The canteen measures 7 1/4” inches by 2 3/8” with iron bands and three sling loops.  The spout appears to be made on a lathe and remains firmly in position.  The cotton sling is 1” wide and stitched on a single edge.   It is an open sling, with one end point having a reinforced eyelet and the other end appears to have held a button for connecting the sling.  There is another reinforced eyelet near the 3 o’clock band.  These two eyelets may have afforded the “Johnny” to wear his canteen slung over the shoulder or around his waist line.  The two face plates and eleven slats appear to be made of cedar wood, which was far more abundant to the Confederacy than metals.  A small carved “C” appears at the 10 o’clock position.

The overall condition is very good.  The iron bands have a dark patina and exhibit sections with very shallow pitting.  The sling loops show light pitting.  The sling has five 1” sections of minor fraying along the edge and a 1/4 tear and fraying adjacent to the 9 o’clock sling loop.

Similar Confederate canteens appear on pages 15 and 17 of Sylvia and O’Donnell’s “Civil War Canteens,” most notably resembling those examples manufactured by John Bowers of Richmond, Virginia.  Although wooden canteens have been used throughout antiquity, this particular style of Confederate canteen was designed by F.J. Gardner for the CSA Ordnance Department (F.J. Gardner also invented the CSA 2-ringed bullet that bears his name).

This canteen would be a treasured addition to a Civil War collection, it is especially desirable with the original spout.  The “signature” Confederate look and feel of each component of this canteen sets itself apart from those more commonly seen in museums and private collections.  [JC]

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