2/19/2019 Historical Nerdery: "A Wooden Bottle Made With One Hoop" - Why Tin Canteens Were Not

Were Not Carried By Massachusetts Militia Men at Lexi…

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Historical Nerdery

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019 AVAILABLE NOW!

"A Wooden Bottle Made With One Hoop" - Why Tin Canteens Were Not
Carried By Massachusetts Militia Men at Lexington and Concord

Over the past several years the nerds have received multiple inquiries regarding
whether or not tin canteens were used by Massachusetts militia and minute companies
at the outbreak of the American Revolution. At first, we naturally assumed that these
water containers would have been readily available as they were issued to
Massachusetts Provincials fighting in the French and Indian War. However, the more we
examined the matter, the more we were convinced that tin canteens were most likely
not utilized by Massachusetts forces on April 19, 1775.

The first thing we noticed in our research was as early as 1746, tin canteens were
referred to as "flasks" and "tin flasks" rather than “canteens”. Of course, the tin industry
was almost non-existent in mid-18th Century New England and as a result,
Massachusetts officials were heavily dependent upon England to deliver tin flasks to the
colony.

Discover the world of Lexington and what

really happened on April 19, 1775

ABOUT ME
Alexander R. Cain
During the French and Indian War, English supply lines were sporadic and occasionally
Massachusetts, United States
non-existent. Thus, there is a gradual evolution by the Massachusetts legislature to
Alexander Cain graduated from
supply only wood canteens or “wood bottles”. At first, colonial officials recommended
Merrimack College in 1993 with a degree in
troops be supplied with tin flasks or “wooden bottles”. However, by 1758-1759, the
economics and New England School of Law
Massachusetts legislature had entirely ceased recommending tin flasks and ordered with a juris doctrate. He frequently lectures
provincial soldiers be supplied with “a wooden bottle made with one hoop ... or a on constitutional, criminal and historical
Canteen". issues and developments in the United
States. He is one of the founding partners of
Understandably, some researchers will argue the legislative term “canteen” is a Untapped History, a historical walking tour
continued reference to tin canteens. Respectfully we disagree. Given the legislature’s company based in Newburyport,
shift to wood water vessels in 1758, we believe the term “canteen” was a possible Massachusetts. Alex has published several
research articles relevant to New England
reference to wooden staved canteens.
militias and loyalists during the American
Revolution. He has published two books -
"We Stood Our Ground: Lexington in the
First Year of the American Revolution (2nd
Edition)" and "I See Nothing but the Horrors
of a Civil War". Alex resides in
Massachusetts with his wife, Paula, and his
children John and Abigail.
https://www.historicalnerdery.com
View my complete profile

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2/19/2019 Historical Nerdery: "A Wooden Bottle Made With One Hoop" - Why Tin Canteens Were Not Carried By Massachusetts Militia Men at Lexi…
BLOG ARCHIVE
That said, we do want to mention that a limited amount of tin flasks were issued to ▼ 2019 (7)
Massachusetts provincial troops during the French and Indian War. At least 1000 tin ▼ February (2)
flasks (ie canteens) from England were disbursed to Colonel Thomas Doty's Regiment "A Wooden Bottle Made With One
in May 1758. According to the "Account of Warlike Stores deliver'd Col., Thomas Doty's Hoop" - Why Tin Can...
Regiment" the unit received "...1000 flasks, 183 Tin Kettles." It should be noted that this
Naked Weddings, Kidnappings and
report of equipment issued surfaced in a Boston newspaper after Colonel Doty publicly Running the Bottle...
claimed his regiment never received weapons, canteens, and accoutrements.
► January (5)
So assuming that at least 1000 tin canteens were in the hands of provincials in 1758,
► 2018 (52)
the next question is whether they remained in serviceable condition to be of any use in
1775? ► 2017 (43)
► 2016 (30)
► 2015 (7)
► 2014 (4)

During the French and Indian War, the British government was not sending its best
arms and equipment to the American colonies. Many provincial soldiers and colonial
officials repeatedly complained about the quality of supplies they received. In 1756,
Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie complained about a shipment of arms
and equipment that was received and slated to be shared amongst the American
colonies, including Massachusetts. According to Dinwiddie, the stands of arms were “in
a very rusty condition, and it w’d appear they had been underwater for months.”

The previous year, on September 28, 1755, Governor Shirley and Major General
William Pepperrell both received correspondence highlighting the inadequacies of
weapons and equipment sent to Massachusetts provincials. “The locks being wore out
and the hammers so soft, that notwithstanding repeated repairs they are most unfit for
service, particularly Sir William Pepperrell’s Regiment being old Dutch arms. The holes
of the pouches and boxes are so small that they cannot receive the Cartridge, nor is
there substance of the wood, to widen them sufficiently. The leather scanty and bad
likewise.”

Given the above, we suspect tin canteens issued from England were also of poor
quality and would not have survived a hard military campaign season, let alone twelve
to seventeen years of service on a New England farm before being used on April 19th.

However, to cover all bases, we returned to the Massachusetts legislative records and
examined petitions for compensation for property, destroyed or lost at the Battles of
Lexington and Concord and the Battle of Bunker Hill. There are NO claim or request for
compensation for lost tin flasks or tin canteens. We also examined available returns and
orders for Massachusetts minute and militia companies immediately before or after
Lexington and Concord. While we have uncovered references to "wooden bottles" we
have not found a specific reference to “tin flasks”.

Finally, we examined merchant advertisements from Boston, Salem and Newburyport

between 1770 and 1776. Unfortunately, we could not find a single advertisement for tin
flasks or tin canteens.

As a result, we’re of the opinion tin canteens were not utilized by Massachusetts militia
and minute companies at Lexington and Concord.

Of course, if you know of any available documentation that challenges our theory,
please let us know! We’d love to get your thoughts on the issue!

Posted by Alexander R. Cain at 7:53 PM

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