Pre-Civil War

**Ship Covers**
LotNo.	Symbol	CatNo.	Lot Description
1			U.S.S. Albany, Sloop of War, folded letter addressed to "Commander Chas. T. Platt, U.S.N., Commanding The Albany, Pensacola, Florida", franked with a 3-margin 3¢ orange brown (10A) tied by a Lockport, N.Y. c.d.s., Nov 21 (1851); letter from Platt's son commiserating with his father about disciplinary problems aboard Albany, indicating the son's familiarity with the crew and the problems, Very Fine, Albany was built in the 1840s for the US Navy. She was among the last of the wooden sloops powered by sail and served prominently in the Mexican War. Before and after her war service, Albany conducted surveillance and observation missions throughout the Caribbean. She, along with her crew, was lost at sea in September 1854. (Image) (Image2) Get Market Data for [United States 10A]	Suggested Bid $250-350 CLOSED Will close during Public Auction
2			U.S.S. Albany, Sloop of War, folded letter addressed to "Commander Charles T. Platt U.S.N., Commanding U.S. Ship Albany, Pensacola, Fla.", franked with a 3¢ copper brown (10A) tied by a Lockport, N.Y. c.d.s., Oct 30 (1851); boldly docketed "Recd - 9th Nov"; letter is family news, Albany was built in the 1840s for the U.S. Navy. She was among the last of the sail-only wooden sloops and served prominently in the Mexican War. Before and after her war service, Albany conducted surveillance and observation missions throughout the Caribbean. She, along with her entire crew, was lost at sea in September 1854. (Image) Get Market Data for [United States 10A]	Suggested Bid $150-200 CLOSED Will close during Public Auction
3			U.S.S. Boston, Sloop of War, folded letter to Cincinnati datelined "On Board U.S.S. Boston, Macao Roads [an anchorage east of Macao] July 9th, 1842"; originally addressed to New York and apparently hand-carried there where it was opened and read by the original addressee; then the original address was crossed out and a new address written (front & back) and the letter was placed in the mails and postmarked with a red Dec 21 New York c.d.s. and blue manuscript "25" on the reverse, along with a new - and still intact - yellow "TWK" wax seal, Very Fine. The letter tells of sailing the South Pacific with upcoming visits to the Sandwich Islands and the "friendly Feejees", Boston was launched on 15 October 1825 and served all around the world. She returned to the U.S. in 1846 and was ordered to join Commodore Conner's Home Squadron blockading the Mexican east coast. While en route to her new station, in November 1846, she was wrecked during a squall on Eleuthera Island, Bahamas. Although the sloop was a total loss, all hands were saved. (Image) (Image2) Get Market Data for [United States Blockade]	Suggested Bid $300-400 SOLD for $190.00 Will close during Public Auction
4			S.S. Caroline Tucker, Commercial Clipper, Congdon Correspondence cover addressed to "Captain John R. Congdon, Ship Caroline Tucker, Care American Consul, Callao, Peru" horizontal pairs of the 10¢ green, type II, and 12¢ black (14, 17), the 12¢ with a right sheet margin, canceled by faint red grids with a matching Providence c.d.s., Jan 31 (probably 1857) and straightline "PAID"; endorsed "with 3 papers" and marked with a manuscript "2" indicating double weight and a (New York) manuscript "24" (cents credit); reverse with an oval "Forwarded by Crosby & Co., Callao, Peru" forwarders handstamp and an indistinct blue arrival c.d.s.; top flap missing, small stamp and cover flaws including tear at left, Fine, Ex-D. Richardson. Prepaid at double the then-current 22¢ per ½ oz. rate for mail carried by American packet to Panama followed by British packet to Peru., AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE EXAMPLE OF A DOUBLE WEIGHT USE OF THE 22¢ TREATY RATE TO PERU PREPAID WITH STAMPS OF THE 1851 ISSUE—THE RATE DIDN'T GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL DECEMBER 1, 1856. Caroline Tucker was built in Stonington, Ct., and operated all over the world. (Image) Get Market Data for [United States 14, 17]	Suggested Bid $2,000-3,000 CLOSED Will close during Public Auction
