As per Merriam–Webster.com, civil war is defined as
‘a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country’. There have
been several civil wars in history. And the nature of a civil war is such that
it corrodes the very being of the country and cripples its economy. Often,
there are external forces such as a group of countries (who are on friendly
terms with each other) responsible for inflicting such a blood sapping attack
on their enemy country by helping two sides against one another. Now, the sheer
politics of such a situation is believed to be the fact that both sparring
sides are led to believe that they are the only ones in control of this sponsor
who is aiding them to create a situation of disorder in order to seek revenge
or to fulfill any other ulterior motive.
The American Civil War was a landmark in history. It
created ripples in the history of the world that were felt all over. Millions
of men, women and children were affected in the entire nation; of course, it
wasn’t until the end of the war that America became the one free country that
we now know it as.
Now the first thing that a person thinks of when you
hear the term ‘civil war’ is the supplies. Any war for that matter is hugely
dependent on supplies of all sorts, daily needs, and the basic requirements to
artillery, arms, and ammunition. But as we are discussing American Civil War
here, the Civil War Sutler will
definitely find mention. The sutler, as the name itself lets you find out,
provided all sorts of supplies to the men fighting the war. A Sutler would
generally carry his belongings and follow troops, would take due consent from
the concerned Commander and then set up shop right across the defense line
selling his wares like coffee, tobacco and sugar etc.
Apart from these non-military supplies, a sutler
would be the provider of all the major sources of entertainment for a soldier;
gambling, drinking and other means to keep young soldiers occupied in the right
way to keep them out of the way of harm. These businesses welcomed travelers
too, anyone who was willing to spend. These days the name merely applies to
establishments who provide uniforms and other Civil War reenactment
paraphernalia to actors and the like. And it is big business, let’s not forget
the numerous cities where the war enactment is a way of life, what with many
societies formed for the same. For any items which are a must for any Civil War
reenactment, visit milkcreek.com.
