(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved. Contact us for information about using this image.
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Major David Dickinson (1747-1822) of Deerfield, Massachusetts, burned his initials into his army canteen. Dickinson was a member of the 5th Massachusetts regiment in 1776. Keeping liquid in the canteen kept the wood swollen and watertight. Soldiers during the Revolution generally got their food on an individual basis or hunted for food. Small groups of soldiers shared a cast iron pot in which they were supposed to cook their food.