Confederacy, (Trans-Mississippi) Post Office "Non-Express" 10¢ Transmississippi Rate. Cover franked with 1863 10¢ milky blue single tied by red "Alexandria, La./Feb. 23" (1864) cds and addressed to "Miss S. T. Baldwin, Care J.B. Knight, Esq., Munfords Station, Taladega County, Ala." and has a "Via Mobile & Selma" notation which is in the handwriting of the sender, also docketed "June 20th" with the number "36", presumably the docketing means letter number 36 received on June 20 (1864) - almost four months after being mailed, a telltale sign of how difficult it was to get mail across the Mississippi River, Very Fine A Wonderful Rarity, Illustrated in the Trepel/Walske book Special Mail Routes of the American Civil War: A Guide to Across-the?Lines Postal History (Pictured in Monroe Book, pg. 61). Scott No. 11  Estimate $1,500 - 2,000. When Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Port Hudson, Louisiana, fell in July 1863, the Union forces gained complete control of the entire Mississippi River. Understandably, this had a dramatic impact on the ability of the Confederate Post Office Department to freely transmit mail between the States east and west of the river. Prior to the fall of these two important cities, Postmaster General John H. Reagan had already anticipated the disastrous effect upon Trans-Mississippi mail routes and began to take extraordinary actions to insure reasonably reliable mail service across the Mississippi River. On May 1, 1863, the Confederate Congress authorized the Post Office Department to establish a Trans-Mississippi express mail service. Postmaster General Reagan set a pre-paid rate of 40¢ for each single letter of ½ ounce in weight. However, the reality was that this new service was not reliable and a very dangerous endeavor which helps to explain why there are only 119 known Trans-Mississippi covers sent after the fall of Vicksburg, Mississippi. A "non-express" Trans-Mississippi cover is defined as one which was transmitted entirely within the Confederate postal system after the fall of Vicksburg, Mississippi, that reflects a payment of less than 40¢. Included in the inventory of 119 known Trans-Mississippi covers are 8 "non-express" usages. This cover is one of two known West-to-East "non-express" Trans-Mississippi usages (the other six are East-to-West). $0 (Image)