Civil War Hospital Flask

Flask recovered at Vicksburg Hospital site. Click picture and "Detailed Description".

Civil War whiskey flask. It measures 7 ½” high and is about 4” wide. It is green glass having a crudely applied lip and stretch marks on the neck. On the base of the bottle is “Vicksburg Hospital Site”, which is where this bottle was recovered several years ago. In May and June of 1863, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s armies converged on Vicksburg, investing the city and entrapping a Confederate army under Lt. Gen. John Pemberton. On July 4, Vicksburg surrendered after prolonged siege operations. This was the culmination of one of the most brilliant military campaigns of the war. With the loss of Pemberton’s army and this vital stronghold on the Mississippi, the Confederacy was effectively split in half. Grant's successes in the West boosted his reputation, leading ultimately to his appointment as General-in-Chief of the Union armies. This bottle shows all of the characteristics of early glass but there are no chips or cracks and it remains in very nice condition and could be cleaned better if desired.