A
sutler or
victualer is a civilian merchant who sells
provisions to an
army in the field, in camp or in quarters.
Origin of the term
The word, like numerous other naval and military terms, came into English from
Dutch, where it appears as
soetelaar or
zoetelaar. It meant originally "one who does dirty work, a drudge, a
scullion", and derives from
zoetelen (to foul, sully), a word cognate with "suds" (hot soapy water), "seethe" (to boil) and "sodden".
Role in supplying troops
These merchants often followed the armies of the
American Revolution and the
American Civil War to try and sell their merchandise to the soldiers. Generally, the sutlers built their stores within the limits of an army post or just off the defense line, and first needed to receive a license from the
Commander prior to construction; they were, by extension, also subject to his regulations.
Sutlers, frequently the only local supplier of non-military goods, often developed
monopolies on simple commodities like
tobacco,
coffee, or
sugar and rose to powerful statures. Since government-issued coinage was scarce during the
Civil War, sutlers often conducted transactions using a particular type of
Civil War token known as a sutler token.
Sutlers played a major role in the recreation of army men between at least 1865 to 1890. Sutler stores outside of military posts were usually also open to non-military travelers and offered
gambling,
drinking, and
prostitution.
In modern use the term sutler is often used to describe businesses that provide period uniforms and supplies to
reenactors, especially to reenactors of the American Civil War. These businesses will often themselves play the part of historical sutlers while selling their modern-day goods at reenactments.
See also
