Bullseye canteen

[danielking1775]

Can anyone explain when a bullseye canteen would have been used and what tike period these were made?

 

[RedRover]

According to an article on the subject by William G. Phillips and Carter Rila, "Oblait Spheroid Canteens, 1858-1916: A Standard pattern Recognition Guide" military Collector and Historian, Summer, 1989, vol. XLI, no. 2:

they speculate the pattern for the bullseye was adopted early in the war, and they were evidently somewhat common by the war's close.

However, some years ago Curt Schmidt on the Authentic Campaigner website shared that they were adopted/manufactured from 1862, and did not necessarily entirely replaced the plainer type: "The 1862 bullseye was produced at Schuylkill Arsenal after July 1862, while other arsenals (Cincinnati and St.Louis, and contractors for New York) and contractors continued to produce the 1858 "smoothside."

 

[FrankN]

Here's another article about ACW canteens that you may enjoy reading.

http://www.njsekela.com/reference/cmh/Canteen%20Article.pdf

Frank

 

[Salterr]

Can anyone explain when a bullseye canteen would have been used and what tike period these were made?

To add to what redrover said they were also repurposed and modified for many years after the war. Modifications to the bullseye canteen include a cork with ring around the neck, removal of bottom strap bracket, triangular brackets added to the top to accommodate different straps and covers with different material. You can see these characteristics on the 1874 models and then another change came in 1878 and they made new bodies going forward

 

[danielking1775]

Thank you all!

 

[Package4]

Can anyone explain when a bullseye canteen would have been used and what tike period these were made?

Only The Philadelphia Depot produced the corrugated canteens for issue via contractors, though there had been some militia canteens that had the concentric rings prior. The smooth spheroid canteens were easily dented, causing complaints from the field, thus on July15, 1862, the Philadelphia Depot announced that they would specify the corrugated canteens moving forward. (Letter from Col. Crossman to contractor Paul J Field, July 15, 1862, in the National Archives)

 

[J. Hanger]

I have a smooth-side that was reissued with a khaki cover, chain/cork, cavalry web-strap with snap and stenciled 1st Neb that I picked up at a garage sale for five bucks! Suppose it may have been a SpAm issue for the Guard.

J

 

[RedRover]

I have a smooth-side that was reissued with a khaki cover, chain/cork, cavalry web-strap with snap and stenciled 1st Neb that I picked up at a garage sale for five bucks! Suppose it may have been a SpAm issue for the Guard.

J

Possibly. From the example of the 1st Florida Regiment in 1898, they came into service fully equipped with their State National Guard equipage, but after being mustered into US service for a short time they were completely outfitted with Federal clothing and equipment: the State stuff unnecessary was returned to the State.


Anyways,


The "1st Regiment, Nebraska National Guard," existed before the war with Spain, being organized in 1881.

During the War with Spain it was mustered into US service as the "1st Nebraska Regiment of Volunteers." Mustered out in 1899.

1st Nebraska, 1898: Wiki

Here's a couple of fellows of the regiment with the khaki covered canteens...

In 1900 the unit was redesignated "1st Infantry Regiment, N.N.G (Nebraska Natl. Guard). etc.

 

[Package4]

Only The Philadelphia Depot produced the corrugated canteens for issue via contractors, though there had been some militia canteens that had the concentric rings prior. The smooth spheroid canteens were easily dented, causing complaints from the field, thus on July15, 1862, the Philadelphia Depot announced that they would specify the corrugated canteens moving forward. (Letter from Col. Crossman to contractor Paul J Field, July 15, 1862, in the National Archives)

As an addendum to this, it was determined, post war that the corrugated canteens leaked and developed pin holes more readily that their spheroid smooth sided cousin. The Quartermaster revered back to an all smooth side canteen for IW and Span Am periods. Many ACW vintage canteens were repurposed as there were copious supplies. The bottom sling guide was often removed and a triangular bracket was soldered onto the upper two sling guides for strap attachment. There were multiple ways that this was accomplished.