The fact that Carlsbad was written on the first page of the bible is a big clue. This likely means that the owner was from Carlsbad, NM as residents of Carlsbad fought for both sides in the Civil War. The owner of the bible likely carried it with him during the war as many soldiers did.

As for why the items were stashed, there could be several options. Maybe the owner kept these items from the war and wanted to make sure they were kept in safe keeping as gun control ramped up dramatically in the west after the Civil War. Maybe this was a secret stash for emergencies. Hell, this stash could have even been used for hunting. Regardless, it’s very cool to see that this slice of history was passed down for many generations. These types of historic items are also worth a lot when shown to the right collectors. So, if anything, this guy could maybe get away with some cash at the very least.