Cap Pouch question

[jcs266]

I received my 1861 (Union) Cap Pouch from Missouri Boot & Shoe (it's beautiful and very well made).

Question: How many musket Caps were carried when a soldier was in the field? The wad of wool sewn into the mouth of the pouch was to prevent spilling caps and minimize debris getting into the pouch I assume? It was worn on the belt to the right of the belt buckle (for a right-handed shooter)?

Thank you!

 

[captaindrew]

You are assuming correctly on both. You made a good choice with Missouri Boot and Shoe. Almost all my leather goods came from him and are top notch. Caps were issued in a sleeve of 12 inside the arsenal packs of 10 cartridges. They were typically issued 40 rounds so figure about 50 caps. I always like to carry some extra myself and can easily carry 70 to 75 in my cap box.

 

[DixieRifles]

Speaking of caps, one of my FB friends has dug up a pile of 420 caps. Ive never heard any relic hunter finding caps. I never even wondered why —- I assumed the "dissolved" away.
Here is a photo of his latest haul. He has found more before this.

 

[jcs266]

Thank you both for the replies. I do recall seeing that they were generally issued 40 cartridges. Issuing extra caps to go with them certainly makes sense, figuring a few extras in case of misfires or losing some in the rigors of the field.

 

[turner ashby kidd]

You made a good choice with Missouri Boot and Shoe. Almost all my leather goods came from him and are top notch.

Can't go wrong with MB&S..
Once sent an email to them questioning their quality. Said something like: After 10yrs of hard wear and abuse my boots needed to be re-soled. What kind of quality was this ? They took the email as intended, responded with a humorous reply.
Great leather products..

 

[Lampasas Bill]

The cap pouch was always worn to the right of the belt buckle. All soldiers were trained (or at least ordered) to shoot right-handed, even if they were natural lefties.

 

[RSMorris]

Would the soldier have carried those caps loose or would they have been wrapped?

 

[thomas aagaard]

as captaindrew writes, 12 caps to 10 cartridges.
And that factor was also used in some European armies including the Danish army.

 

[RSMorris]

as captaindrew writes, 12 caps to 10 cartridges.
And that factor was also used in some European armies including the Danish army.

Thanks, but would they have been carried loose in the cap box or wrapped say in paper?

 

[Lampasas Bill]

Loose.

 

[RSMorris]

Thank you

 

[7thWisconsin]

Sometimes they went bad from exposure to dampness, too. Micky Sullivan wrote about picking up and throwing down two or three muskets at Gettysburg before he realized it was his own caps that were bad, probably from the rainstorm the night before.

 

[captaindrew]

Thanks, but would they have been carried loose in the cap box or wrapped say in paper?

The ones ready for use would be unwrapped from the arsenal packs along with the enclosed cartridges and would be loose in their appropriate boxes. Extra packs would be carried in the bottom section of the cartridge box tins (see the pic of the box I posted for you in your other thread). The loose cartridges would be placed in the upper part of the tins ready for use.

 

[RSMorris]

Thank y'all so much..... Have learned a lot.