Mexico and the Civil War

[Michael Pacheco]

Is there a possibility that confederate soldiers used supplies from Mexico, such as cartridge boxes, during the Civil War? Is it possible that Mexican supplies could have been acquired by confederate soldiers whom fought in the Mexican War a decade earlier? I ask this because I found a small brass buckle that fits the description of a buckle used on a Mexican cartridge box or shot bag. I found it in an area known to be occupied by confederate soldiers.

 

[Jack]

Particularly early in the Civil War, both sides were acquiring anything that would go bang to equip all their troops- including leftover guns and accoutrements from the Mexican War. Many militia units were equipped with Mexican War era stuff when they were mustered into service at the beginning of the Civil War. When the Confederacy took over Federal arsenals in the South in 1861 there were lots of Mexican War era guns and acoutrements in those arsenals.
So, I would say, yes, leftovers from the Mexican War could be found at Civil War sites.
As the Civil War went on, and the Union blockade became more effective, one route ships took to avoid the blockade was to land cargo at Matamoros, Mexico, outside the Union blackade. Right across the Rio Grande from Matamoros is Brownsville Texas, where cargoes were sent to the Confederacy. So, who knows what items might have been picked up in Mexico.