This
is a wonderful Confederate made soldier’s cartridge box. The box measures 8-1/4
inches by 7 inches in overall size. When you open up the outer flap you are
greeted by the stamping of the maker in Nashville, Tennessee. John Morrow &
Son. This box is the rarest of the rare with this being the only known surviving
example of one of his cartridge boxes. This cartridge box was once part of the
amazing collection of Mike Miner of Sevierville, Tennessee. He was able to find
Confederate records showing that Morrow made 142 of these cartridge boxes in
November of 1861 at a cost of $2.00 each. These boxes were patterned after the
standard union cartridges boxes of the day but there are very distinctive
variances to the construction. The box is entirely hand stitched without the
use of rivets. The roller buckles on the bottom of the box are larger than
their Union counterparts. This is a fine cartridge box all the way around. The verbal history that accompanied the piece is that it was carried by Private Joseph M. Smith who served with the 30th Mississippi Infantry. It is also accompanied by his veteran ID badge as well as the buff leather shoulder sling, cap box and his wallet. It
has spent the last several years in the collection of my friend and country
music legend Hank Williams, Jr. Hank was kind enough to sign a letter stating that it was in his collection.