This is a Pattern 1861 US infantry cartridge box made and marked by Longley & Co. of Lewiston, ME, in 1863, one of the few makers to date their products. This is complete, with both magazine tins and with the cartridge box plate, in excellent condition and is the standard issue box for a Union infantryman armed with a .58 caliber rifle musket- the typical infantry long arm of the Civil War on both sides. The box was designed to carry 40 paper cartridges, with two packs of ten opened and the cartridges for ready use placed in the upper trays of the two tin “magazines” in the box, and an unopened pack of ten held in reserve in the bottom compartment of each magazine tin, which could be pulled out for use. The box is fitted with a short inner flap with side ears to help seal the box and keep the contents dry and a small pocket with flap on the lower front for carrying gun tools. The box is fitted with vertical loops on the back for wear on a waist belt and with horizontal retaining loops and buckles for wear on a shoulder sling.

This is the pattern of 1861, an improvement on the 1857, using rivets on the waist belt loops in addition to stitching, but still fastening the latch tab with a simple straight line of stitching only. The box has all loops, tabs, and flaps in place, including the small half-circle side ears on the inner flap, and both tinned-iron magazines with the dividers in place in their upper trays. The black finish is very good with just minor handling marks and very slight age crackling or crazing to the finish here and there, with the only loss of finish being small spots on the latch tab from flexing and two small rubs on the tops of vertical belt loops on the reverse, possibly from another box lying on top of it for a time. The box has not been polished or treated with any leather dressing or preservatives. The stamped, rolled brass US oval cartridge box plate is in place and shows significant remnants of its gilt finish. It is secured to the flap by a leather thong that is correct, but likely an old replacement by a collector.

The inner flap is nicely marked, “LONGLEY & CO. / LEWISTON, ME / 1863.” Josiah Longley set up shop as a harness-maker in Lewiston in 1845, offering harness, leather trunks, valises, etc., and was connected at points with other Maine accoutrement makers whose names will be familiar to collectors. He had partnered with H.G. Garcelon about 1860, and in 1861 the two were involved with J.W. Covell in subcontracting work for A.W. Decrow, who was supplying gear to Maine’s regiments in 1861, and the three then had US contracts as Longley, Garcelon & Co., and as Longley, Garcelon & Covell into 1863, even though Garcelon seems to have left the partnership in 1862 and later taken Covell with him, with Longley then continuing on his own. For full details on the company, see Bazelon’s Directory, Vol. 2, who cites a 1959 history of the company by Maine collector Marius Peladeau.

This Civil War infantry cartridge box would look great displayed with a .58 caliber rifle musket, make a nice addition to an infantry or US Civil War accoutrement display.  [sr] [ph:L]

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