I’ve been interested in history since my high school history teacher taught me that history was more about people than dates and events.

A love of history, particularly American History, stayed with me throughout my life. I’ve learned surprising tidbits while researching for my Civil War romance novels. A Stranger On My Land is set on Lookout Mountain in Tennessee following the Battle Above the Clouds. A Rebel in My House is set during the famous Battle of Gettysburg.

While researching my last Civil War novel, I found that tin cups used by Civil War soldiers varied in size.

Soldiers tied cups to their knapsacks (held clothing and personal items) or haversacks (held food rations) or belts.

They cooked soups and stews in cups. They steeped coffee in them. So how big were they?

The 1860s regulation issue Union Army tin cup held a quart or 32 ounces. That’s larger than I’d guessed.

A small civilian cup was 3 ½ inches high and held 12 ounces.

Early Army cups used until 1851 held one pint or 16 ounces.

Regulation Army cups of 1851 held 24 ounces.

In looking at old photos of Civil War soldiers dining, a variety of cups might be used. Soldiers lost personal items while on march or in battle. Sutlers sold food and other provisions to army personnel. One source stated that two different cups were available from one sutler at a cost of 10 cents or 15 cents.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

“A Note About Tin Cups,” Campsite Artifacts, 2018/01/17 http://www.campsiteartifacts.com/tincupinformation.html.

Billings, John D. Hardtack and Coffee, University of Nebraska Press, 1993.

“Civil War Antiques Catalog,” Dave Taylor’s Civil War Antiques, 2018/01/17 http://www.angelfire.com/oh3/civilwarantiques/1312webcat.html.

“The Tin Shop,” C & D Jarnagin Company, 2018/01/17 http://www.jarnaginco.com/CWCupscookwareplates.html.