This regulation Civil War canteen has a full, original, “shoddy” gray cover showing a typical mix of different color specks from the use of various scrap fabrics in making the cloth. The seams are good and there are no holes, just a few small wear spots on one side showing the threads underneath. The sling is in place, full length, and complete, but does show holes and some fraying to the edges. The pewter spout is in place, and shows some oxidation, but no dings or dents. The stopper is missing, but one of the sling brackets shows a small hole indicating it was fastened with a small chain, identifying the canteen as coming through the New York Depot.

The NY Depot was a branch of the U.S. Quartermaster’s Office of Clothing and Equipage. They contracted with various dealers and makers for hundreds of thousands of canteens during the war and a distinguishing feature of their canteens was the use of a metal chain instead of simple string to retain the stopper starting in 1862. The depot used, or accepted, a number of fabric colors for the cover- providing some variety for the collector. The gray shoddy cover seems to have come in with their 1864 contracts according to O’Donnell’s book on Civil War canteens.

Canteens were an essential piece of field gear, certainly used more often by a soldier than his weapons or other accoutrements, and are an interesting collecting category of their own. This one displays well and would make a good addition to a general Civil War collection or display, or one concentrating specifically on field gear or just canteens.  [sr][ph:L]

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