Rotten Terbacky

[Charles Heath]

Found on the NY Times site while looking for something else, and this July 1864 complaint is far too good not to share.

Letter From The Field

Funny how few seem to complain about their M1864 yeast packet.

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[OldKingCrow]

A Georgia Grayback, anonymously states his peace on rotten tobacco:

Camp Near Orange C. H., Va.

To the Editor of the Dispatch:

August 19, 1863

While there has been a general call for assistance to drive our common foe from our soil, and an order issued to put in the ranks all quartermaster and commissary clerks, regimental surgeon clerks, &c., is there no law to reach sutlers belonging to the various regiments in the army of Northern Virginia? These places can and ought to be filled by soldiers who have been discharged from wounds received upon the battle field, or by persons exempted from military service by age, and who perhaps have sons in the field enduring the hardships of a camp life. Now these places are filled by young men taken out of their regiments, much to the dissatisfaction of the companies from which they are taken.

Satlers could be dispensed with in this brigade freely; but if necessary their places could be supplied with men disabled to do duty. While the poor soldier is prohibited from going to such places as he thinks he could find the articles he absolutely needs, he is compelled to buy from these pests at an exorbitant price, which soon takes his $11 per month. The sutlers in the different regiments all would rejoice to see once more placed in their companies with a gun and cartridge box, instead of seeing them in old wagons with a few rotten plugs of tobacco and a barrel of cakes, which are not necessary to the subsistence of the soldiers.

A Private,

44th Georgia, Co C.