Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is a heavily service-worn M1878 canteen with a tremendous story hidden behind over a century of wear. One side depicts the faint stencil USMC under an inscription, “U.S.S. Rainbow”. The other side is inscribed with a now-stained travel diary with locations such as Olongapo, Cavite, Woo Sun, “Wai Hail Wal”, and Guam. The combination of information provided leads to one conclusion. This canteen was carried by a U.S. Marine sent aboard the USS Rainbow to Wusong, China in October 1911 to help protect American nationals from imminent dangers of the revolutionary turmoil in China.

USS Rainbow was serving with the U.S. Asiatic Fleet during the upheaval that accompanied the fall of China's Qing dynasty. On October 26th, 1911, she departed Cavite in the Philippine Islands carrying a Marine expeditionary force. Those Marines were landed at Wusong, near Shanghai, on October 31st and November 1st to help protect American nationals from the dangers created by the rapidly developing revolution.

On November 1st, 1911, Rainbow became the temporary flagship of the Commander-in-Chief, Asiatic Fleet. She subsequently cruised along the China coast as American naval forces monitored conditions affecting U.S. citizens and interests at ports including Shanghai, Wusong, Nanjing, Amoy, Shantou, Qingdao, and Taku.

On 10 October 1911, almost by accident, a local revolt began in the southern part of the country and rapidly gained momentum spreading north toward the capital. Within days of the revolt (Oct 24th) a Marine battalion of 15 officers and 362 men came up from the Philippines, under the command of Maj Philip Bannon, to reinforce the Marine Guard. And again on 7 Dec an additional company out of the PI went to Peking. By January 1912 the rebellion moved closer to the capital. Washington fearing increased anti-foreign behavior sent the Army's 15th Infantry over from the PI and the states to wait in readiness in the coastal city of Tientsin should they be needed to fight their way to the legation.

The canteen cover itself is faintly stamped near the bottom RIA / 1900 for 1900 manufacture at Rock Island Arsenal. Attached to the hooks is an M-1902 Canteen Adapter dated 1904 by Rock Island Arsenal. The hooks have been crimped to keep the adapter in place, and it shares the same heavy rust staining and degradation to the canvas as the canteen. The back of the canteen has the heaviest oxidation staining damage which has unfortunately covered much of the travel diary, with several lines now unreadable. The canteen is stenciled in the center of this side with I 25 82, likely a rack or roster number. We could not find a name for the Marine anywhere on the canteen,

The cork is still intact and retained by its chain. The stitching of the cover is still very strong, with the staining and oxidation being the primary issues. The canteen is an excellent representation of what is now a footnote in the history of the Marine Corps, and is likely one of very few artifacts of this expeditionary force left in existence. It will provide for an excellent research project, and will fit well into any collection surrounding the early history of the United States Marine Corps.