Stave and hoop canteen. N.p., 18th c. Approx. 3 1/2 4 1/2 x 5 3/4 in. 

A diminutive example of the canteens used by Continental soldiers during the American Revolutionary War. This cask-style canteen, a miniaturized version of the era's wine and liquor casks, is composed of 11 staves, 4 wrought iron hoops, a wooden head at either end, one slightly concave, and a raised spout with a cork stopper. The original black paint is overall worn, revealing the natural surface of the wood beneath.

While British and Hessian forces were supplied with tin canteens, shortages drove the Continental army to turn to readily-available wood for their construction. The coopered wooden canteen experienced a revival in the form of drum canteens during the Civil War, when blockades prevented tinned sheet iron from reaching the Confederate States.

[Canteens, Roundlet, Rundlet, Roundlets, Rundlets] [Relics, Militaria, Accouterment, Equipment, Uniforms] [American Revolutionary War, American Revolution, Founding Fathers, Declaration of Independence, Colonial America, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Monroe] [War of 1812, James Madison, Battle of Lake Erie, Battle of Plattsburgh, Fort McHenry, Battle of New Orleans, Treaty of Ghent, Andrew Jackson]

Evidence of minor insect boring to the stave adjacent the spout, else in very fine condition.