This wooden officer’s field desk belonged to Captain Thomas B. Reed, Company G, 9th Missouri State Militia Cavalry.
Wood trunks like this one were used by officers as field desks; they consisted of compartments or “pigeonholes” of different sizes for ease in organizing papers and documents. Being portable, they could be packed up and easily moved to a different location without removing the documents. Company officers were required to maintain and store a bewildering number of forms and other government paperwork.
This trunk is stamped with the manufacturers name (“Warne, Cheever & Co., 125 North 4th St., St. Louis”) on the lid.
Image Courtesy Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield; WICR 30179
