Gun Powder Flasks.

The description of some of the tin containers pictured in John O. Curtis and William H. Guthman’s excellent booklet New England Militia Uniforms and Accoutrements had always troubled me. Why?

One grouping of the collection identified as “canteens” just seemed too small to be functional as canteens. When compared to period canteens pictured elsewhere in New England Militia Uniforms and Accoutrements, there are significant size differences. For example, canteens pictured on pp. 75 - 81 showed diameters ranging from 5 ¾ inches to 7 ½ inches in diameter, while the tin “canteens” illustrated on p. 83 in their own grouping measured 4 ¼ in diameter, with one oval tin container measuring 5 ¼ inches in height. Unfortunately, no verbiage provided by Curtis and Guthman accounted for this apparent size discrepancy.

Enter master tinsmith Butch Baker of Missouri. Mr. Baker’s extensive collection of early American tinware contains an artifact he described as a “powder flask.” The flask is drum-shaped, with a flat face and a convex face, each approximately 4 ¼ inches in diameter. The container featured a spout complete with the fitted tin cap. The original maker had soldered two cord tubes of tin to the “10 o’clock” and “2 o’clock” positions on the sides of the container. The flask is japanned black, with an indistinct letter “V” painted on one side, and a date: “1832.” While Mr. Baker possesses several tin gunpowder flasks, he indicated that the tin cap was a rare find. The caps fit loosely on the spouts of such gunpowder flasks and consequently were often lost.

A quick check of New England Militia Uniforms and Accoutrement indicated that the drum-shaped tin specimens closed with carved wood “stopples,” while the oval shaped tin specimen retained its original “tin cap.” Since nearly all of the canteens I have studied that dated circa 1777 – 1840 featured wood stoppers, a tin cap for the spout of a canteen is indeed unusual in American canteen manufacturing. When compared to Mr. Baker’s dated artifact, it is not unreasonable to conclude that these small containers are powder flasks— not canteens.

Accordingly, I put the question to Mr. Baker. He responded:

I have the militia book from Sturbridge and actually had a chance to see everything in the collection some years ago. The president at the time showed us around the collection storage (everything, not just militia stuff), and restoration buildings, shops etc. ...At any rate you are correct to assume the "little canteens" are indeed powder flasks.

Let me give you my EXPERT (ha ha) reasons!!! First I have examined numerous examples and ALL either had remnants or the residue of gun powder in them if one would have looked very closely. I could even smell the powder as it has a distinct smell compared to a container used for water (usually rust smell or that musty smell if you know what I mean). I have NEVER encountered one with the rust or pitting one would expect with a canteen or water container. Not even the rust ring around the inside soldered edges.

Not to say someone could not have used one for a canteen (never say never!!) but even COMMON SENSE tells one that it would be useless as a canteen not only because of the size but also as a tinsmith and collector of hundreds of original tin pieces, the spout construction on most of them would not be consistent with any liquid type container, just a powder or dry type container. You know, something like the difference between a "tight" or "slack" cooper. Most have a butt joint on the spout and this is no good for ANY stopple, cork or wood!! It would split the first time it was plugged tight. What is the sense of a canteen that has all the water spill out.

Next and foremost the one I copied in my collection is the ONLY one I have ever seen or encountered with the ORIGINAL tin cap. It is also a perfect powder measure (60 grains.) It does not have a tight fit other than being slightly squeezed or distorted to stay on (also common with DRY type containers of all sorts, Tea, Coffee, white lead, etc.) Surely the reason they were commonly lost.

The one I have (the dated one, I have others in the collection, and some canteens too) was dated 1832 on one side (the flat side) and has the owners initials too. On the other side one can make out ... V. ?. ?. Unfortunately cannot make out anything else as it is worn off. So I don't know if it is Virginia, something, something. Or “Volunteer, something, something.” It came out of a collection from a guy in New York years ago and he knew nothing about it. It is either painted or japanned black. Normally I can always tell the difference but this has a lot of wear and fading.

Love the fact it is well used but wish it was just a little less faded...(1)

Tradition, accounts, and artifact collections teach that frontiersmen and militias used domestic horn containers to hold and store powder. The artifacts studied for this work seem to indicate that tin powder flasks began to supplement horn containers by the early 19th Century. Mr. Baker's original flask clearly suggests to availability and use in 1832. However, what about availability of such flasks during the Black Hawk War?

On May 21, 1832, Illinois’ acting Quartermaster J. A. Atchison issued equipment to Captain James W. Stephenson’s company of Galena mounted rangers. Among other items, Stephenson signed for “six powder flasks” and “ten canisters of gun powder.” On June 2, the state issued more horse equipage and ammunition, including ten canisters of gun powder.” Among the list or quartermaster stores ordered from Chicago to Rock Island, Illinois by General Winfield Scott included ordnance supplies that listed “200 rifle powder flasks.” I suggest that the six powder flasks in Captain Stephenson’s company, and possibly the supply listed in General Scott’s stores, were likely of the simple style and construction seen in New England Militia Uniforms and Accoutrements and in Mr. Baker’s collection. (2)

While the description of flasks in Scott’s stores might initially lead one to conclude that the flasks were earmarked for use with rifles, this may not necessarily be the case. Stephenson’s company received eight rifles issued from state ordnance stores, yet the date of this issue, July 2, came weeks after the initial issue of powder flasks. Two possible reasons for this issue are evident: either the flasks were meant to supply privately owned rifles within Stephenson’s company, or the intention for the containers was to safely carry additional or “reserve” bulk gunpowder, perhaps maintained by the company sergeants. The flasks featured a tin cap that served as a powder measure. When to loose-fitting cap tin caps became lost, soldiers resorted to carving small wood stoppers to protect the powder the flasks contained. (3)

In truth, most researchers and collectors are more familiar with copper gunpowder flasks. There is evidence that the U. S. Government imported small amounts of such flasks prior to letting contracts to Robert Dingee, New York, for similar flasks. Commonly seen in museums and private collections, copper powder flasks with raised National or martial symbols apparently found authorization in the 1834 U.S. Ordnance Regulations. These flasks, originally earmarked for riflemen, became obsolete around 1857.

Notes:

1. Butch Baker, private correspondence with the author, September 5, 2001. The descrepancy between small-ish canteens and powder flasks does not end with Curtis and Guthman. One popular vendor of Revolutionary War reproduction uniforms and supplies has offered for many years a "Round Brittania Flask" described as "canteen-shaped and is 5" in diameter, 1-1/4" thick. Has tabs ready for a strap or cord." While this item certainly favored similar-sized artifact canteens of pewter offered as souvenirs during post-Civil War "Grand Army of the Republic" veteran reunions, the modern "Round Brittania Flask" was probably based on a tin gunpowder flask, and not a canteen. [WEBMASTER'S NOTE: It may be of passing interest to note that after carrying the afore-mentioned "Round Brittania Flask" for at least ten years (and probably longer) this item inexplicably dissapeared from this vendor's 2005 print catalog.]

2. Ellen Whitney, The Black Hawk War 1831-1832, Volume 2, Part 2, pp. 732-3.

3. There is evidence to suggest the practice of carrying extra gunpowder/ammunition. In 1777, General Washington directed the manufacture and issue of tin cartridge canisters to soldiers who had no cartridge box. Additionally, orders directed that sergeants be provided cartridge canisters to carry spare cartridges for the potential use of soldiers under their charge.

An excellent example of an early "peace flask" in copper metal with raised "shaking hands" motif and a circle of National stars may be found on display at the Wisconsin Historical Society Museum, Madison, Wisconsin.

For more information on copper gunpowder flasks, click here.