Confederacy, "Doaksville, C.N. / May 9, 1861", manuscript postmark ties U.S. 1857, 3¢ dull red on cover addressed to Mrs. C.R. Woodruff in Huntington, Long Island, N.Y., Very Fine and choice, ex-Bleuler. Scott No. US #26  Estimate $5,000 - 7,500. A UNIQUE CHOCTAW NATION ITEM OF THE HIGHEST RARITY. This cover was mailed to Huntington, Long Island soon after Arkansas seceded. Because of the close relationship and interdependence of the Indian Nations postal system to the Arkansas postal system, it is considered an "Independent State Usage".For the first fifty years of its existence "Indian Territory" post offices functioned under a U.S. Post Office Department administrative attachment to Arkansas (territory and state). This resulted in the designation "Ark" appearing in many Indian Nation postmarks as late as 1880. The Fort Smith, Arkansas, post office was the hub for much of the mail from the Indian Nations. In light of the impending Civil War, the Union withdrew all their military forces on May 4, 1861, from the Indian Nations to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. On May 6, 1861, Arkansas seceded from the Union. Fortunately, the letter, written by a female missionary teacher at the "Spencer (Academy, Choctaw Nation)/May 1, 1861", has remained with the cover, and includes some interesting comments on secession and the current state of the postal system of the Indian Nations. For example:"…we are afraid the mails will stop. We had word from the P.O. on Monday that we need not send down any more letters as the mails had cededed (sic) but the Ft. Smith mail has come down & is here tonight & so I will write for fear this will be my last chance.""Remember us with much love to all our friends. Tell Mother her letter I cannot answer tonight for it is now eleven o'clock if she don't here (sic) from us soon tell her we have seceded."References: Pictured in Sanders/Gunter Confederate Post Offices, Postmasters and Postmarks of the Trans-Mississippi States book on pg. 38 and in Monroe Book on pg. 3. $0 (Image)