US Haversack Unit Identification

[Aragorn243]

I picked up a US 1898 haversack today and am having no luck identifying the unit.

Bag is unmarked by the manufacture, has spring clips on the hooks which puts it to at least 1903 construction, is in khaki which I believe puts it before 1907.

It has crossed rifles, 7 on top half, L on bottom half. Then a L-7. Then OHIO, and finally 15.

So obviously, it's an Ohio national guard unit, infantry, that used it between 1903 and 1917 when it would have been re-equipped for WWI with the 1910 system. The Ohio NG was reorganized at the same time to the 37th Division.

So 7th Ohio Infantry regiment? Division?, what does the L-7 stand for?

[Sunray]

Appears to be 7th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Spanish-Americam war.
Net search "7th Ohio 1898" for 4,100,000 results.
Rummage around here. There are decent pictures.
Infantry hat Insignia

[Aragorn243]

So that makes it 7th Ohio Volunteer Infantry company L. Thank you. Being in the Army, I should be able to figure that out but I wasn't infantry.

I suspect this would have been used during the Mexican Border crisis in 1916 and 1917. Interestingly, it seems Ohio was the worst of all the National Guards mobilized for the expedition. They were so slow getting organized, they lost the transportation assets to other states that were ready.

Pennsylvania on the other hand sent a regiment to the border every day. "Using this method, the state deployed a total of 11,749 troops between June 28 and July 9." Probably why it was one of the first national Guard units (28th infantry division) to be sent to France.

[RCS]

I have an early 1903 stock that was modified and had a single stock bolt installed, the butt plate has some markings. I was told by some advanced collectors that the butt plate is marked to Troop H, 8th Cavalry Trooper #18. The rifle and stock were found by Rick borecky among the CMP rifles being sold. The 8th Cavalry was in Mexico in 1916