Scotland in St. Mary's County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Prison Sutler
Point Lookout State Park
| | Maryland Park Service; Friends of Point Lookout, Inc. | |
Better to be Sutler than President"
A camp sutler was a civilian merchant who sold provisions to field forces or at a prison camp. The Camp Hoffman sutler was located here, just outside the stockade, near the prison's main gate. To reduce theft and to protect the sutler and his goods, prisoners conducted business through a small window slit cut through the stockade.
Appointed by the War Department, the sutler reported to the post's commanding officer. Even though prices were regulated by an Act of Congress, and sales were restricted to prisoners only, prison sutlers held a monopoly and made a considerable profit.
A prisoner could only spend up to $5 a day. Each prisoner had an individual account. They typically purchased bread, meat, vegetables, coffee, sugar, fruit, writing materials, shoes, clothing and blankets. For prisoners and Point Lookout, sutlers allowed them to supplement their meager camp diet or acquire goods that could be useful during their internment.
Erected by Maryland Park Service; Maryland Department of Natural Resources; Friends of Point Lookout, Inc.
Topics. This historical marker
this page online
Location. 38° 2.944′ N, 76° 19.447′ W. Marker is in Scotland, Maryland, in St. Mary's County. It can be reached from Point Lookout Road (Maryland Route 5) 1½ miles south of 3rd Way, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10465 Point Lookout Rd, Scotland MD 20687, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Maryland. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, in the Chesapeake Bay Region, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Point Lookout Prison, 1863-1865 (a few steps from this marker); The Post Office at Camp Hoffman (a few
Another marker is no longer nearby. Prison Pen (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on April 13, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 13, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 11 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 13, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
