Lord Raglan's despatch pouch, Crimea, 1855 (c)

White buckskin pouch, marked 'Field-Marshal The Lord Raglan, G.C.B.' There are slight traces of red sealing wax suggestive of its use as a despatch pouch. Certainly, official bags were issued for the purpose.

On 10 April 1854 Sidney Herbert, the Secretary at War, wrote to Raglan: 'That 24 leather bags, with 'The Secretary at War' written on each, have been forwarded from the Stationery Office, and shipped on board the 'Emperor' at Woolwich for the purpose of being used in the transmission of letters for the Secretary at War, from the Army under your Lordship's command, and to state that printed leather labels to be attached to the bags have also been prepared and forwarded in order that no inconvenience might arise, from having to write separate addresses to each.'