Like that bucket, guy!
For Stickman...been looking through several sources and have found that during the WBTS, artillery buckets were more cylindrical with three metal bands with the top band either forged or welded to a partial cover that accomplished the same thing as Alden's wood topped version...basically kept sloshing to a minimum. As a former member of a 3" Ordnance rifle crew, sloshing can lose a lot of the water you need to keep the piece going. From the AWI through the War of 1812 and even the Mexican/American War of the mid 1840's, buckets were mostly of the taper UP style Alden illustrates. This is based on illustrations from "Round Shot & Rammers" by Peterson; Osprey 'Men-At-Arms' series #96, "Artillery Equipments of the Napoleonic Wars" by Wise (though European artillery at that time seems to have gone with a more cylindrical style bucket...at least the French & Austrians did!?!); Don Troiani's "American Battles; The Art of the Nation at War, 1754-1865" (since Don uses models and props for his detailed paintings, I figure that his use of cylindrical buckets for 1860's and taper UP for his painting of "Molly Pitcher at Monmouth", confirms those styles and time periods. Just to stir things up, "Round Shot & Rammers" illustrates a British bucket from the AWI that's taper DOWN and has the typical "GR" below crown, though it's hard to say if it's painted on a wood pail or engraved on a metal one. Since it shows no staves or bands, I'd like to think it's engraved or painted on brass or bronze...just 'cause it'd be neat! :wink:
