The Steven C. Walske Collection of Special Mail Routes of the American Civil War continued...

VERY FINE. A RARE TRANSATLANTIC LETTER FROM ENGLAND TO CONFEDERATE VIRGINIA, WHICH WAS DIVERTED TO THE UNITED STATES DEAD LETTER OFFICE AFTER THE WASHINGTON-RICHMOND MAIL ROUTE WAS SUSPENDED. ONLY THREE SUCH COVERS ARE REPORTED.

On April 27, 1861, the regular water route to Richmond was suspended by the United States government, leaving only the Orange & Alexandria Railroad open for mail via Richmond. The last route through Virginia was suspended on the evening of May 23. The cover offered here was received in New York on May 22, but did not reach the U.S.-C.S.A. border in time. It was diverted to the U.S. Dead Letter Office and held there until called for on July 29. The 24c transatlantic postage plus an additional 3c was collected from the addressee or his agent when the letter was released.

The addressee, Daniel H. London, was a prominent Richmond merchant and pro-slavery, states' rights advocate, who served as president of the Southern Rights Association of Richmond. This letter and enclosures were sent by the British firm of Eyre Evans & Co.

Ex Kilbourne (Image)

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VERY FINE. A RARE TRANSATLANTIC LETTER FROM ENGLAND TO CONFEDERATE VIRGINIA, WHICH WAS DIVERTED TO THE UNITED STATES DEAD LETTER OFFICE AFTER THE WASHINGTON-RICHMOND MAIL ROUTE WAS SUSPENDED. ONLY THREE SUCH COVERS ARE REPORTED.

On April 27, 1861, the regular water route to Richmond was suspended by the United States government, leaving only the Orange & Alexandria Railroad open for mail via Richmond. The last route through Virginia was suspended on the evening of May 23. The cover offered here was received in Boston on May 31, then diverted to the U.S. Dead Letter Office and held there until called for on July 29. The 24c transatlantic postage plus an additional 3c was collected from the addressee or his agent when the letter was released.

The addressee, Daniel H. London, was a prominent Richmond merchant and pro-slavery, states' rights advocate, who served as president of the Southern Rights Association of Richmond. This letter and enclosures were sent by the British firm of Eyre Evans & Co.

Ex Howard Green (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE CARRIER USE FROM NEW YORK CITY TO VIRGINIA, WHICH WAS DIVERTED TO THE DEAD LETTER OFFICE AFTER THE WASHINGTON-RICHMOND MAIL ROUTE WAS SUSPENDED. VERY FEW EXAMPLES OF SUCH MAIL ARE KNOWN, AND THIS CARRIER USE WITH THE ONE-CENT AND 3-CENT 1857 ISSUE IS ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE.

Illustrated in Special Routes (p. 7). Ex Weatherly and Kilbourne (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE "SENT BACK TO ENGLAND" HANDSTAMP ON A COVER ORIGINATING IN AN AUSTRALIAN STATE THAT WAS RETURNED DUE TO SUSPENSION OF MAIL SERVICE DURING THE CIVIL WAR.

This cover left Melbourne on the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co.'s Jeddo, departing Mar. 26 and arriving at Galle (Ceylon) on Apr. 13. It left Galle on Apr. 20 on the P & O Nemesis, arriving at Suez on May 4. The letter then travelled overland to Alexandria, Egypt, and from there on the P & O Valette, departing May 5 and arriving at Marseille on May 11. After the short transit from France to England, it was carried on the North German Lloyd New York, departing Southampton on May 15 and arriving in New York on May 28. By the time it reached New York, the mail route between Washington D.C. and Richmond had been suspended (starting May 24), and mail from foreign countries was returned. In England the three-line "Sent Back to England" handstamp was applied to returned letters.

Illustrated in Chronicle (May 1971, p. 95), Ashbrook's Special Service (No. 56, Nov. 1955, p. 443) and Special Routes (p. 8). A nearly identical cover was illustrated in the Dec. 1944 American Philatelist (p. 180). Ex Kilbourne (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. A REMARKABLE COVER, POSTMARKED ON THE FIRST FULL DAY OF NORTH CAROLINA'S 7-DAY INDEPENDENT STATEHOOD AND CARRIED THROUGH RICHMOND ON MAY 23, THE LAST DAY THE MAIL ROUTE BETWEEN RICHMOND AND WASHINGTON D.C. REMAINED OPEN.

