People that are unfamiliar with mid-nineteenth century military weaponry generally have the impression that soldiers carried a powder horn or some variation of one. In reality, soldiers were issued cartridges consisting of a paper tube, filled with a powder charge and ball. These paper cartridges were issued in paper packs of ten. Because they were made of paper, the cartridges were very fragile and even a slight wetting would ruin them; therefore, it was necessary that they be carried in a leather box which served to keep the cartridges dry. The box also served to keep out sparks during the heat of battle. Should a spark enter the box, the resulting explosion would severely injure or kill its owner. Basically, each soldier had a bomb strapped to his waist and only this box to keep it from igniting.

Infantry cartridge boxes had tin liners, small compartments on the top row and large openings in the bottom row, in order to hold both loose cartridges and multiple packets of pre-manufactured paper cartridges. Loose paper wrapped cartridges rode in the top compartment for quick access and two more paper wrapped ten packs, complete with percussion caps, rode in the bottom section. When the infantryman had emptied his top compartment, he would remove the tin liner and take out the paper wrapped packets of ten and empty the contents into the top of the container. The percussion caps would be placed in his cap box.

Very few Confederate cartridge boxes retain their identifiable original tin. Some Confederate manufactures no doubt copied the Federal two tin system, but because they are like their Federal counterpart, there is no way to know if the two liners are original to a Confederate box or not. However, only the Confederates made a long single liner, therefore any box that has the long, single tin liner has its original, (or at least an original) Confederate liner. This one is no doubt original to this box and is complete and in excellent condition. It sounds as though there is a primer rattling around in it, but I won’t pull it out to check for fear of doing damage to the box or the liner as it is so tight.

This box is designed to be used either as a musket box (carried on a sling) or a rifleman’s box (carried on a waist belt) by putting on loops and buckles for both when manufactured. This was to save time and trouble logistically when delivering them to the army. By examining the stress points, it can easily be seen that this particular box was used as a rifleman's box and carried on the soldier’s accoutrement waist belt. He cut one of the buckles off, and used the other to fasten something to it.

The box has the desired lead finial, found only on Confederate boxes. The finial is very tight in place and black with age. All of the box’s stitching remains tight and each stitch is original. The inner flap is complete, strong and supple. The tool pouch, and incredibly its cover flap and tab, are complete strong and supple. The box’s ear tabs are intact and remain tightly stitched. In fact, not counting the missing buckle, which the soldier cut off intentionally, and the split latch tab, this box is perfect in every way.

The box’s face is deeply carved with the letters JET which are slightly scroll underlined and below the line Co F. is carved. This is a lot of information, but I suspect there are numerous JETs in the various Company Fs, though I have not checked. The box is so very original that the dried mud that was on it the last time the soldier saw it is still there.

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