It always amazes me how thoroughly chewed up the gound is in most of these Civil War images. You get the image of the army engineers coming in, clear cutting, building sturdy but crude make shift structures with the lumber, and leaving the debris everywhere.

Andrew had a quite varied life. Listed as a farmer in the 1850 census born 1821 in PA he lives in Chemung NY. By 1860 he is a shoemaker living in Spotylvania VA with his family, wife Susan and three sons Judson Franklin and William. I was pretty sure this was our guy when I found the 1870 census in Prince Georges MD adding a Daughter in law and a new son George. He was running a hotel in 1870. The proof came in a Washington DC city directory for 1865 where he is listed as "Andrew Foulke, sutler."

The Halliburtons of the Civil War.

My sense is that the facial countenance of these Union soldiers was a sufficient deterrent to price gouging.

Unless these were the soldiers A. Foulke hired to discourage the rest from objecting, of course.

enjoyed what can only be thought of as a monopoly. My sense is that the facial countenance of these Union soldiers was a sufficient deterrent to price gouging. Grant’s Secretary of War, William Belknap, was impeached for his roll in a price gouging scheme by his appointed concessionaire at Ft. Sill, whereby Belknap would receive kickbacks. George A. Custer testified against Belknap, assuring George a place on Grant’s ‘most hated’ list. Although there were formal, prescribed regulations governing sutlers, it's hard to imagine they were meaningful.

"Sutler: a person who followed an army and sold provisions to the soldiers." (Not to be confused with "Hooker", who also followed an army and sold to soldiers).

I sure hope the fellow behind the bar is pouring a brandy. If not, he's at the wrong Station.

I learn something new here nearly every day. Obviously this is a semi permanent camp. They went to a lot of trouble building a store front if they were following an army on the move.

"A sutler or victualer is a civilian merchant who sells provisions to an army in the field, in camp or in quarters. The sutler sold wares from the back of a wagon or a temporary tent, allowing them to travel along with an army or to remote military outposts."