ACCOUTERMENTS

During the Mexican War, the U.S. Ordnance Department was responsible for developing, testing, and issuing all infantry arms and accouterments. Personal, non-armament equipment, such as haversacks and canteens, was issued by the U.S. Quartermaster Department.⁴³ Weapon accouterments were the infantry soldier’s accessories necessary to use his musket and included all leather belts, cartridge boxes, slings, plates, bayonet, scabbard and baldric. Although the items mentioned were worn on a soldier’s body, weapon accouterments also included specialized tools to help him clean, service, and maintain his musket.

Limited primary sources on the types of accouterments issued the Mormon Battalion exist, but additional research is needed. According to U.S. Ordnance Department transcripts from Fort Leavenworth, dated August 3, 1846, the Mormon volunteers of Company A received the Pattern 1839 accouterments which accompanied the Model 1816 musket.⁴⁴ The other four companies of the Battalion were most likely provided similar accouterments. However, variations in the type of infantry cartridge boxes that were issued have been noted in photographs taken at Mormon Battalion reunions.⁴⁵ The following brief description of military accouterments follows the same order as that found in a U.S. Ordnance facsimile entitled, “Transcript For Ordnance Stores Issued to Company A, Mormon Battalion.”⁴⁶ (See Figure 7.)

Infantry Cartridge Box - The cartridge box was the heart of the accouterment system. The Pattern 1839 cartridge box, made of smooth black leather, held forty .69 caliber paper cartridges in two tin inserts, which were divided into two levels.⁴⁷ Two packages of cartridges, containing ten bullets each, remained bundled together in the two lower tin compartments while two packages were opened and the cartridges stacked at the ready in the upper tin trays with their paper tails placed up. A small interior pocket under the box flap was used to hold musket tools, such as a wiper and screwdriver, along with extra musket flints. The white buff leather cartridge box belt passed through two small leather loops on the back and buckled onto the bottom of the box. The Pattern 1839 cartridge box replaced the 1828 cartridge box and saw use well into the Civil War.⁴⁸

Figure 5

Figure 6

TRANSCRIPT FOR ORDNANCE STORES
ISSUED TO COMPANY A, MORMON BATTALION

Figure 8

Cartridge Box Plate - A decorative, oval brass box plate, stamped “US,” was attached to the outer flap of Pattern 1839 cartridge box. The lead-filled plate helped to keep the outer flap of the cartridge box closed when unfastened.⁴⁹

Figure 9

Cartridge Box Belt - The Pattern 1839 infantry cartridge box was suspended over the soldier’s right hip by a 2 and1/4 inch wide belt or sling that passed over the left shoulder. The cartridge box sling, which was made of thick white buff leather, was adjustable using the buckles located on the bottom of the cartridge box.⁵⁰

Bayonet Scabbard - The Pattern 1839 bayonet scabbard was made of black leather with a brass tip and heavy brass throat. The smooth leather was molded and sewn into a long triangular shape to accommodate the 16-inch blade of the bayonet. The throat of the scabbard was equipped with a brass hook for attachment to the belt.

Bayonet Scabbard Belt - Also known as a baldric, the white buff leather 1839 bayonet scabbard belt passed over the right shoulder and supported the bayonet and its scabbard on the soldier’s left hip. Like the cartridge box belt, the bayonet scabbard belt measured 2 and 1/4 inches wide and was adjustable.

Bayonet Scabbard Belt Plate -A decorative M-1828 embossed brass eagle breast plate was fitted to the outside of the Pattern 1839 white buff leather bayonet scabbard belt. The circular lead-filled plate had a small functional brass hook that could be passed through any one of a series of holes, similar to a modern waist belt, allowing the belt to be adjusted for individual needs. Mexican War soldiers affixed their brush and pick musket tool to a convenient hole usually under the eagle breast plate.

Waist Belt - The Pattern 1839 cartridge box belt and Pattern 1839 bayonet scabbard belt were worn on opposite shoulders and crossed one another on the soldier’s chest and back. They were often referred to as “cross belts” and were held in place by a 1 and ½ inch wide white buff leather Pattern 1839 belt.⁵¹ The waist belt helped keep the heavy cartridge box and the long bayonet scabbard tight against a soldiers hips when marching, especially at the “double quick.”

Figure 11

Waist Belt Plate - A small brass, lead-filled oval plate, stamped “US” acted as a buckle for the Pattern 1839 waist belt. The waist belt plate, with a small brass hook, allowed the individual soldier to adjust his belt according to the size of his waist.

Figure 12

Musket Gun Sling - The Model 1816 flintlock musket included a leather gun sling that measured 1 and 1/4 inches in width and 44 inches long.⁵² A simple brass hook and a sliding loop of leather allowed for the sling to be adjusted for a variety of needs from marching to firing.

Brush and Pick - Each soldier was issued a combination horsehair whisk and sharp iron pick on a small brass chain, which was suspended from a hook that passed through a convenient hole in the bayonet scabbard belt. These tools were used to clean the Model 1816 flintlock pan and lock of powder residue, and to keep the vent clear of any obstruction.

Musket Screw Driver - Another implement issued to each Mormon volunteer of Company A was a screwdriver that was used to change flints or disassemble their musket. A soldier took apart his musket by unscrewing the two lock plate screws, the hammer screw, and the tang screw that held the barrel on the wooden stock. A small punch was part of the screwdriver tool that allowed for the removal of the springs which held the three barrel bands in place.

Musket Wiper - An indispensable tool for cleaning burnt powder residue and fouling from the bore of a musket was the wiper. This small item, which resembles a corkscrew, was threaded and screwed onto the end of a musket’s ramrod. With a small piece of cloth dipped in water or oil and wrapped around the wiper, a soldier could clean the inside of the barrel of his musket.

Musket Ball Screw - On occasion, the powder charge behind a musket ball would fail to ignite and a “misfire” would occur. In such a case, a soldier would be obliged to pull the ball up the barrel and out the muzzle in order to clean out the fouled powder charge. The musket ball screw, which was threaded and attached to the end of the musket’s ramrod, was used to perform this task. The ball screw was rammed down the barrel and ramrod was turned allowing for the pointed screw to grip the lead ball and pull it free. One musket ball screw was issued to each group of ten soldiers.⁵³ Records indicate that such was the case with Company A of the Mormon Battalion, as 10 musket ball screws were issued for a total of 93 flintlock muskets.

Musket Spring Vice - The final tool provided Mexican War soldiers was the musket spring vice. As with the musket ball screw, each group of ten men received one musket spring vice.⁵⁴ This small handheld vice was used to depress the frizzen spring, located externally on the lock plate, and the mainspring, located internally behind the lock plate. The depressed springs allowed the soldier to easily disassemble these musket parts for cleaning and maintenance.

Figure 13

Extra Flint Caps - The small wedge-shaped flint of a flintlock musket or rifle was held in place by the weapon’s hammer vice. Between the vice and flint was a flat manufactured piece of soft lead know as a flint cap that, when tightened, conformed to the irregularities of the flint and held it firmly in place. If lost, a cut piece of soft leather could performed the same function as a flint cap. Worn out flints could be turned around so that a fresh sharp edge would strike the frizzen.