Vivandiere across the ages

 Salvete Omnes,

detail from a battle of Jemappes by Vernet

today is a good & proper day (Women's Day) to bring the topic of the vivandiere & cantiniere ('markietanka' in Polish, Marquetenterinn in German, cantinera in Spanish)

- at first a type of camp followers then as the women sutlers of the armies of  the bygone eras, especially noted in the iconography during the Napoleonic Wars and the following XIX century conflicts and military life saw female sutlers become 'militarized.'

There is even a book'let by Osprey - sort of short story of women sutlers in the Grande Armee.

The death of a markietanka

Camp sutler by Wouwerman

including Hispanic America, where she was also known as la rabona.

During the XVI and XVII centuries Polish commanders forbade any females within the military camp of their armies, often under the capital punishment -execution imposed upon the camp followers, including the female sutlers if any. It changed during the Napoleonic Wars. 

Valete