This non-excavated
example is the most common style canister used by Federal artillery for the 10-pounder
Parrott (2.9-inch caliber) rifled cannon. Standard canister are found with iron or lead
balls stacked in tiers; the interstices are then filled with dry, sifted sawdust which is
packed with a pointed stick so that the balls will hold by themselves. The wooden sabots
found on field canisters have two grooves cut into them. The cartridge bag was tied onto
these deep grooves cut into the wooden sabot in a complicated fashion. The canister
cylinder was commonly made of tin, which was dipped into a lacquer of beeswax dissolved in
spirits of turpentine, to prevent rusting while in field service.
