A CONFEDERATE WOODEN “DRUM” CANTEEN

American South, Civil War period, c. 1861-65. Of coopered construction: a shallow cylindrical body formed from narrow hardwood staves with two wrought‑iron retaining hoops, the outer hoop fitted with forged sheet‑iron sling keepers; both circular heads of straight‑grained hardwood, each set in a croze; the side with the original tapered wooden bung; remnants of period waterproofing (tar/pitch) to joints; one head showing an incised tally/assembly mark. Length 7 in. Width 2 3/8 in. 

Blockade shortages of tinned sheet iron drove many Southern depots to revive traditional coopered canteens. Compact, durable and quickly made by local craftsmen, these “drum” canteens were issued from state and contractor workshops in Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia. Characteristic features seen here, the shallow staved body with iron hoops, a flush side bung rather than a projecting spout, and blacksmith‑made sling keepers, accord with Confederate wartime manufacture and compare closely with documented examples in institutional and advanced private collections.

Wooden Confederate canteens survive in far smaller numbers than their tin and sheet‑iron counterparts, and examples retaining the original bung and forged sling furniture, as on the present canteen, are particularly sought after for study. For related forms and construction details, see S. O. Sylvia & M. J. O’Donnell, Civil War Canteens; and H. Madaus, The American Military Canteen.

[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [Militaria, Accouterment, Equipment, Uniforms]