C.S. Star canteen.

[Lee63]

Can anyone give me some info on the C.S. tin star canteen? What theater were they used in,and what year of the war? Thanks,RLee....

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

The little information I dug up came from page 49 of "The Civil War Canteen" by Robert Jones. It shows a dug relic star canteen with the caption that they were rare, and made in North Carolina for the Confederacy. This particular one was found at Kennesaw Mountain, so it has western provenance.

[Prodical Reb]

Gettysburg NMP has one that was a battlefield pickup as I recall. so here is an eastern theater use by Jul '63 and probably a few months earlier since it was already in use during a CS campaign into enemy territory.

Check Jim Mayo's website: http://www.angelfire.com/ma4/j_mayo/uscanteen.html He has a lot of good info there. Make sure you explore around a bit too! There is also a canteen book by a Silvia & O’Donnell that is a good source book.

[Lee63]

Thanks for your input fellas! Anymore out there?

[roundshot]

The North Carolina provenance is debatable. It has become more urban legend, propogated by several sutlers, than anything else. Everything that has a six pointed star on it isn't a NC "sunburst."

Most known examples are from the western theater. If anyone can find a definite association to the Old North State, I'd be interested in seeing it.

It's like the old "VS" buckle, which everyone assumed must stand for "Volunteer State" and therefore be a Tennessee buckle (although found only in the east, where few Tennessee served). In actuality, it stands for "Volunteer Southrons," a company in the 21st Mississippi from Vicksburg. Another assumption shot to hell.

[Jimmayo]

Scuttlebut has it that when / if the new canteen book ever comes out these canteens will be called Federal.

Here are two, one with and one without cover.

http://www.angelfire.com/ma4/j_mayo/uscanteen.html

[Pritchett Ball]

The book: Civil War Canteens by Stephen W. Sylvia and Michael J. O'Donnell 1983... has one pictured.

It is described as an oblate spheroid canteen made of tin with a 6 pointed star impressed on both sides. not known if they were pre-war Militia, or products of the Confederacy.

Canteen pictured is captioned on it's GAR tag: "Rebel Canteen donated by Henry Webster, 9th N.H.V"

Info stated came from Beverly M. Dubose, JR.

Kevin Dally

[D.W. Scalf]

Good discussion.....For the record. I talked to Jo at Orchard Hill last month and at the time she had a $50 special on their star canteens.

D.W. Scalf