Canteen

U.S. 1858 "Smoothside" canteen made of tin with a pewter spout.  The cork stopper is attached with a cotton or jute cord.  Research by Timothy Reese indicated that the  2nd U.S. were initially issued sky blue kersey covered canteens, however the most common cover found during the civil war was a grayish brown jean cloth and some existing canteens had a dark blue cover.  All of the above are acceptable covers.  The Schuylkill depot was the sole supplier prior to the war.  Later in the war the "bulls eye" canteen was introduced as well as a chain for the stopper.

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Canteen Strap

The canteen strap is ¾” wide and 73” long and made of undyed leather.  Through use, the strap will take on a darker color.  Underneath the roller buckle is a trapezoid shaped piece of leather to protect your uniform from wear.  Straps of cotton drilling were also produced for a period during the war, but were found to wear out quickly.

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Haversack

American soldiers carried food in some form of haversack throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.  The Federal issue haversack of the Civil War was light cotton drilling or canvas "tarred" or painted with a combination of lamp black and linseed oil.  The finish is shiny black.  The bag is closed with a leather strap and has a light cotton ration bag inside, attached with buttons.  As the role of the haversack is to carry food, which can be very greasy and messy, it is not appropriate to use the haversack to carry personal items even though some sutlers have inappropriately term such items as “haversack stuffers.”

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Cup

Made of tin, the rim and handle should be wired. Do not buy the cup stamped "U.S." This is post war. Also be mindful to stay away from stainless steel products. Tin cups were produced in a variety of different styles. The tin cups were not an issued item and the soldiers were required to supply their own. In addition to, or in substitution for the tin cup, many soldiers also use old tin cans. The tin cans of the period were smooth sided, unlike the can of today which have ridges around their sides. And with the addition of an improvised wire handle on the top, the tin can would make a good coffee boiler.

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Plate

The plates were made of tin and were between 8½” and 9½” in diameter.¹  As an alternative to the plate, a canteen half can be used.  Either item should be carried inside your haversack.

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Knife, Fork, Spoon

While there were many variations, the most common were of tin or pewter.  Some knives and forks had wood or bone handles.  A list of personal effects of soldiers killed at Gettysburg noted a number of soldiers as only carrying a spoon, while others are noted as carrying a knife, fork and spoon.  One item popular with the sutlers is the knife, fork, spoon combo.  While period, John D. Billings points out in his book “Hardtack and Coffee” that he doubts “whether this invention, on the average, ever got beyond the first camp in active service.”

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U.S. Knapsack (Double Bag)

Called the "soft pack," this knapsack is made of "tarred" or painted canvas and, like the haversack, was painted black through the use of lamp black and linseed oil, giving it a shiny finish as well.  All leather straps on the knapsack were black, as were the iron buckles.  The leather shoulder straps should have scalloped ends and the brass studs on the straps should be covered by a leather disk. The pocket ties should be of buckskin leather, not cloth.  The blanket is rolled and attached to the top of the knapsack by two blanket straps.

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Blanket

Woolen, gray, with the four-inch letters “US” chain stitched in black in the center, the regulation blanket was seven feet long, and five and a half feet wide.  A variation of the gray blanket is the wartime brown blanket.  Sometimes called "emergency blankets," these had dark brown stripes at the ends.  The brown blanket seems to be the most common blanket seen in museums today.  The gray blanket on the other hand is more appropriate for the early war impression, however either style is acceptable.

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Gum blanket

A Vulcanized rubber gum blanket for use in the rain.  The finish should be shiny black on the outside.  This is a very useful item, as a poncho or ground cloth.

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Shelter Tent

Soldiers at the beginning of the war slept in “A” frame tents; however, these were heavy and quickly replaced with the much lighter shelter tents or “Dog” tents in 1862.  Each soldier was issued a "half" and set it up by buttoning his together with his mess mates.  Rice C. Bull in his book “Soldiering” describes this process,

“usually three men would occupy a tent as the three [shelter halves] could be so arranged as to enclose, when finished, the three sides of a tent, in which they could lie… The tents were kept erect by driving a stake at each end, the stakes extending about three feet above the ground, and about six feet apart.  They were connected at the top by a light pole over which was placed two of the tent cloths, buttoned together and stretched as much as possible at the sides.  The third cloth covered the back of the tent.  The head of our bed was at the back where we used our knapsacks for pillows.  For our beds we would first spread our rubber blankets, on top of which we placed one woolen blanket, for covering we used the two other blankets… Experience taught us to always trench around our tents if we were to use them for any length of time, so we would not be flooded out in case of a storm.” 

One should avoid the triangle canvas end piece that some sutlers sell, as this was not an item commonly carried by the solders.  You may wish to purchase two halves to make your own tent as shelter halves from different makers do not always fit together properly.  The tents are made of cotton drill approximately 66” long by 63” wide and weigh approximately 1½ lbs.  The halves were made with either 2 or 3 sewn panels, with the 3 panel half being more common.  The holes should all be hand sewn and have no brass grommets.  Poles and pegs were usually made from tree branches by the soldiers on the spot.  Sometime soldiers used their muskets as the tent poles with the bayonet stuck in the ground, but note that the modern bayonets sold by sutlers are of a poor quality and will bend if you try this.  Avoid the iron stakes sold at many sutlers for pegs, these are too heavy to carry on the march and were never an issued item.

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1 - Columbia Rifles Research Compendium