Over the weekend, I acquired a Civil War dated clerk's cash box. It came from a Cullman County family who had passed it down in the family over the years. This is a wood box with a writing slope, which opens to reveal the cash drawer. It also has an alarm bell which rings when the slope is raised.

The box is stenciled "Wells Fargo & Co." at the top of the slope. At the bottom is stenciled "CS July 7, 1863". The worn and faded stenciling is in period black lacquer.

As far as can be ascertained, this was used in Alabama during the Civil War, but this is not certain. It is possible that this was a "war trophy" brought home by a Cullman Co. soldier.

As to the "CS", this *may* stand for Confederate States. However, some department of the Union Army used this marking, too. I can't remember for certain what it stood for, but I think it was something like "Commissary Stores".

I have internet researched the history of Wells Fargo, but can find nothing on the company in the war period of time. Plenty of earlier and later information, but nothing from the war period. If Wells Fargo continued to operate in the Confederate States during the war, this might help to give credence to this being a Confederate item used in Alabama. I know that Adams Express operated both in the US and the CS throughout the war. However, I can't see any reason that the box would be marked "CS", if it stands for Confederate States, unless there was some governmental connection, such as a government contract. Does anyone have any info on this? I know that there is microfilm of the Confederate Government contracts, but I don't have access to that.