370

A Scarce Fort Sanders Dakota Territory Petition for a Post S

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Militaria Start Price:700.00 USD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 1,500.00 USD
A Scarce Fort Sanders Dakota Territory Petition for a Post S

Bidding Over

The auction is over for this lot.
The auctioneer wasn't accepting online bids for this lot.

Contact the auctioneer for information on the auction results.

Search for other lots to bid on...
Auction Date:2009 Jun 24 @ 10:00 (UTC-04:00 : AST/EDT)
Location:6270 Este Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio, 45232, United States
soldiers do not seem to protest often, but this was a big deal at the time, so much so that these petition sheets were printed! This one for Co. A, 3 Batt., 18 Infy at Fort Sanders, DT (future WY). The petition reads as follows:

We the undersigned Officers and Enlisted Men of the U.S. Army....would respectfully request of the Honorable Congress of the United States, a repeal of the section of the Army Bill passed at the late session of Congress, which abolishes Sutlers after July, 1867, for the reason that the working of said section is impracticable, and will result (if not repealed) in serious annouyance to us, besides depriving us of the conveniences and many of the necessary luxuries which frontier men so highly prize. A Sutler is so absolutely necessary that we regard a Post as incomplete without one.

Post Traders replaced sutlers in 1867, but were not present at the most remote posts. In these circumstances, cooperatives of soldiers formed "canteen associations" to fill this role. By 1893, these were so popular that Post Traders were outlawed. Two years later the Post Exchange (PX) was established and their activities expanded to include recreation facilities, restaurants, etc. It was becoming apparent that federal funding for these "Morale, welfare, and recreation" activities was necessary. And indeed, continues to this day. 

The Thomas Minckler Collection of Western Americana

Condition: Folds, minor soiling and scuffing, slight separations at folds.