5			U.S.S. Constellation, Frigate, folded letter addressed to "Lieut. Francis B. White, U.S.F. Constellation, Mediterranean" in care of Capt. Isaac Hull in New York; postmarks with a red "PHIL/2/OCT" c.d.s. and matching "PAID" handstamp, with additional red manuscript "12½" rate, endorsed "to be sent per Ship Alert"; the three-page family letter is from Lt. White's brother, Edwin., Fine to Very Fine, The 38-gun Constellation, built in 1797, served in many conflicts including the War of 1812 and with Commodore Stephen Decatur's Squadron in the Second Barbary War in the Mediterranean, when this letter was written. (Image) Get Market Data for [United States Blockade]	Suggested Bid $300-400 SOLD for $700.00 Will close during Public Auction
6			U.S.S. Constellation, Frigate, folded letter datelined "U. S. Frigate Constellation, off Pensacola Sept 10 1826", postmarked manuscript "Pensacola, 8th September" with matching manuscript "25" to Warren, Pa.; the letter tells of the Florida landscape and of problems with shallow water in the harbor and the"Gulph", where "the moon has no influence on the tides", Very Fine. An excellent Florida Territory cover; the writer, one Charles Wayne who would, soon after this letter was written, become a Navy surgeon, was the nephew of "Mad" Anthony Wayne, The 38-gun Constellation, built in 1797, served in many conflicts including the War of 1812 and with Commodore Stephen Decatur's Squadron in the Second Barbary War in the Mediterranean. She also served in the Pacific and the Caribbean as part of the West Indies Squadron. (Image) Get Market Data for [United States Blockade]	Suggested Bid $250-350 SOLD for $500.00 Will close during Public Auction
7			U.S.S. Cyane, Sloop of War, small cover addressed to "Lieut. Leonard H. Lyne, U.S.N., U. S. Sloop of War 'Cyane', Aspinwall" and endorsed "Per Steamer 'Illinois' Via Nw. York", franked with a pretty four-margin horizontal pair of 10¢ green type I (13), tied by a light 1857 Petersburg, Va. c.d.s. (month & day not struck up), long docketing notation as received Feb 15, 1857, Very Fine, A RARE EXAMPLE OF A NICE PAIR PAIR OF TEN-CENT TYPE I ON COVER. Cyane operated with the Pacific Squadron protecting commerce along the western coast of the Americas. In 1863 she prevented the sloop J. M. Chapman from being used as a Confederate privateer when boarding parties from Cyane took control of the ship as it was preparing to leave San Francisco. (Image) Get Market Data for [United States 13]	Suggested Bid $2,000-3,000 SOLD for $1,600.00 Will close during Public Auction
8			U.S.S. Falmouth, Sloop of War, folded letter to Philadelphia with manuscript endorsement "U.S.S. Falmouth" (in pencil) and datelined the same at Paita, Peru, May 2, 1833; on the reverse it is docketed "Paita May 4 1833, Forwd by Garcia & Girdon, Recd. at the Navy Depot 15th Sept."; once received at Washington Navy Yard, the letter was endorsed "Navy Department", *franked with the signature of Secretary of the Navy, Levi Woodbury* and entered the mails postmarked with a light Sep 15 City of Washington c.d.s. and matching "FREE", Fine to Very Fine, Falmouth launched in 1827. She was removed from ordinary at the start of the war and moved to Aspinwall (Colon) as a stationary stores ship. She served there resupplying ships in the Caribbean that were protecting commerce until 1863 when she was sold. (Image) Get Market Data for [United States Blockade]	Suggested Bid $350-500 SOLD for $225.00 Will close during Public Auction