Northbound mail from the eastern Confederate States to the U.S. was normally carried via Richmond and Washington D.C. until May 23, 1861. The Federal military occupation of Alexandria, Virginia, closed this route on the evening of May 23, so northbound mail was diverted to the C.S.A. Dead Letter Office at Richmond from May 24 until June 1. The May 21 origin date in New Bern N.C. indicates transit through Richmond on May 23, the last day the route remained open. The addressee was the wife of Benjamin S. Hedrick, who was appointed 1st Assistant Examiner in the U.S. Patent Office on Apr. 10, 1861 (service record accompanies).

Illustrated in Confederate Philatelist (Jan.-Feb. 1994, pp. 29-30) and Special Routes (p. 3). (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE CONFEDERATE DEAD LETTER OFFICE HANDSTAMP ON A LETTER DIVERTED AFTER THE MAIL ROUTE BETWEEN RICHMOND AND WASHINGTON D.C. WAS TERMINATED.

Northbound mail from the eastern Confederate States to the U.S. was normally carried via Richmond and Washington D.C. until May 23, 1861. The Federal military occupation of Alexandria, Virginia, closed this route on the evening of May 23, so northbound mail was diverted to the C.S.A. Dead Letter Office at Richmond from May 24 until June 1. Fewer than ten examples of the C.S.A. Dead Letter Office marking (either type) are known.

Illustrated in Special Routes (p. 12). Ex Weatherly and Kilbourne (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE NORTH CAROLINA INDEPENDENT STATE USE OF THE UNITED STATES STAR DIE ENTIRE, WHICH WAS DIVERTED TO THE CONFEDERATE DEAD LETTER OFFICE AFTER THE MAIL ROUTE BETWEEN RICHMOND AND WASHINGTON D.C. WAS TERMINATED.

Northbound mail from the eastern Confederate States to the U.S. was normally carried via Richmond and Washington D.C. until May 23, 1861. The Federal military occupation of Alexandria, Virginia, closed this route on the evening of May 23, so northbound mail was diverted to the C.S.A. Dead Letter Office at Richmond from May 24 until June 1. Fewer than ten examples of the C.S.A. Dead Letter Office marking (either type) are known.

Ex Dietz. With 1990 C.S.A. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE CONFEDERATE DEAD LETTER OFFICE COVER WITH THE MANUSCRIPT MARKING, WHICH WAS USED CONCURRENTLY WITH THE HANDSTAMPED OVAL FOR APPPROXIMATELY TEN DAYS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR.

Once the mail routes between the U.S. and C.S.A. were suspended, northbound mail was diverted to the C.S.A. Dead Letter Office. Fewer than ten examples of the C.S.A. Dead Letter Office markings (handstamp or manuscript) are reported, all diverted to the D.L.O. between May 24 and June 1, 1861.

Illustrated in Special Routes (p. 12). Ex Birkinbine (Image)

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VERY FINE. ONE OF THE LAST LETTERS TO CROSS THE LINES BY REGULAR MAIL ROUTES. THIS EXAMPLE IS EXCEPTIONAL FOR THE DETAILED DOCKETING THAT REFERS SPECIFICALLY TO THE SUSPENSION OF MAILS FROM THE SOUTH.

This cover and the enclosed letter were sent by B. F. Hempstead, a lawyer and slaveowner who also addressed the cover offered in lot 6. This cover contains a letter dated May 21, 1861, enclosing a newspaper clipping. The letter reads: "Enclosed I send you a copy of an ordinance introduced in our State Convention. It will become law. Crosby, the North may conquer us -- but before it is done, we will die shoulder to shoulder in the defence of our institution. Lincoln and his cabinet for a time deceived the conservative men in the slave holding & conservative states. The dream is over, and it now comes to the gage of battle for the right and I for one say Amen to it. You know how I stood before. I am now for the South -- the South -- and no mistake."

Illustrated in Special Routes (p. 3). Ex Kilbourne (Image)

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