North Carolina Star Canteen? Question.

[csuniforms]

Hello, Have recently been asked if I had any information on the 6 star oval canteen, refered to as the NC canteen by some. I was told that this canteen was a captured Federal issue canteen, carried by Ohio and Illinois troops during the Atlanta and Vicksburg Campaigns. I have nothing in my notes to date. What say all of you!?

Tom Arliskas
CSuniforms

[Jimmayo]

Re: North Carolina Star Canteen? Question.

Latest canteen book by O'Donnell lists it on page 203 as a federal varient. The star was struck in an attempt to strengthen the sides. Several have been associated with Sherman's March.

Sounds like you have the book also. There are a number of them around if you start looking. IMO they are too well made to be CS manufacture.

[rogue]

Re: North Carolina Star Canteen? Question.

Tom,
Years ago, during our youth, I visited a small roadside museum in Marietta, Georgia run by the Pfab brothers, Vince and Don, and in their collection was the rusty remains of a star-sided canteen. I recall it as it was odd with the star. They attributed it as yankee as it was bought from a local digger who recovered it from a known northern camp area. I do not know if the place still exists as I was in grade school when I saw it, so was some time back when my daddy drove the car. We were driving from the Chicago area to Florida, and passed the Sherman's March zone in the process. Bought a twenty pound Parrot shell from their museum for $15.00. Wish I still had that.
S.Sullivan

[Busterbuttonboy]

Re: North Carolina Star Canteen? Question.

I'd be interested in hearing more about this. Does anyone have any returns or contract documentation? I realize we cant copy out of the book but maybe a quotation from it would be helpful in keeping this thread alive.

While not a trusted source by any means the photos available of the canteen here are pretty nice.

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/civil-war-confererate-canteen

Here on Page 49, Robert Jones has a Kennesaw Mountain ID'ed Star Canteen.

http://books.google.com/books?id=cGTjyfZsr9sC&pg=PP1&dq=civil+war+canteen#v=onepage&q=star&f=false

[508preach]

Re: North Carolina Star Canteen? Question.

Tom,
Bought a twenty pound Parrot shell from their museum for $15.00. Wish I still had that.
S.Sullivan

Good lord $15.00 was a heck of a sum for a child.

[Jimmayo]

Re: North Carolina Star Canteen? Question.

Just thought I would throw in a couple of pictures of what we are talking about. They appear to have slightly different spouts.

[Craig L Barry]

Re: North Carolina Star Canteen? Question.

The star canteen has proven hard to pin down in terms of documentation but there is certainly no evidence that it was a NC or Confederate version of the M1858 smoothside, but who knows? In the absence of anything concrete, apply the duck test...if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck--it's a duck. In this case it is a US contractor variation of the M1858 that did not catch on widely. Different spouts so probably different contractors made it in small numbers. Some tin spouts suggest Cincinatti (St Louis)...Sherman's army...it all kind of fits.