9			U.S.S. Guerriere, Frigate, folded letter datelined "U. S. Frigate Guerriere, Gibraltar, November 10. 1819" and postmarked with a red Jan 29 New-Bedford, Ms. c.d.s. and a matching straightline "SHIP" with a manuscript "14½" rate, to Hartford, Vermont; letter is quite fragile and missing a small piece of the back and content, about Fine, Guerriere was launched on June 20, 1814, and attached to the Delaware Flotilla. She was transferred to serve as the flagship for Captain Stephen Decatur's squadron to serve in the United States Navy during the Second Barbary War protecting American merchant commerce from piracy from Algiers and other Barbary States. A treaty with Algiers was negotiated on board and she then led the squadron in a show of force, resulting in peace treaties with Tunis and Tripoli in the summer of 1815. She served for seven years as a schoolship at the Norfolk Naval Yard, training midshipmen before the permanent Naval Academy was established. In 1828 she was ordered out to serve as flagship for the US Navy squadron headed for duties in the Pacific. She was decommissioned in 1831 and remained in ordinary in the Naval Yard until broken up in 1841. (Image)	Suggested Bid $200-300 SOLD for $140.00 Will close during Public Auction
10			U.S.S. Independence, Ship of the Line, folded letter datelined "U. S. Frigate Independence, July 10th [1839], Rio de Janeiro", sent as an enclosure to Washington D.C., the address leaf postmarked with a straightline "SHIP", a Sep 7 Boston c.d.s. and a manuscript "27", all in red; the letter, in which the writer tells of having been in Buenos Aires and Montevideo, and address leaf are brittle and split along folds, the letter partially repaired, otherwise Fine to Very Fine, Independence was a ship of the line, but unlike her sister ships, she was cut down and refitted as a large frigate. She served as flagship for the Brazilian, Mediterranean and Pacific Squadrons. In 1857 she became the receiving ship for Mare Island, serving there until 1912. (Image)	Suggested Bid $150-200 SOLD for $100.00 Will close during Public Auction
11			U.S.S. John Adams, Frigate, folded letter datelined "U S Ship John Adams, Fernandina, Amelia Island, Jany. 5th 1818", sent free to the Postmaster at Batavia, N.Y. with manuscript "Free" and illegible franking signature dated Jan 10; entered the mails at Washington D.C. with a brown Jan 21 "WASHN. CITY" and matching handstamped "FREE". The writer, one Ben Follett, provides interesting contradictory Slavery content, joking about perhaps "falling in love" at an upcoming social event, "…if I can find a marriageable Plantation with 100 or 150 Negroes on it, and a pretty girl at the head of the whole concern." And later, when relating the capture of a "patriot Privateer" with her "prize", a Spanish Slave Schooner, and after observing the terrible physical condition of the captive slaves, he writes, "If there is any such place as Hell, Slave traders, in my opinion, will occupy a warm corner in it.", Very Fine, John Adams was commissioned in 1799. She had a long and storied career including obtaining the surrender of Amelia Island from French Privateer Commodore Louis-Michel Aury just before this letter was written. During the Civil War she served in the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. She was the flagship for the inner blockade at Charleston until the city was evacuated and she entered the harbor. (Image)	Suggested Bid $150-200 SOLD for $250.00 Will close during Public Auction
12			U.S.S. Missouri, Side-Wheel Frigate, folded address leaf docketed "Wm B Tremain to D. Green, Crew of U.S.S. Missouri, Ansd 3 Feb 1842", postmarked with a red Jan 28 "New-York Ship/7 cts" c.d.s., to General Duff Green in Washington D.C., Very Fine. Correspondence from the first U.S.S. Missouri is very rare, given its less than two years of service time., Missouri, commissioned early in 1841, crossed the Atlantic on a diplomatic voyage in August 1843 - the first transatlantic crossing by an American steam-powered warship. While anchored at Gibraltar, a crewman accidentally caused a fire in the storeroom. The flames spread rapidly, making it necessary to abandon ship and, after burning for more than four hours, causing the forward powder magazine to explode, completely destroying the ship. (Image)	Suggested Bid $150-200 SOLD for $100.00 Will close during Public Auction
