A very good condition, regulation US Civil War canteen, maker marked on the spout “HADDEN, PORTER & BOOTH. PHILA.,” one of the largest suppliers of canteens to the Philadelphia Depot, with numerous contracts during the war and almost 380,000 delivered by the end of 1864. See O’Donnell’s chapter on the Philadelphia Depot in his U.S. Army and Militia Canteens 1775-1910. The canteen is the corrugated or “bullseye” form adopted by the Philadelphia Depot to strengthen the body and specified in contracts with the company starting in July 1862 and the presence of the maker’s mark on the spout follows contract specifications starting in August. The use of seven raised rings separated by six indentations is characteristic of the company. The stopper follows the standard pattern using an improved full cap over the top of the cork and the thick lip of the spout is one of the company’s recognized types, and is secured by its original double loop of twine cord.

The cover is a brownish gray twilled wool, one of several colors and fabrics coming out of the Philadelphia Depot, and is in very good condition, showing a few small darker brown spots and just four or five pencil point size and one pencil eraser size moth bits on one side and one or two pencil eraser size nips on the other, but none are obtrusive and the fabric is solid, with good seam and tight around the strap brackets. The strap is cotton web with two herringbone twill pattern panels, one of several patterns showing up the company’s canteens. (Again, see O’Donnell on these points.) The strap shows a waterstain and some rust stains around the bottom bracket, but is full length, solid, with only slight edge wear in a couple of spots.

This a very strong example of a regulation issue US canteen, perhaps the soldier’s most essential piece of field gear, and recalled fondly by veterans as a symbol of comradeship in the motto seen often in G.A.R. posts, “we drank from the same canteen.” They are an essential piece in a Civil War collection and as a collecting category offer a lot of variety and visual appeal with different color covers, smooth and corrugated bodies, personalization by a soldier, etc.  [sr][ph:L]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS.

THANK YOU!