1 - Private Purchase Haversack NC identification

US Haversack.  SOLD

This Haversack is a type sold in the north early in the war.  It is made of a rubberized cloth for the back and strap.  The front is untreated cotton.  These are often referred to as a Massachusetts Haversack. It could have been a prewar purchase but a southern state or a capture on the battlefield.   This particular example was marked with  the soldiers name and unit.  The name and company are relativaly clear but the regiment has been smudged.

What makes this example special is that this Haversack was used and marked by a North Carolina officer.  He painted his information on top of the previous soldiers name.  Lt West served in the 20th NC and was mortally wounded in the battle for South Mountain in sept 1862.  He died the following month as a POW.  

One of the pictures was taken with a mirrow inside the body of the Haversack and shows the name which bled through the untreated cotton.  SOLD