Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. In June 1877, the 21st Infantry Regiment was ordered into the field in reaction to Nez Perce massacres in Idaho. The regiment pursued the Nez Perce and fought at the Battle of the Clearwater on 11 and 12 July. The regiment continued to pursue the Indians through the Bitterroot Valley to the Bears Paw Mountains, where Chief Joseph finally surrendered. The 21st covered 1,632 miles during the campaign and suffered no desertions. In June 1878, the Bannock tribe left their reservation in southern Idaho, beginning the Bannock War. After marching 35 miles in a day, the regiment overtook the tribe on 13 August, scattering it so that it no longer posed a threat and had to return to the reservation. In June 1884, the regiment was sent to the Department of the Platte and stationed in Nebraska and Wyoming. The regiment then moved to southern Kansas to discourage a threatened Cheyenne outbreak. During the winter of 1890-91, the regiment sent six companies to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in response to Sioux unrest.

This is an outstandingly-scarce example of an M1874 Clothing Bag Type 1, with a gorgeous tarred canvas flap with leather trim marked U.S. on the front. The underside of the flap is very faintly stamped:

U.S.
WATERVLIET ARSENAL

The back of the clothing bag has an outstanding unit stencil reading:

COMPANY
D
21ST U.S. INFANTRY
24

The initials EMF are inscribed over the marking. This is a very rare item to find unit marked, especially to a unit that saw heavy combat during the Indian Wars when this would have been used. This combined with the initials could also make this identifiable!

The clothing bag retains all four leather straps and buckles on the back, with both straps on the front intact. There is heavy cracking to the leather trim, but to find it intact at all is unbelievably rare. The interior pocket retains a large Federal eagle button marked to Scovill Mfg. Co. of Waterbury.

This is an outstanding and scarce piece of Indian Wars field gear, the first of its kind we have ever offered. Ready for display.