13			U.S.S. Raritan, Frigate, cover with manuscript endorsement "Raritan, Rio de Janeiro, Sept 6th 1845", postmarked with a nice strike of a red Oct 27 "New-York Ship/7 cts" c.d.s., to Kingston, R.I., Very Fine, Raritan was built in 1820 but not launched until 1843. She served in the South Atlantic as flagship for Commodore Daniel Turner until returning to the United States in November 1845. She operated with the Home Squadron as it blockaded the east coast of Mexico and supported Army forces during the war with Mexico. She joined Potomac in landing 500 men at Point Isabel to reinforce that military depot in May 1846. In 1849 she served as flagship of the West Indies Squadron, then as flagship for the Home Squadron. She was then transferred to the Pacific to cruise between Panama and Cape Horn. In 1852 she was placed in ordinary at Norfolk, where she remained until she was destroyed by Union forces April 20, 1861, as they evacuated the Navy Yard. (Image)	Suggested Bid $150-200 CLOSED Will close during Public Auction
14			U.S.S. Raritan, Frigate, folded letter addressed to "Passd. Midshipn. Robert Townsend, Frigate Raritan, Rio de Janeiro, South America, Care of Naval Lyceum, Brooklyn, N.Y., the letter is from Townsend's mother and is datelined Albany, N.Y., August 17, 1844; it is marked with a penciled "Paid" but no Albany postmark; handstamped with a partial "U S NAVAL LYCEUM" Full-Rigged Ship oval; in the meantime, Midshipman Townsend had transferred from the Raritan to the Porpoise so the cover was returned to New York via Annapolis with all the original routing crossed off, including the penciled "Paid", with a red Mar 13 (1844) Annapolis c.d.s., a matching straightline "SHIP" and a manuscript "20¾" with another light, but virtually complete strike of the "U S NAVAL LYCEUM" oval on the reverse (along with some some contemporaneous pencil notes; bit of ink erosion where the "Care of…" endorsement is crossed out, Fine to Very Fine, Raritan was built in 1820 but not launched until 1843. She served in the South Atlantic as flagship for Commodore Daniel Turner until returning to the United States in November 1845. She operated with the Home Squadron, then as flagship of the West Indies Squadron, and again with the Home Squadron, this time as flag ship. She was then transferred to the Pacific for a year, then, in 1852 retired at Norfolk, where she remained until she was destroyed by Union forces as they evacuated the Navy Yard. Robert Townsend, the addressee, eventually rose to the rank of Captain and had a highly successful career with the Union Navy during the Civil War. (Image) (Image2) Get Market Data for [United States 1844]	Suggested Bid $500-750 SOLD for $325.00 Will close during Public Auction
15			U.S.S. Shark, Schooner, folded letter datelined "U. S. Schooner Shark, Corfu [Ionian Islands] July 30th 1836" with a red "PHILa/ 6/ OCT" octagon and matching, lightly struck "SHIP" with a red manuscript "23¾" rate; sent care of the U.S. Consul to Newport, R.I.; letter is 3½ partly cross-written pages from a sailor to his wife telling of the voyage, cholera in Trieste, etc; bit of wax seal damage, Fine to Very Fine. A rare point of origin; the rate was 18¾¢ to Newport plus the 2¢ ship fee., Shark was built in the Washington Navy Yard and launched on May 17, 1821. She sailed August 7 to make her first cruise for the suppression of the slave trade and piracy, arriving in Sierra Leone in October and then returned to New York January 1, 1822. In February of the same year she joined Commodore James Biddle's squadron and continued her work on the suppression of slave trading