Confederacy, Confederate States/Head Quarters, District Texas, New Mexico and Arizona./Official Business. Semi-official imprint on cover to Waverly, Tex. postmarked by "Houston, Tex./Mat 23, 1863" cds with straight line "Paid" handstamp, manuscript charge notation, most of bottom flap torn away, Very Fine, This is an extremely rare example of the Headquarters, District of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona military "official business" imprinted envelope. ex-Seacrest (Pictured in Monroe Book, pg. 37). Estimate  $2,000 - 3,000. One does not often associate the US Territories of New Mexico and Arizona with the colorful past of the Confederate States of America. Yet the CS Army operated for approximately one year in these territories. Confederate forces (Texas Volunteers) under Lieutenant Colonel John R. Baylor, after seizing Union Fort Bliss in Texas, entered into the US Territory of New Mexico on July 25, 1861 and seized Union Fort Fillmore. On August 1, 1861, Baylor declared the area south of 34° north latitude the "Territory of Arizona" in the name of the Confederate States and established a military government. Later in August the boundary was extended to 36°30' by his decree. The town of Mesilla in the New Mexico Territory was named the capital of the newly established Confederate "Territory of Arizona" which included a portion of the US Territories of New Mexico and Arizona. On December 14, 1861, Brigadier General Henry H. Sibley designated his far-reaching command in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona as "The Army of New Mexico". On January 11, 1862, Sibley's army moved to Mesilla, then extended north to Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and as far west as Tucson. On February 18, 1862, President Jefferson Davis proclaimed the "Territory of Arizona" a part of the Confederate States of America. Stretched supply lines, military defeats, poor morale and Union reinforcements combined to force the Confederate army to retreat back into Texas with the last troops abandoning the "Territory of Arizona" on July 8, 1862. Although the Confederates continued to consider the "Territory of Arizona" part of the Confederacy and made several plans for another invasion, they were never able to execute these plans. Sibley's brigade would be called by many the "Arizona Brigade" and continued to serve in various areas of Texas and Louisiana during the remainder of the war. Because of his limited military successes, Sibley would eventually be demoted to directing supply trains. $0 (Image)