Confederate Tin Drum Canteen, dug at Vicksburg, MS Battlefield

This is another nice item being offered, it is an excavated Confederate Tin Drum canteen. It is the typical size used by the Confederacy, 6 ¼” x 2” and has all three sling keepers still intact. What is unusual with this canteen is that the tin spout is missing, along with a piece of the rim on both sides. This didn’t rust off but was intentionally removed by the soldier. Why and what he used it for is unknown. It was recovered many years ago from the Vicksburg, MS Battlefield.

In the summer of 1863, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s Army of the Tennessee converged on Vicksburg on the Mississippi River, investing the city, and trapping a Confederate army under Lt. Gen. John Pemberton. The city was located on a high bluff, and Union occupation of the town was critical to control the movements on the river.

Grant's bold 6-week campaign began in early June and took his army south through Arkansas opposite Vicksburg, crossed the river 30 miles below the city, captured the Mississippi capital of Jackson, turned west, and pushed Pemberton's army into Vicksburg itself. By mid-May, Pemberton's men had constructed a series of trenches, forts, redans, and artillery lunettes in a 7-mile ring surrounding the city.

Grant's army surrounded Pemberton and outnumbered him two to one. Wasting no time, Grant launched two major assaults on May 19th and 22nd and was repulsed with heavy casualties. On May 25th, Grant decided to besiege the city. With no reinforcements coming, food and supplies nearly gone, and after holding out for more than forty days, Pemberton finally surrendered on July 4th. With the loss of Pemberton’s army at Vicksburg and the Union victory at Port Hudson five days later, the Union controlled the entire Mississippi River, and the Confederacy was effectively split in half.

In my book “The Civil War Canteen – Third Edition”, I show quite a few of these CS Tin Drum canteens, both dug and non-dug (see pictures). There are some separations on this canteen, but it remains in one piece and intact, minus the spout. The dug CS tin drum canteens are usually very rusted, this one however only has minor surface rust. This would make a great addition to any Civil War collection.