Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Story
March 8, 1865
Urbana Union
Urbana, Champaign County, Ohio
What is this article about?
A clever private in Battery K, 1st Ohio Volunteer Artillery tricks a sutler into exchanging a canteen of whisky for one filled with coffee-colored water during celebrations after the capture of Fort Fisher.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
How a Sutler was Sold.
An army correspondent of the Cleveland Herald tells the following story of a "smart" private and a "sold" sutler:
We had a call a day or two since from "Hi. Oviatt," of Euclid, now an "honorable private" in Battery K, 1st O. V. A., who told us how one of the K. boys sold a sutler. It seems that one of the boys was anxious to celebrate the capture of Fort Fisher, but didn't have the wherewithal to "raise steam." The sutler had whisky, but he was well aware that he (the sutler) wouldn't trust him. but he was resolved to have a canteen of whisky in some shape, and he did get it in this manner: Taking two empty canteens, he filled one with water, slightly colored with coffee, so it resembled ordinary "commissary," and with both canteens in one hand, he presented himself at the "counter" of the sutler, and with the air of a "man of means," demanded a canteen of whisky.— The sutler of course fills the canteen and passes it to him, expecting in return a $5.00 greenback.
"All right," responded the sutler, who was glad to get rid of a customer without money, and taking the canteen of water he poured it into the barrel and returning the canteen to our soldier friend, he walked off with his canteen of whisky, having made, as he thought, a "right smart" exchange.
An army correspondent of the Cleveland Herald tells the following story of a "smart" private and a "sold" sutler:
We had a call a day or two since from "Hi. Oviatt," of Euclid, now an "honorable private" in Battery K, 1st O. V. A., who told us how one of the K. boys sold a sutler. It seems that one of the boys was anxious to celebrate the capture of Fort Fisher, but didn't have the wherewithal to "raise steam." The sutler had whisky, but he was well aware that he (the sutler) wouldn't trust him. but he was resolved to have a canteen of whisky in some shape, and he did get it in this manner: Taking two empty canteens, he filled one with water, slightly colored with coffee, so it resembled ordinary "commissary," and with both canteens in one hand, he presented himself at the "counter" of the sutler, and with the air of a "man of means," demanded a canteen of whisky.— The sutler of course fills the canteen and passes it to him, expecting in return a $5.00 greenback.
"All right," responded the sutler, who was glad to get rid of a customer without money, and taking the canteen of water he poured it into the barrel and returning the canteen to our soldier friend, he walked off with his canteen of whisky, having made, as he thought, a "right smart" exchange.
What sub-type of article is it?
Deception Fraud
Personal Triumph
Curiosity
What themes does it cover?
Deception
Triumph
What keywords are associated?
Sutler Deception
Soldier Trick
Whisky Exchange
Fort Fisher Celebration
Civil War Anecdote
What entities or persons were involved?
Hi. Oviatt
Private In Battery K
Sutler
Story Details
Key Persons
Hi. Oviatt
Private In Battery K
Sutler
Event Date
During The Capture Of Fort Fisher
Story Details
A soldier, lacking money to buy whisky to celebrate Fort Fisher's capture, fills a canteen with coffee-colored water resembling commissary, presents two canteens to the sutler, receives whisky in one, gives the fake as payment; sutler pours it into his barrel and returns the empty canteen, allowing the soldier to leave with the whisky.