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MEXICAN WAR TO CIVIL WAR PORTFIRE STOCK

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Before the introduction of the friction primer it was necessary to keep a ready flame handy for the lighting of linstocks carrying slow match to fire the gun or to fire it directly and even later they were kept on hand as a back up, also finding use in the ignition of rockets. The portfire was a long paper wrapped cylinder filled with a compound of nitre, sulpher and mealed powder that was designed to burn slowly, but be inextinguishable by water, making sure a flame would be available to a gun crew even in inclement weather. The portfire stock was designed to hold the portfire ready for use and consists of a short, turned wood staff with a spike on one end so that it can be stuck in the ground, handy, but away from caissons and cartridges. The other end is inlet slightly and split to hold the base of the portfire by friction when a tightening band is slid upwards.

This one preserves lots of it original army olive green paint, and has the sliding metal tightening band in place, with its stop-pin below to prevent it slipping off. On the bottom the spike is in place. The only thing missing is the short ferrule at the base, above the spike. This comes from a recently acquired collection of Civil War artillery implements.  [sr] [ph:L]

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