Gunpowder Flask

This Civil War gun powder flask was military issued by the US Army and made by Am Flask and Cap Co. The fluted and scalloped design was typical of these flasks. They were made of brass and worn on a powder string across the shoulders along with a pouch of black powder.

While the gunpowder flasks were still listed as standard issue, most infantry men were issued a standard cartridge box by the time the war really got underway. Sharpshooters and irregular units used rifles and often their own rifles.

Some still had need for gunpowder flasks and black powder. Black powder was produced by the Oriental Powder Company at Gambo. Black powder was a mixture of saltpeter (exclusively potassium nitrate) from India, sulfur produced in Sicily and charcoal from area landowners. The building where the elements were combined into this most dangerous mixture was separate from the others in order to contain the damage from explosions.