Canteen

[major bill]

In another post I showed Captain Withington's jacket. This is his canteen. The First Michigan Three Month Volunteer Infantry Regiment received canteens made by W.T. Tefft who used red wool to cover their canteens. Photos show a canteen that was taller than it was wide. This could well be one of Tefft's canteens. It is taller that it is wide, not round but not an oval either, and covered in red cloth. I was wondering what people thought of its construction as shown in this photograph. The card calls it a 1858 style canteen. I am no canteen expert but have my doubts it is a model 1858 canteen. Were the 1858 style canteens taller than they were wide.

 

[captaindrew]

The model 1858 was the typical round canteen there was a smoothside and bullseye model

 

[captaindrew]

That one looks like an older style used by some militia but I'm no canteen expert either. There is a picture of a Union soldier in Echoes of Glory holding a similar shaped canteen but doesn't give any details.

 

[major bill]

I still have issues with this being a model 1858 canteen or even closely related to the 1858 canteen.This canteen appears to be two, some what oval, plates attached to a side ring of metal. If this was made by Tefft in Detroit, I do wonder why he made them this way.

 

[major bill]

 

[captaindrew]

Definitely not a model 1858, constructed more like a Confederate tin drum canteen but they were round. My guess would be something that was in pre war surplus put into use but I'm sure you'll get a better educated answer before long.

 

[major bill]

I do know the regiment Captain Withington was in received canteens made in Detroit before they left for Virginia. I have seen photos of the enlisted men with this style of semi round canteens. The newspaper says that Tefft covered them with red wool. Now Captain Withington could have purchased his own privately made canteen, but his canteen seems to match the photos of the First Michigan Three Month Infantry Regiment and the red cloth cover makes me think this is a Tefft made canteen from April of 1861.

 

[Package4]

In August of 1861 William Tefft was contracted to supply 3,000 canteens to the 5th, 6th and 7th Michigan infantry, according to Bazelon & McGuinn P 268.

 

[major bill]

Tefft may well have supplied over 10,000 canteens to Michigan troops. The problem being did he convert to a more standard canteen at some point? Also he probably ran out of red wool and used what ever he could purchase.

 

[MOBDEnut]

Axel Ulrich, the modern reproduction tin maker might know a thing or two about this question.