Peddlers and Post Traders; The Army Sutler on the Frontier

Delo, David Michael

ISBN 10: 0874804027 / ISBN 13: 9780874804027

Published by University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, UT, 1992

About this Item

[10], 274 pages. Endpaper map. Illustrations. Notes. Bibliography. Index. This is University of Utah Publications in the American West, volume 28. The army sutler was a civilian who sold comestibles and small wares to men under arms. In America, as in Europe, sutlers were originally camp followers, but when the army realized that these men helped stabilize frontier military life, suttling became a formal military support activity. During the course of the nineteenth century, the suttling trade increased in complexity and profitability, and attracted a number of opportunists. Although sutlers provided a much-needed service, these men illegally sold whiskey to soldiers and Indians, and during President Grant's administration a number of suttling slots were peddled by officials to the highest bidder. The ranks of sutlers peaked during the Civil War, but the position was then abolished because of their scandalous wartime activities. Reinstated In 1867 to fill the needs of emigrants, suttling remained active until the end of the century, when it was replaced by the post exchange (PX). Author David Delo examines the changing nature of sutlery and its practitioners during the nineteenth century and shows how history has emphasized sutlers' disruptive behavior without giving due credit to their contributions as entrepreneurs. This is an accessible work on an important group of figures in American history. In 1964 A. R. Mortensen and C. Gregory Crampton, two University of Utah history professors, founded the American West Center with the then unique mission of researching the history and culture of the American West. Over the past half century the Center has accomplished far more than Mortensen and Crampton could have imagined. Faculty and graduate student researchers affiliated with the Center have taken over 7,000 oral histories, including an unparalleled 2,000 Native American interviews. The Center's staff has also created a remarkable archive of documents essential for the study of Western peoples and lands as well as a myriad of curriculum support materials - most notably seventeen community history textbooks and a statewide curriculum focused on Utah's American Indian peoples. Now entering its sixth decade, the Center continues to be a vibrant part of the University of Utah. Because both undergraduate and graduate students carry out our projects, the Center offers invaluable hands-on education and experience. And because our work is necessarily interdisciplinary, the Center brings together students and faculty who might not otherwise cross paths.

Seller Inventory # 82092

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Peddlers and Post Traders; The Army Sutler on the Frontier
• Publisher: University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, UT
• Publication Date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0874804027
• ISBN 13: 9780874804027
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Iloilo M. Jones-Delo (Author Photograph)
• Edition: Presumed First Edition, First printing.
• Condition: Very good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Very good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Civil War

About this title

Synopsis

The army sutler was a civilian who sold comestibles and small wares to men under arms. In America, as in Europe, sutlers were originally camp followers, but when the army realized that these men helped stabilize frontier military life, suttling became a formal military support activity.
During the course of the nineteenth century, the suttling trade increased in complexity and profitability, and attracted a number of opportunists. Although sutlers provided a much-needed service, these men illegally sold whiskey to soldiers and Indians, and during President Grant's administration a number of suttling slots were peddled by officials to the highest bidder.
The ranks of sutlers peaked during the Civil War, but the position was then abolished because of their scandalous wartime activities. Reinstated In 1867 to fill the needs of emigrants, suttling remained active until the end of the century, when it was replaced by the post exchange (PX).
Author David Delo examines the changing nature of sutlery and its practitioners during the nineteenth century and shows how history has emphasized sutlers' disruptive behavior without giving due credit to their contributions as entrepreneurs.
This is an accessible work on an important group of figures in American history.