I keep imagining the Confederates with their homemade uniforms with the extra large mule-ear pockets, so they could carry lots of extra cartridges around and thinking I wouldn't do that, but they did. How they did it without breaking them or spilling the contents or getting them wet from rain or sweat I don't know, but they did it.

Your both are probably right, but I would have kept that tool handy if I were a soldier. A broke gun in battle would be certain death.

Now, I read the story by a Confederate soldier who was able to procure a non-issue ball-starter from a friend. Where do you think he carried that during battle? He really didn't say, so I'm left with having to guess.

David