The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-19
DISAPPEARANCE or THE SUFFER-.
Vendors Who Accompanied the Ar
mics In the Civil War. 4
From, flo 1Vasbinetou Post t.tf
Washington Post.

From the Washington Post
"War nowadays amt like it used to be
when 1 started out as a volunteer, lust 81
years ago." said an old veteran recently.
at differs in great many ways" he con-
tlnued, in answer 90 the question zone
of the things which viii be lacking will
be the suffers. l sec by the paper that it
has been ordered by the war department
that none are to be allowed. l tell you the
boys viii miss a lot of fun. The most of
them will never know any difference, how
ever, SO it won't affect them much Why,
when the boys In my regiment couldn't
find anything else to raid they would turn
in on the suffers layout, and clean him
OFT"
The order in question, stating that no
suffers can accompany the army during
the war was issued By Assistant Secretary
MeikeljOhn Monday. To supply this de
ticiency it was stated that the department
had decided to materially enlarge the list
of articles kept on hand by the commits
sary department These viii be supplied to
the soldiers at cost prices,
Just how far these things may be sup
piled Is questioned by those who took part
in the late war. 1t was a standing Joke
in the army chat IL anything was missing,
no matter of what description, 1t could be
found in the stores of the suffer. This ap-
piled TO arms, ammunition, or equipments.
in fiction, though Of course If it had come
strictly down 70 facts ii could not have
been the case. There is q story of how the
ammunition of a certain artillery regi-
ment whose name and number have been
forgotten, ran out. IL happened to be that
on the occasion of the battle which was
unexpected, the suffer CHANGED 10 be in the
midst of IL. The soldiers had not forgotten
a peculiar variety OF round gingerbread
balls purVeyed by the sutler In question,
1t is asserted ithat they quickly seized the
remainder of his stock of gingerbread
| balls, using them as grape shot in their
| field pieces, and the result was a complete
rout Of the enemy 1t was claimed that If
the other forces had been made to receive
them in such a MANNER from the suffer
they TOO would have been forced TO yield.
AS a matter of fact, the sutler IN the late
war was no insonsiderable parsonage. He
| supplied the soldiers with everything not
| issued by the commssary department,
which a private might need, or might wish
for. He was not IN the habit Of Selling
grand pianos or printing presses, but near
~ everything could be found In his tent
which is kept in a country store at the
present time.
Gen. S. S. Burdett, former commander
in-chief Of the Grand Army, talked inter
| estingly Of the suffers who had the monop-
| oily of selling goods to the members OF his
| regiment, the First Iowa Cavalry.
81 believe that during the war 1t was
| the prerogative Of the colonel to have his
sutler. Our regiment was an extremely
| large one, there being twelve companies,
all of them full up. Our colonel was from
| Burlington, Ia, and be appointed two men
! from his town TO act as suffers 70 the reg
iment. They were good conscientious men,
and everything went off smoothly in their
| line. OF course it was entirely fit and
| proper for them to charge more than else
where. II was at least 50 per cent above
| the ordinary price, bot this was an right
when 1t was considered what risks they
ran. / believe that after the war bad
continued some time the prices OF articles
| was fixed by board Of officers.
IL think our suffers had two four-horse
or four-mule teams apiece, with which
they transported their stuff. The sutlers
were allowed 10 draw forage from the
| quartermaster, they paying for this, Of
| course. Their stocks were shown IN large
| quartermaster's tents. the articles being
! sold over some sort OF improvised counter.