Items from the sutler

[BobSullivanPress]

Re: Items from the sutler

Lord's references to contractors are as accurate as he could make them. To find this information, all you need to do is find the contracts of the time between manufacturers, the commisary department, and/or sutlers.

The book, "From Peddlers to Post Traders" is a good modern reference to sutlers, but it doesn't contain the product information that Lord's book does.

Another good source for sutler items is Billing's "Hardtack and Coffee" Billings lists his regiment's sutler's prices and goods offered for sale.

And finally, I've got a couple of invoices that sutlers filled out. Remember, the goods a sutler could officially sell were regulated by the War Department. Now, this is not to say that sutlers didn't get around this list. But this particular form is a good starting place. I'll scan the form in tomorrow (I don't have it here right now) and either post it to the forum or put it up on my website.

[Jake Marley]

Re: Items from the sutler

Mr. Sullivan--

Thanks for the reply. Timely and cordial, as always.

Nic Ellis

[1stMaine]

Re: Items from the sutler

Comrades,
Another part to this is that some officers would maintain an account with certain companies for the supply of mess items through the mail. The Chamberlain collection at Bowdoin College Library has receipts from at least three seperate companies that Chamberlain and his officer's mess in the 20th Maine ordered from. These were from Boston and New York, and recur throughout the war. Basically, it appears that He (they) ordered a fixed amount of certain foodstuffs and sundries and had them delivered to the regiment via express courirer and then paind the account via mail.
Foodstuffs include coffee, tea, various pickled items, meats, and such. It makes sense, in that Officer's were required to furnish their own food, or pay for ratrions drawn, etc. These receipts were on a light-blue paper with a heavy clay content, and were a standard form supplied by the retail establishment, with blanks for dates, etc, to be filled in as appropriate.
FWIW, I reproduced these forms by scanning them and removing the period writing with a psp program. I was able to match the color and weight of paper quite well. These items were subsequently obtained by Dixie Leather Works and photocopied for resale by them, albeit as photocopies on white photocopier paper. Live and learn.......
respects,

[Agate]

Re: Items from the sutler

Thanks for sharing that Tim.

Some of my old comrades would think I was nuts when I would start referring to insurance being sold through sutlers. Aetna had agents or representatives in the field and did it through the war. The sutler of the Tenth Ohio was a rep.

I've run across accounts similar to your Maine "Officers mess" account out here in the West.

Some entire companies would purchase certain goods directly, wholesale. Then have it shipped via Adams Express. Have seen newspaper advertisements for soldiers packages with names like the "evergreen package" and the "zouave package." India rubber goods, camp blankets, hats, corps badges, et. We know that some companies would chip in and purchase presentation badges and weapons, in appreciation of their company Officers. Isn't uncommon at all to find Western examples of these purchased from companies like Tiffany and S, H, & G. in the East.

Regarding Dr. Lord.

Not quite sure if we are referring to the later volumes or the "big blue" book. The lists of Federal contractors/business's in the blue book is interesting. A number of those are taken out of the Congressional contract fraud investigation testimony of 1861-62 reprinted in the Serial Set. Called the Van Wycke Committee investigation.

The problem is that some of those folks were not "contractors" but middle men who resold goods to the army after purchasing them from others.

Years ago, advanced collectors didn't run across artifacts associated with some of them, and I've heard the older collectors refer to them as "phantom" contractors, their being somewhat skeptical.

Contracts for example, made in 1861, are known, in a document presented to the Congress (ExDoc. 101), and printed in the Serial Set. What these guys were doing was selling goods on the open market to the USQMD. Open market goods were treated differently as far as the legal stuff, and aren't recorded in the tabular statements of army contracts like ExDoc 101. Money to purchase open market goods came from accounts that didn't require a record submitted to the Congress.

An interesting example of this, and why we need to investigate it further, would be the procurement of knives, forks, and spoons (at least in one instance.)

I'm working on the history of USQMD support of McClellan's/Rosecrans campaign in Western Virginia. There was a USQMD Officer sent to the department right off the bat. What is interesting is that I have an order directly from Meigs to supply knives, forks, and spoons to the three-year volunteers of the department.

He purchased them on the open market, therefore no contract record, therefore no mention in ExDoc. 101. Folks looking solely in contractual records wouldn't know it as there is no record in what is traditionally examined. Which is partially the reason why earlier researchers would probably argue that it wasn't done.

Don't know if this is unique, or what the deal exactly was, but in that department, during that early period, the USQMD supplied them.

What is a shame is that Lord didn't note what some of these guys actually did for a living. Would imagine we are all pretty much familiar with H. S. McComb, his name being on our shelter tents. McComb was a leather merchant, and his first army contract was for 21 oz. kersey to New York. Think he sold shoes too. :wink_smil

Anyway, sorry for the length. :confused_

Regards,

John

John Sarver
Cin. O.

[Charles Heath]

Re: Items from the sutler

Ryan,

The research topics of sutlers, boxes from home, and the officer's mess are closely related. Work in one area tends to branch out into one of the other two. In addtion to the books and articles previously mentioned in this thread, contact Bob Braun and ask for a print copy of an article entitled "Quite an Officer's Mess." It was once commonly available as one of the links from the early A-C website, but it's on an "ask for" basis these days.

An area worth exploring is the modern day source of supply. Finding some items that were common back then can require a good bit of detective work. A good number of period-style sutlers are in operation these days, and my most recent experience was with the sutler with the 151st New York at their Winter 1864 event at Brandy Station a la Newfane, NY a few months ago. He had a good stock of period, and periodish items, and the event supplied very nice brass tokens as part of the registration items. His metal 3rd Corps badges were works of art. In general terms, the wares were along the lines of Bill MacIntosh, Tim Ertel, an outfilt called the "Flying Turtle Sutler" (can't recall his name either), and some others who show up here and there. Nice fellows, and they put a lot of effort into their products, the packaging, and the presentation.

Then there is the comedy approach with the infamous Wizard Oil, Body Armor, and Erasive Soap salesmen via Zimmerman and Murphy. That's not what you are seeking, but I'd certainly be remiss if I didn't mention their fun antics.

Charles Heath

[markj]

Re: Items from the sutler

The attached article, dating from the late 1950's but still nonetheless interesting, is submitted for your perusal. I have also included various notes about sutlers I pulled from the "Official Records." Some of this seems to have been "conveniently overlooked" in Lord's sutler book.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger