Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an excellent specimen of canteen dating to the War of 1812, with a great retained maker’s mark. The back of the canteen is stamped in the center with J. HOUSE, and from our research we found that this pattern of canteen was contracted to John House, dated March 23rd, 1813. This confirms the canteen as having been manufactured during the War of 1812. This information comes directly from “Infantry Accoutrements of the US Army, 1812-1814” by Frederick C. Gaede.

The canteen measures 6 ¾” in diameter and is 2 ¾” deep. One side is stamped J. HOUSE with C x y carved above it, likely initials of a soldier who carried it. The other side of the canteen is painted in large white letters S.P. These are likely initials as well, but it is possible that it is for some sort of specialized company or unit that we have not yet identified. Over this marking are three carved crude star markings.

This canteen was constructed like a small barrel, using short staves places around two round heads, the whole held together with two hoops, either thin bands of iron or interlocking wood. Three short cross straps held the hoops in place and retained the shoulder strap. There is no doubt that this pattern canteen was produced during the War, for it is described in several extant contracts. The bung stave was to be ⅞” thick to enable the mouthpiece to drink out of.

This example follows the pattern well, with two iron hoops keeping the canteen together, however one of the hoops is missing three of its nails and is a bit loose. There are two brass bands used for the carry strap but they are both very weak and are partially detached. In place of a third band is a thin iron loop that is now seated against the wood with no clearance underneath, with a small remnant of the now-absent third brass band present next to it. This example certainly saw a lot of wartime use and was used by more than one person.

While the Continental Forces certainly preferred lightweight tin water vessels like those carried by the British soldier, stocks of that metal dried up even before the Revolution was a year old as the British blockade of American seaports tightened. By the spring of 1776, with the summer campaign ahead, the availability of canteens of any kind was essentially gone and Congress turned to the production of wooden canteens to issue its troops. Of course wood was abundant in America and the only metal the colonies could produce, iron, was far too heavy to use for this purpose. Two styles emerged: the “drum” and “cheesebox.” Even with rushed production efforts, the army remained urgently in need of canteens through that summer. It was not until well into 1777 that production had finally reached a point where the Continental Army was able to fulfill the needs of its rank and file and actually begin building up a stockpile. However, even with an improving system of supply, the availability of canteens varied throughout the war.

This is an excellent example of a War of 1812 canteen, confirmed by the maker mark as an 1813 contract specimen. It is very difficult to find any accouterments from this period, let alone one that is supported by documentation as being constructed during the war. It will serve well as a centerpiece of any Early American collection!