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A BEAUTIFUL AND DESIRABLE CIVILIAN FLAG-OF-TRUCE COVER CARRIED ENTIRELY WITHIN THE DIVIDED STATE OF VIRGINIA, VIA NORFOLK AND OLD POINT COMFORT. CIVILIAN FLAG-OF-TRUCE COVERS SENT BY THIS ROUTE ARE MUCH SCARCER THAN PRISONERS' MAIL.
Ex Birkinbine. Illustrated in Special Routes (p. 89) and in Collectors Club Philatelist (Vol 84, No. 6). (Image)
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AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE MIXED-FRANKING NORTHBOUND CIVILIAN FLAG-OF-TRUCE COVER SENT VIA NORFOLK AND OLD POINT COMFORT. THE FEW MIXED-FRANKING COVERS KNOWN FROM THIS PERIOD REPRESENT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE EXAMPLES OF MIXED UNITED STATES AND CONFEDERATE STATES FRANKING, WHICH WERE ONLY POSSIBLE FOR A BRIEF PERIOD.
Mixed-franking U.S.-Confederate States covers are rare and highly sought after by collectors. As a mixed franking on a civilian flag-of-truce cover, during the short window that some were allowed to use the Norfolk-Old Point Comfort route, this is an extremely important artifact of postal history. Shortly after this cover was mailed, civilian flag-of-truce mail sent North was diverted to the U.S. Dead Letter Office, per U.S. General Order No. 7. This order followed an announcement in the January 1862 U.S. Mail & Post Office Assistant that stated, "The facilities afforded by sending letters to the rebel states under a flag-of-truce are not intended, and cannot be permitted, to cover general correspondence."
Illustrated in Special Routes (p. 90). With 1993 A.P.S. certificate. (Image)
AN EXTREMELY RARE NORFOLK-FORTRESS MONROE FLAG-OF-TRUCE COVER ORIGINATING IN NEW ORLEANS AND DIVERTED TO THE DEAD LETTER OFFICE IN WASHINGTON DC.
Starting in mid-February 1862, civilian flag-of-truce mail sent North was diverted to the Dead Letter Office, per U.S. General Order No. 7. This order followed an announcement in the January 1862 U.S. Mail & Post Office Assistant that stated, "The facilities afforded by sending letters to the rebel states under a flag-of-truce are not intended, and cannot be permitted, to cover general correspondence." By the end of February, the C.S.A. mail system stopped forwarding almost all such letters. This is one of fewer than ten examples known (Special Routes p. 90).
Illustrated in Collector's Club Philatelist (Vol. 84, No.6) and in Special Routes (p. 90) (Image)
AN OUTSTANDING AND RARE DECEMBER 1861 FREE-FRANKED COVER FROM LIGON'S PRISON SENT THROUGH NORFOLK AND OLD POINT COMFORT.
Ligon's Tobacco Warehouse in Richmond, also referred to as "Rockett's No. 1", was among the first Confederate prisons used and held almost 1,000 prisoners from the First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas). Alfred Ely was a Representative from New York, serving in Congress from 1859-1863. While witnessing the Battle of Bull Run, he was taken prisoner and sent to Ligon's until being exchanged on December 25, 1861. According to Wikipedia he was exchanged for future U.S. Senator Charles J. Faulkner. 2nd Lt. Barnard B. Vassal (1835-1894) was commissioned an officer in Company E, 15th Massachusetts Volunteers on July 30, 1861 and was captured at Ball's Bluff (Leesburg) on October 21, 1861, a Union defeat that resulted in the death of another member of Congress, Col. and Oregon Senator Edward D. Baker. Vassal was a nephew of American Red Cross founder Clara Barton.
Ex Birkinbine. Illustrated in Harrison (p. 96) and Special Routes (p. 66). See also "Alfred Ely P.O.W. Covers", Francis J. Crown Jr., Confederate Philatelist (Jul.-Aug. 1975, No. 166) (Image)
AN EXTREMELY RARE FLAG-OF-TRUCE COVER FROM SALISBURY PRISON TO GERMANY VIA NORFOLK, OLD POINT COMFORT, NEW YORK AND HAMBURG MAILS. FEW FOREIGN BOUND FLAG-OF-TRUCE COVERS ARE KNOWN.
Charles Kliffmuller was a private in the Alabama Eufaula Light Artillery. When he mailed this cover, he was either a guard at Salisbury Prison or perhaps in detention for an infraction. He married Miss Matilda Lange on Sep. 3, 1858, and was killed in the Chunky Creek train accident in Mississippi in February 1863. His train was on its way to provide reinforcements at Vicksburg when it derailed over the damaged Chunky Creek trestle, killing more than 40 people.
Ex Grant and Meroni. Illustrated in Chronicle (No. 213) (Image)
A GORGEOUS AND PRISTINE SOUTHBOUND CIVILIAN FLAG-OF-TRUCE COVER TO SOUTH CAROLINA VIA OLD POINT COMFORT AND NORFOLK.
Ex Birkinbine. Illustrated in Special Routes (p. 91) and Collectors Club Philatelist (Vol. 84, No. 6) (Image)