U.S. SPANISH AMERICAN WAR, M1878 CANTEEN, 26^TH SEPARATE COMPANY

26th Separate Company of Infantry, New York National Guard, 1878 – 1882

This canteen is complete with both of the triangular hangers that were attached as part of the modification process the arsenal used to convert the Civil War canteens to the Model 1878 Pattern.  The pewter spout is complete with the detached stopper chain, slightly rusted pull-ring on the cork, and 70% of the cork stopper intact. The “Sep. Co. 52” stencil is clear and legible, and is of the desirable “large” pattern characters, indicating that this is one of the earlier stenciled covers. There is a carefully hand applied numeral "26" drawn in ink above the "Sep. Co.", probably a soldier's effort to identify his canteen, or a company or regiment quartermaster sergeant's attempt to adhere to the standard of marking the equipment to the unit when he did not have the standard stamps provided by the army. The number “52” is also stenciled on the back of this canteen. The Number “52” was the soldiers number. Some minor stains.

The cover is solid and free from any wear points or tears, and the seams are intact.  The body of the canteen holds it shape on the front and the rear surfaces with no dents or other damage.  The original cork stopper and chain are intact and full form with some loss to the cork due to age.    

The 26th Separate Company was active from 1878 to 1882.

The "26th Separate Company" refers to a specific infantry company that was part of the New York National Guard during the Spanish-American War, meaning it was a standalone unit not initially part of a larger regiment, numbered as the 26th company in the state's military structure.

A "separate company" during the Spanish-American War referred to an independent, locally-based militia unit that could be mobilized and called into service as needed, often part of a state's National Guard, which would then be incorporated into a larger regiment when needed for active duty; essentially, a smaller, self-contained military unit not yet formally assigned to a larger regiment.

During the Spanish-American War, many companies from the New York National Guard were mobilized and designated as "Separate Companies" due to their independent status before being organized into larger regiments.

A "SEP company" during the Spanish-American War referred to a "Spanish-American War volunteer company," meaning a military unit made up of American volunteers who enlisted to fight against Spain during the conflict. These companies were primarily formed from American citizens who wanted to join the military effort against Spain in Cuba and the Philippines. Many Americans were motivated by a sense of patriotism and a desire to support Cuban independence from Spanish rule. One well-known SEP unit was Theodore Roosevelt's "Rough Riders," a volunteer cavalry regiment that participated in key battles in Cuba.

Starting in the 1870's, New York raised national guard units in the smaller towns across the state, places too small to have regiments or battalions. These were officially named and numbered Separate Companies and were independent units. Starting in the late 1890's these companies were grouped into regiments, but still retained their Separate Company nomenclature for a few years. Later they would receive traditional titles - like Company A 2nd Regiment. The Separate Companies had a proud history associated with their original names, and so the insignia of these units continued to reflect their Separate Company heritage.

The standard canteen of the Spanish American War was the Model 1878 canteen, though some volunteer forces may have still been using the Model 1858 canteen left over from the American Civil War. The most obvious difference between the models was that the Model 1858 canteen had an additional guide for the strap at the bottom on the canteen, and then through the top guide, wound around the bottom of the canteen and up through the other top guide. The Model 1878 simplified the design, having the strap simply attach to the two top guides which were now triangular rings.

This will shipped via United Parcel Service (UPS)

International Buyers Please Note: We do not ship outside of the United States! No Exceptions. In addition, we will not ship to third party shippers or any other international shipping hubs such as International Shipping (EIS), EIS 110 INTERNATIONALE BLVD, GLENDALE HEIGHTS IL 60139-2080. If you place a bid, or make a purchase, we will cancel your bid, and or cancel your purchase! If you wish to make a purchase, you will have to find someone located within the United States to make the purchase for you. They would be responsible to send the package to you.