Original Revolutionary War Wood Water Keg/Rundlet Canteen, ca. 1750 –1790

This is another nice early piece coming out of a 60-year collection of French & Indian War/Revolutionary War artifacts. Being offered is a Revolutionary War Military Style Wooden Water Keg/ Rundlet (Canteen) from the New England area. There is a very similar eample of this keg which is identified to the Revolutionary War (see pictures).

It measures about 10” long by 7” deep, with various size staves, approximately 1 ¼” each. There is the corked fill-hole in the top center with two smaller holes on the two metal bands on either side of it to hold a carrying strap or cord (long gone). It would have had six metal bands total, but one on the end is long gone. The side of the canteen has a corked hole which would have taken a spout.

Revolutionary War Era Army and/or Militia Soldiers would be required to bring a portable water canteen when reporting for duty. This keg was made during the Revolutionary War and could have been used during the War of 1812, and even in the Civil War. I have some similar canteens in my book “The Civil War Canteen – Third Edition (see pictures).

There is a “caricature drawing” done in 1777 of a Revolutionary War soldier carrying a similar keg (see pictures).This canteen is in very nice condition for its age. In the “Collector’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution”, by Neumann & Kravic, there are similar examples of this canteen (see pictures).