Confederacy, (Trans-Mississippi) 1863, 10¢ Blue, Strip of Four. Ample margins to barely in at bottom left, tied by two strikes of "Austin, Tex." postmarks on Trans-Mississippi Cover to Sumterville, Ala., manuscript. endorsement, "Express Mail Via Shreveport" at bottom left, Very Fine, a very scare and wonderful example of the Trans-Mississippi express mail, As a matter of interest, East-to-West express mail covers clearly out number their West-to-East cousins by about 3 to 1. (Pictured in Monroe Book, pg. 58); with 1989 C.S.A. certificate. Scott No. 11  Estimate $3,000 - 4,000. The mighty Mississippi River was the geographical divider of the Confederate States of America. Because of significant Union presence along much of this great waterway and Yankee raiding of nearby towns, the Confederate Post Office Department experienced an inability to provide reliable East-West mail service. When Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Port Hudson, Louisiana, fell in July 1863, the Union gained complete control of the Mississippi River. A few months before the fall of these two important towns, the Confederate Congress authorized a Trans-Mississippi express mail service to help alleviate the problem. Postmaster General John H. Reagan set a pre-paid rate of 40¢ for each single letter of ½ ounce in weight. An agreement was signed in Richmond, Virginia, on October 20, 1863, to begin the Trans-Mississippi express service between Meridian, Mississippi, and Shreveport, Louisiana. There was no handstamp used for this service. Only the 40¢ postage and usually a manuscript route marking "Via Meridian" (if westbound) or ''Via Shreveport' (if eastbound) are on express mail envelopes. The earliest known usage of this service is October 26, 1863, which was a westbound cover. The latest known usage is April 1865 (sometime between April 1-12), which was also a westbound cover. $0 (Image)