days rations and have absolutely no room in your haversack, you should keep your assortment of tin ware stored inside. We often bang around like tinkers because of all the tin hanging on our haversacks. In my case a tin can boiler tied to the rear strap serves all purposes, including cooking vessel, and it mostly stays out of the way back there when it will not fit in the haversack. The U.S. style Gaylord bayonet scabbards are worse than tin cups or muckets for rattling around and getting in the way in my opinion. Unless you tuck the scabbard under the haversack it has a very annoying tendency to catch on the gear worn by the guy next to you whenever you are ordered to front.
Living historians and reenactors like a noisy spectacle and clanging tin is apparently music to their ears. There appears to be no exception to this rule. One final thought on the mucket or whatever you chose to carry, whether it is a mug, cup, or a coffee boiler. It should be hot dipped tin and not stainless steel, as is the case with some modern reproductions. Steel, which is a purified form of iron, was not a thing unknown to metallurgy during the 19th century. However, stainless steel, which is steel with the addition of chromium to prevent rust, is a decidedly post-bellum innovation and was not used to manufacture cooking or drinking vessels during the Civil War-era.
Craig L. Barry was born in Charlottesville, Va. He holds his BA and Masters degrees from the University of North Carolina The (Charlotte). Craig served Watchdog Civil War Quarterly as Associate Editor and Editor from 2003–2017. The Watchdog published books and columns on 19th-century material and donated all funds from publications to battlefield preservation. He is the