Soldiers’ Supplies
One necessary item that every soldier carried - whether they fought for the U.S. Army or the Confederate Army - was a canteen. Often soldiers would personalize their canteens and make them unique.
Description by Joanna Stephens, BOFT's curator
What do you do when you get thirsty? Do you go to the fridge and get a drink, or fill up your cup at the kitchen sink, or even swing through the nearest drive-thru? It is often so easy for us to find something to drink today. We have easy access to all kinds of drinks at home or at the store. In the 1800s, water was a precious thing. Homes were built near water sources (wells or streams usually) so the people who lived there could get the water they needed to drink and cook and even do laundry! Civil War soldiers didn’t usually stay anywhere long, so they needed to bring their water with them when they were marching. They used canteens to bring their water with them. Here are two canteens from our collection. They serve the same purpose, but they look very different.
WOODEN CANTEEN
Confederate canteen. This canteen was used by Sergeant R.H. Clark of Company G of the 55th Tennessee Regiment and was carried by him at the Battle of Franklin in November of 1864. Clark lived in Gibson County, Tennessee. He enlisted in October of 1861. When he was 24 years old, Clark fought at the Battle of Franklin and was captured. He was sent to Camp Douglas in Illinois and released after the war ended.
METAL CANTEEN
U.S. canteen. Made in Cincinnati, Ohio. We do not know who carried this canteen, but it is a great example of a common U.S. canteen.
Questions:
Both of the canteens have missing pieces. Can you figure out what they are?
Why do you think Sergeant R.H. Clark personalized his canteen?
Often when examining objects background information on the owner or maker is essential to understanding everything about that item. Read the background information on Sergeant R.H. Clark and then study the designs he carved. Can you notice anything about the carvings on the canteen?
Wooden canteens are not water-tight. How would a soldier make a canteen hold water?
We do not have a lot of information on the U.S. canteen. But, we can still learn some information about the U.S. soldiers from the canteen. What can you learn?
Compare and contrast the two canteens. How are they similar? How are they different?
Answers:
The cloth slings or straps to carry the canteens are missing. Also, both canteens are missing the cork/stopper to close the canteens.
He personalized his canteen for the same reason that we personalize things now - to make them our own. Our modern water bottles are a great example of how we still make stuff our own. Many people place stickers are their bottles in memory of places they have gone.
The "e" in Tenn on the canteen is really a "G." The "G" represents his company, Company G, in the 55th Tennessee.
Metal was a more precious resource than wood. The U.S. Army had more access to resources such as metal than the Confederate Army, so they were able to standardize uniforms (like Tuesday's Hidden Stories) and give soldiers supplies - such as canteens. Not all U.S. canteens were exactly the same, but they were more uniform (looked the same).
A soldier would submerge the canteen in water. The wood would then swell and seal the canteen making it water-tight.
There are many differences and similarities - too many to list them all. But the most obvious difference is their material. One is made out of metal and the other is made out of wood. A similarity is that they serve the same purpose of transporting water. So, both canteens have a place to drink out water.
Vocabulary Words:
Company - a portion of an army regiment
Water-tight - having the ability to hold water without leaking