An exceptional late-19th-century Grand Army of the Republic ceramic presentation canteen, boldly inscribed in gilt to "Brig. Gen’l Alex. Shaler” and identifying his celebrated command as "1st Brig., 3rd Div., 6th Corps, A.P.”—the First Brigade, Third Division, Sixth Corps, Army of the Potomac. The face is further embellished with a colorful, raised GAR membership badge and a blue Sixth Corps cross bearing the numeral "6.” The hand-applied gilt lettering remains vivid and highly attractive against the white glazed body. The canteen is in fine condition, retaining both suspension lugs and with no cracks, chips, damage, or repairs.

Alexander Shaler was born at Haddam, Connecticut, on March 19, 1827. An experienced New York militia officer before the war, he entered Federal service in 1861 as major of the famed 7th New York State Militia. He subsequently became lieutenant colonel and then colonel of the 65th New York Volunteer Infantry, also known as the First United States Chasseurs. The regiment served during the Peninsula Campaign and later became part of the Army of the Potomac’s Sixth Corps. Shaler assumed brigade command in the spring of 1863 and was promoted to brigadier general.

Shaler particularly distinguished himself during the Second Battle of Fredericksburg, or the storming of Marye’s Heights, on May 3, 1863. At a critical moment, when the head of the Federal assault was in danger of being overwhelmed by Confederate artillery and infantry fire, Shaler pushed forward with a supporting column, penetrated the enemy works, and turned their flank. For this conspicuous gallantry, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, which was formally presented on November 25, 1893.

At the Battle of Gettysburg, Shaler commanded the First Brigade, Third Division, Sixth Corps. His brigade arrived on July 2 after a long and exhausting march from Manchester, Maryland, and initially remained in reserve near Little Round Top. On the morning of July 3, it was ordered to the Union right and sent to reinforce the Twelfth Corps on Culp’s Hill, where portions of the brigade participated in the fighting that restored the Federal line. Later that afternoon, Shaler’s command returned toward Cemetery Ridge and was held in support behind the Third Corps during the tremendous Confederate bombardment preceding Pickett’s Charge.

Shaler later returned to active field command during the Overland Campaign and was captured while attempting to rally his men during the Battle of the Wilderness in May 1864. Following confinement in Confederate prisons and his eventual exchange, he served in the Department of the Gulf and in Arkansas, ending the war with the brevet rank of major general. He died in New York City on December 28, 1911.

Of particular interest, the survivors of Shaler’s Brigade held a major reunion and monument dedication at Gettysburg on June 12, 13 and 14, 1888. The canteen’s formal identification of Shaler and his complete Gettysburg brigade command, together with its commemorative GAR decoration and period presentation form, suggests that it may have been presented to General Shaler during or in connection with that reunion and monument dedication. Without a dated inscription or accompanying documentation, this association cannot be stated conclusively, but the circumstances and decoration make it a compelling and historically plausible possibility. A rare, visually impressive and historically significant GAR presentation piece associated with a prominent Sixth Corps brigade commander, Gettysburg veteran and Medal of Honor recipient—another exceptional Civil War collectible offered by Richard Ferry Military Antiques, Florida’s largest Civil War dealer.

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