Terry’s Texas Rangers Canteen

By Shannon Pritchard · Originally published December 2017 · p. 23

Often, when a soldier went for water he carried and filled as many canteens as he could so that his comrades could remain on the battle lines or in marching formation. When the filled canteens were returned, each soldier needed to be able to pick his own out of the group. Because of this, the vast majority of Confederate canteens have something carved or scratched into the canteen’s surface. These carvings range from simple initials to elaborate works of art or documentation of history. These carvings can add an extraordinary amount of specific history to a canteen. In this case, there were two soldiers involved. I will begin with the less impressive face, at the top of which is carved a faint “TR.” In the middle of the same face is “BFF” and lower is “B,” and in the mid-left a “W.” This, on its own tells us little, but on the other face is found the key to unlocking the “TR.” On this face we find a five pointed star surmounted by “TMC” carved between the points of the star, and below that is “TR” on either side of the single point, oriented towards the ground. Our modern view of a star’s orientation is always with the single point up; this was not the case with Texas. Many Texas items, from belt buckle devices to the stars found on her flags, were oriented with the single point turned down. This was because to them, the importance of the star was its place in history as a directional sign, pointing to Bethlehem, the birthplace of our Savior. In fact, Terry’s Texas Rangers’ flag bears a star with the point oriented down on the obverse, and “God Defend the Right” on the reverse. The TMC and BFF carved into the either side of the canteen were the initials of the soldiers who carried the canteen at different times. The TR, found on both sides of the canteen referenced the unit that they took so much pride in; the famed Terry’s Rangers, the 8th Texas Cavalry. Because of multiple possibilities, the identity of these Rangers cannot be determined. The 8th Texas was raised by Benjamin Franklin Terry, a wealthy sugar planter, who recruited and organized the regiment during August 1861 in Houston, Texas; it saw hard service with the Army of Tennessee, eventually participating in 275 engagements in seven states. Shannon Pritchard has authored numerous articles relating to the authentication, care and conservation of Confederate antiques, including several cover articles and is the author of the definitive work on Confederate collectibles, the widely acclaimed Collecting the Confederacy, Artifacts and Antiques from the War Between the States, and Confederate Faces in Color.