and piracy from the West Indies to Africa. In 1832 she was assigned to the Pacific Squadron and set sail from Hampton Roads. She was the first United States man-of-war to pass through the Straits of Magellan from east to west, December 13, 1839, en route to Callao, Peru. During the next five years, she spent much of her time along the coast of Peru to protect American citizens and property during civil disturbances in that country. She sank after hitting a shoal near the mouth of the Columbia River in September 1846. (Image) Get Market Data for [United States Blockade]	Suggested Bid $250-350 SOLD for $150.00 Will close during Public Auction

Civil War Postal History: Union

**General Civil War Covers & Documents**
LotNo.	Symbol	CatNo.	Lot Description
16			Naval Ship Mail, cover franked with a 3¢ rose (65) tied by a clear strike of the scarce undated double-circle "U. S. SHIP" with fleurons, to Winchester, Mass.; flap tear, Very Fine. According to Milgram, there are fewer than 25 recorded examples of this particular "U.S. SHIP" handstamp. (Image) Get Market Data for [United States 65]	Suggested Bid $150-200 CLOSED Will close during Public Auction
17			Soldier's Due Mail, small *Seated Liberty patriotic cover* (Weiss F-SI 23) to Wendell, Mass., properly endorsed with manuscript "soldier letter" and rubber-stamped "(E)F Jones, Colonel Mass 26th", postmarked "U.S. SHIP/ 3cts." in circle; reduced at the left with a bit of toning and edge wear at the top, about Fine. This cover would have been mailed sometime between Dec 3, 1861 and Apr 15, 1862, when the 26th Massachusetts was based at Ship Island, Miss. (Image)	Suggested Bid $150-200 SOLD for $160.00 Will close during Public Auction
18			Battle of Cherbourg, Carte de Visite photograph ca. 1870s by Frederic Jones of London, from a painting by Capt. W. J. Anderson, "Action Off Cherbourg. 19th June 1864", Fine to Very Fine, The Battle of Cherbourg was between the Sloops of War, U.S.S. Kearsarge and C.S.S. Alabama, the most successful commerce raider in maritime history. Kearsarge finally prevailed, sinking Alabama and rescuing the majority of Alabama's survivors. However, while Kearsarge's Captain John Winslow stood helplessly by, British politician, John Lancaster's private yacht, Deerhound was able to rescue 41 of Alabama's officers and crew, including her Captain Raphael Semmes, and escape with them to Britain. (Image) (Image2)	Suggested Bid $150-200 SOLD for $140.00 Will close during Public Auction
19			Battle of Hampton Roads, marvelous 3½-page letter datelined "Fortress Monroe, March 1862", written by Private Chester W. Cobb, describing the battle between the Confederate Ironclad Virginia and the Union Navy, in part, "…as severe a Naval Engagement as ever witnessed on any water. Had it not been for the timely arrival of the Ericcson Battery [the Monitor] our whole harbor would have been 'cleaned out'…the largest balls from the Gun Boats had no more effect on the 'Merrimack' [then the C.S.S. Virginia] than so many peas."; Cobb also notes the "Rebel's" name for the Monitor: "the black Yankee cheese box on a raft"; also noted, "Prof. Lowe the Balloonist* arrived here today with his Balloon where he is expected to remain for the present."includes the cover of transmittal to Clinton Junction, Wis. franked with a 3¢ rose (65)* tied by a Mar 18 Old Point Comfort, Va. c.d.s., Very Fine. (Image) (Image2) Get Market Data for [United States 65]	Suggested Bid $300-400 SOLD for $475.00 Will close during Public Auction
20			Ship Island, Miss., cover franked with a pen-canceled 3¢ rose (65) and postmarked with the straightline "SHIP ISLAND/ MISS." with manuscript "Apr 14" date and "Due 3", to Philadelphia, Very Fine. The letter must have weighed more than a half ounce, thus incurring the extra 3¢ due. (Image) Get Market Data for [United States 65]	Suggested Bid $150-200 SOLD for $225.00 Will close during Public Auction