Outstanding Identified Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Canteen Benjamin D. Reed – 30th Unattached Co., Mass. Heavy Artillery / SOLD

Description

Outstanding Identified Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Canteen 

Benjamin D. Reed – 30th Unattached Co., Mass. Heavy Artillery 

 

This is without question one of the finest Civil War canteens we have had the privilege to offer in three decades. 

 

Offered here is the identified canteen of Benjamin Dana Reed, 30th Unattached Company, Massachusetts Heavy Artillery. The canteen retains its exceptionally scarce original blue wool cover, complete original stopper, and original sling. Most notably, the sling is boldly stenciled with Reed’s name and adorned with a Masonic insignia, an uncommon and highly desirable personal touch that immediately elevates the piece beyond the ordinary. 

 

The survival of a strong, original blue cover alone places this canteen in an upper tier of collectability. So few wartime examples remain with intact blue covers, and even fewer survive in this level of preservation, retaining honest field wear without compromise. The condition is superb, displaying exactly the kind of age and character advanced collectors seek—undisturbed, authentic, and untouched. 

 

Benjamin D. Reed was a 37-year-old armorer from Chicopee, Massachusetts, originally born in Barnard, Vermont. He enlisted on August 29, 1864, and mustered into the 30th Unattached Company, Massachusetts Heavy Artillery on September 1, 1864. The company, commanded by Captain Samuel R. Bingham, consisted of four officers and 146 enlisted men. Shortly after muster, the unit departed for Washington, D.C., where it performed heavy artillery and defensive service for the remainder of its enlistment. Though the company did not suffer combat losses, its role in the capital’s defenses came during the climactic final year of the war, when Washington remained a strategic target and garrison duty required vigilance and readiness. 

 

Reed served honorably until mustering out on June 16, 1865. Following the war, he was an active member of GAR Post No. 41 (Lyon) in Westfield, Massachusetts, further cementing his identity as a proud Union veteran. He died on June 5, 1909. 

 

Identified Massachusetts heavy artillery artifacts are scarce in their own right. When combined with a clearly stenciled name, original sling, intact stopper, rare surviving blue cover, and added Masonic insignia, the result is an exceptional and highly displayable Union relic. This canteen embodies both personal history and material rarity. 

 

A top-tier identified Civil War canteen with outstanding visual appeal, strong veteran attribution, and remarkable state of preservation. 

 

Inventory Number: CAN 225