Original Civil War Union Bullseye Canteen with cover, cork, sling, and Unit marking

This is another great piece being offered, it is an original Civil War Union Bullseye canteen. It has the original course wool tan cover, full linen sling (64”), and the cork stopper. In old white paint on one side is “CO “A” NO / 18”. This would be Company A of an 18^th Regiment. The other side appears to have had an old paper tag with more information, but that is gone now. Popular with most soldiers is carving initials into the pewter spout, this one has what appears to be “H M”.

The US Model 1858 Bullseye and Smoothside canteens were the most used during the Civil War. When the opportunity presented itself, many Confederate soldiers would replace their less reliable canteen with a Union example. Often, period photographs show Confederate soldiers with Bullseye canteens. A very famous one is of the Confederate prisoners at Gettysburg, one clearly shows a soldier with a bullseye canteen with no cover (see pictures).

In my book “The Civil War Canteen – Third Edition”, I discuss in detail these types of tin canteens. A canteen is pretty much a necessary piece for any Civil War collection. This one is not a surplus piece, but one that has gone through the war. It definitely shows its age but remains in very nice condition.