Exceptional Identified Union Canteen William G. Winne, 11th New York Light Artillery Battery (Battery M), 1862 Also had service in the 77th NY Infantry / SOLD

Description

Exceptional Identified Union Canteen

William G. Winne, 11th New York Light Artillery Battery (Battery M), 1862

Also had service in the 77th NY Infantry

 

Complete and original Union Civil War smoothside tin canteen retaining its full beige wool cover and period cork stopper. The canteen remains in excellent, untouched condition, showing honest field wear consistent with active service. The wool cover is particularly desirable, displaying a clear, boldly enlarged hand-applied inscription reading “W. G. WINNE” with the date “1862” applied on the opposite side. The lettering is well-preserved and easily legible, standing prominently against the light-colored wool cover.

 

The canteen retains its original spout, iron fittings, and strap loops, with the cover firmly intact and undisturbed. Personalized and dated Civil War canteens of this quality are increasingly scarce.

 

This canteen is attributed to William G. Winne, who served in the 11th New York Light Artillery, Battery M. Organized in 1862, with Winne being discharged for disability in September of that year.

 

The battery was attached to the Army of the Potomac and saw extensive service throughout the Eastern Theater. The unit participated in major campaigns including Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Bristoe Campaign, Mine Run, and later the Overland Campaign, Cold Harbor, and the long Siege of Petersburg.

 

As an artilleryman, Winne would have endured some of the harshest conditions of the war—long marches, exposed gun positions, and extended engagements—making a personal water source essential for survival. The prominent inscription and date strongly suggest wartime personalization rather than postwar marking, serving both as a means of identification and a point of pride for its owner.

 

Great large ink inscription on the front cover reading “W.G. Winne – 11th NY Battery” the inscription on the reverse reading “1862”

 

William G. Winne – 22 years old. Enlisted on 8/12/1862 at Albany, NY as a Priv. On 8/12/1862, he mustered into New York 11th Light Artillery. He was discharged for disability on 9/22/1862 at Fort Ellsworth, Alexandria, VA.

 

Inventory Number: CAN 218