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MODEL 1874 CLOTHING BAGS –
TYPE 3 - w/ CHAMBERS SLING – EXCELLENT SPECIMENS:
These are excellent specimens of the Model 1874 Clothing
Bag (Type 3), originally issued with the Model 1874
Infantry Brace System, and complete with the Chambers
Brass Buckled Sling.
This Type 3 Clothing Bag,
differentiated from the Type 1 and Type 2 when the army
discontinued the black rubberized front cover, and
eliminated the leather reinforcement around the opening
of the bag body, the leather buckle chapes for attaching
the shoulder sling, and the leather billet that attaches
to the “US” General Service Button to close the meat can
pouch on the front of the bag body. The Type 3 features
canvas reinforcement around the bag opening, canvas
buckle chapes for attaching the sling and a canvas
billet to close over the button on the face of the bag
body.
I have the following bags,
each described below and accompanied by photographs.
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No. 1
MODEL 1874 CLOTHING BAG – TYPE 3 - w/ CHAMBERS
SLING: This Model 1874 Clothing bag is in
excellent condition showing little use and the only
evidence of issue is the hand drawn sets of initials
“CE” on the front and back panels of the body. The
front cover is legibly stenciled “US” and the inside of
the front cover is stenciled "WATERVLIET ARSENAL".
All of the buckles, buttons and straps are intact, all
of the seams are intact, and there are no holes, tears,
or other damage to the bag.
In addition to issue to the
soldiers at the regiment level, these bags were also
provided to the recruits as they graduated from the
Jeffersonville Depot in order to carry their meager
possessions to their first duty station. As those
particular bags issued to the recruits were the property
of the depot, the intended system was that the
commanding officer at the recruit’s first duty station
would relieve the recruit of the Jeffersonville Depot’s
bag, return it to the depot or an arsenal for
reconditioning, and issue the new soldier a bag from the
stores held by the regiment. As you can imagine, this
system had any number of flaws and apparently did not
function as intended. As a result, the depot began
stenciling the bags they issued with “RECRUIT” within a
split oval border, as a means of encouraging the return
of the bags – the thinking being no soldier wanted to be
carrying a bag that identified him in perpetuity as a
mere recruit. Whether this system worked or not is
unknown, but does make for an interesting bit of Indian
War Army trivia. The “RECRUIT” stenciled on the front
of this bag identifies it as one of these Jefferson
Depot Bags.
The Chambers Sling is
likewise in excellent condition with no sign of wear or
fraying, the material is full length, and both leather
billets are intact and smooth. Once the brace system
was discontinued as an item of issue, the Chambers Cloth
Sling with a brass adjustment buckle was issued to carry
the Clothing Bag.
This is a very nice example of the early Indian War
soldier’s Clothing Bag, and one that would never need to
be upgraded. (0414) $250 |
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No. 2
MODEL 1874 CLOTHING BAG – TYPE 3 - w/ CHAMBERS
SLING – UNIT IDENTIFIED: This Model 1874
Clothing bag is in excellent condition showing little
use. The front cover is legibly stenciled “US” and the
inside of the front cover is stenciled "US” and
“WATERVLIET ARSENAL". The only evidence of issue is the
unit applied identification stencil applied faintly
above the “US” for the 6TH Infantry Regiment,
Company E. All of the buckles, buttons and straps are
intact, all of the seams are intact, and there are no
holes, tears, or other damage to the bag.
The Chambers Sling is likewise in excellent condition
with no sign of wear or fraying, the material is full
length, and both leather billets are intact and smooth.
Once the brace system was discontinued as an item of
issue, the Chambers Cloth Sling with a brass adjustment
buckle was issued to carry the Clothing Bag.
This is a very nice example of the early Indian War
soldier’s Clothing Bag, and one that would never need to
be upgraded.
SOLD |
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