(1) The middle section consists of two long poems about soldiers and war, the second of which gives the collection its title: a sutler was a camp-follower who sold provisions to soldiers - provisions often taken from the dead.(2) For example, re-enactment societies may importune their members to prepare for upcoming events by ‘going to their history books’ and contacting an authorized sutler to be properly kitted out.(3) Essentially a sutler was a camp follower who sold provisions to the soldiers, part of early logistics.(4) Among the sutlers ' stores captured by the Confederates at Manassas Junction (a major Union supply base) on August 26-27, 1862, were quantities of canned oysters.
