier. It was determined that a looped cartridge belt be developed. The Fair-Weather Christian Belt hand made at remote posts was a full leather belt with loops attached to carry 50 and 45 caliber ammunition. The leather in most cases was re-purposed bridle harnesses that had been stretched beyond serviceability. The chemical used in tanning and treating the leather harnesses and belts caused a problem of copper case corrosion. The formation of a copper sulfate deposit, called verdigris, on the copper cartridges case used at the time was a result of contact with moist leather and the tanning chemicals used to prepare the material. The verdigris created problems chambering rounds in the firearms as well as when fired the copper cases would literally become cemented in the chamber making extraction impossible. In addition, the cartridge boxes lead to cartridge case damage and at times actual detonation of rimfire cartridges. The Ordnance Department tested a leather body belt with canvas wrapped around it to enclose the leather and fitted with 54 loops. This belt, known as the Pattern 1876 Cartridge Belt or Prairie Belt. Later developments lead to the introduction and use of woven cartridge belts.

The Prairie Belt, M1876

The M1876 Cartridge Belt adopted in late 1876 and manufactured from 1877 to 1879. The medium weight canvas, wrapped around the leather body was shellacked to retain its form for the 45 and 50 caliber service cartridge. The Prairie belt was made by Watervliet Arsenal in two basic variants, being a Narrow variant with a 2-inch-wide body and Wide variant measuring 2 9/16 inch wide. The cartridge loops were anywhere from 1 5/8 to 1 ¾ inch wide. It was fitted with a varnished slightly curved brass center bar frame buckle measuring 2 5/6 by 2 3/16 in the narrow variant and 2 5/6 by 2 1/8 in the wide variant. On the opposite end was fitted a double thickness 7 ¾” long leather tongue which was marked with the maker stamp near the tip. The leather tongue is commonly trimmed to a shorter length to accommodate the soldier’s waist size. The Narrow belt variant was a very limited production with only 5000 made at Watervliet Arsenal. It should be noted that when the 45-70 cartridge was inserted into the belt loops of the Narrow Variant, the bullet would extend past the bottom of the belt and would discolor the uniform. The wide variant eliminated this and also protected the bullets from damage.

Mills Woven Cartridge Belts

Anson Mills was born in Indiana and was West Point educated in Civil Engineering. He had a notable military career through the Civil War and well into the 1880’s. In 1867 he got a US Patent (No. 67898) for a looped leather cartridge belt as an improvement on the common leather Cartridge Boxes being used at the time.

Anson Mills purchased his first weaving loom in 1879 and undertook producing a woven cotton belt with integrally woven loops which eliminated the aforementioned problems. The U.S. Army Ordnance Department was very impressed with the design and it was recommended for adoption by Col. P.V. Hagner Commanding Officer of Watervliet Arsenal, where the Pattern 1876 Prairie Belt was being produced. The Mills woven belt design was patented on February 1, 1881. The 1876 Prairie Belt was discontinued and production of the Mills Woven Cartridge belt was approved in 1880 with an order for 40,000 pieces over five years. The Gilbert Loom Company was contracted by Mills to produce the belts from which Gilbert received a royalty. The contract expired in five years and Mills then contracted with his brother in law, T.C Orndorff to manage the Mill’s owned production facility. At the start of the Spanish–American War, Mills and his associates expanded their factory to produce a thousand belts a day, but the quick conclusion of the war left Mills practically bankrupt. After giving some belts to Canadian troops headed for the Boer War, Mills soon received orders from the British government. As a result, his success was assured and by 1905 had amassed a small fortune. After filing a patent for another woven belt design that year and following the retirement of T.C. Orndorff, he sold his interest in the company. Production of the Mills Woven Cartridge belts continued at the Mills plant while some production was moved overseas. It should be mentioned that private contractors vying for U.S. Army business did secure limited contracts to produce belts for the U.S. Army during the Spanish American War namely Spaulding, Hurlburt and Gilbert Loom. Although they were limited in their designs due to Mill’s patents on the belts he was producing.