The John Birkinbine II Collection of of Arizona and New Mexico Postal History continued...

**Civil War and Confederate Arizona continued...**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description
1098		Mesilla Jany 25” (1863) Manuscript Postmark--Earliest U.S. Post Office Contract Mail from Arizona after Union Occupation. Four 3¢ Rose (65) with manuscript X” cancels on buff cover to Capt. W. L. Parvin, Co. F, 1st Infantry, California Volunteers, in San Francisco, postmark applied by Postmaster Francis De Ryther, carried on U.S. Post Office Route 14465 from Mesilla to Kansas City via Santa Fe (contract effective January 1, 1863), stage operated by Cottrill, Vickroy & Co.’s Santa Fe and Colorado Stage Co., pencil Resigned” (Capt. Parvin resigned at Mesilla on Nov. 26, 1862), San Francisco, Cal. Advertised Mar. 11” circular datestamp on back, stamps have faults, cover reduced at right, still Fine, an important cover postmarked at Mesilla after Union occupation of Arizona and carried on the first contract mail route in the Military District of Arizona--one of two known (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 1,500-2,000 SOLD for $1,600.00 Will close during Public Auction
1099		Arizona City A.T. March 3” (1863) Manuscript Postmark--The Earliest Recorded Arizona Territory Postmark. Buff cover to James M. Reynolds, S.F. Canal Office, in Placerville, California, 3¢ Rose (65) with squiggle pen cancels and tied by postmark, wide interpane margin and nicked corner, half of backflap missing VERY FINE. THE EARLIEST RECORDED COVER FROM THE TERRITORY OF ARIZONA. In late January 1862, a flood at the confluence of the Gila and Colorado Rivers destroyed Arizona City. The Hooper mercantile store, including the post office, records, equipment and cancelling device washed away. The post office was discontinued June 8, 1863 (later reestablished as Yuma), which proves the 1863 year date of this cover. The postmaster used the A.T.” designation for provisional Arizona Territory, but he did not yet know that Arizona Territory was officially established by Congress on February 24, 1863. (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 2,000-3,000 SOLD for $2,000.00 Will close during Public Auction
1100		1863 July 21--Vedette Mail from Tucson to Los Angeles via Fort Yuma, U.S. Mail to Sacramento. Buff cover endorsed *Soldier’s letter C.O.D., Lt. Zabriskie, Adjt. 5th Infy CV”* from Corporal Edward A. Chamberlain (Co. H., 5th Infantry, California Volunteers) to Sacramento, California, originated at Tucson and carried by Vedette Mail to Fort Yuma, then by second Vedette trip from Fort Yuma to Los Angeles, entered mails with Los Angeles Cal. Jul. 25” circular datestamp and DUE 3 CTS” in oval handstamp (manuscript rate at new 3¢ rate, effective July 1, 1863), piece of backflap missing, Very Fine (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 1,000-1,500 SOLD for $1,700.00 Will close during Public Auction
1101		1863 November 1--Only Reported Vedette Mail Cover to a Foreign Destination. Yellow cover to F. B. Parker in Stirling, Canada West, with original letter datelined *Fort Yuma Cal, November 1st 1863”* from newly appointed Assistant Surgeon Robert Parker (4th Infantry, California Volunteers) who writes that he has been waiting three months to reach Fort Mohave due to low water level in Colorado River (upon arrival he was discharged due to non-reporting), carried by Vedette Mail from Fort Yuma to Los Angeles where 5¢ Red Brown (75) pair and single paying 15¢ rate were cancelled by grid and tied by Los Angeles Cal. Nov. 15” circular datestamp, partly clear Canadian backstamp (Dec. 15, 1863), stamps at left and right have faults, right edge reduced with mended nick at bottom right, otherwise Fine, the Vedettes carried mail for soldiers, of which a very small amount was addressed beyond the borders of the United States--John Birkinbine reports this as the only known example (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 1,500-2,000 SOLD for $800.00 Will close during Public Auction
1102		1863 December--Civilian Mail Carried by Vedette Riders. Cover to Mrs. J. H. Howard in New York City from her brother, Andrew Glover, a gold miner, with original letter datelined *Fort Mohave, N.M., December 1863”, carried by Vedette Mail to Los Angeles where Los Angeles Cal. Jan. 1” (1864) circular datestamp was applied and 3¢ Rose (65) cancelled by grid, stamp has faults and is tied by vertical crease in cover, otherwise Fine, the Vedettes typically carried mail for soldiers, but evidently also handled some small amount of civilian mail (the Union command supported gold prospecting in the area around Fort Mohave)--letter states There is no mail to this place. A Gov. Express connects with San Pedro carrying letters for persons in the employ of the Gov’mt.”--John Birkinbine reports this as the only known example of a civilian letter carried by Vedette Mail (Image)* Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 500-750 SOLD for $550.00 Will close during Public Auction
1103		1863 November-December--France to Arizona Territory. Blue front only addressed in French to *Mecille Arizona”* and *per Santa Fée”, France 1853 80c Rose (20), large margins all around, tied by diamond of dots cancel, Ustaritz 7 Nov 63” double-circle datestamp, red PD” in frame and Am Service” in frame handstamps, part strike of different red PD” in frame (with D” in manucript), red Boston Nov. 24 Paid 15” 15¢ credit datestamp, mounted on card with piece of flap showing French transit datestamp, sealed tear at right, still Fine and presentable, carried on the Inman City of Baltimore* (depart Nov. 12, arrive New York Nov. 24, 1863), sent by train to Kansas City, Missouri, then by stage on Route 10547 to Santa Fe and another stage to Mesilla on Route 12851--John Birkinbine reports this is the only cover from France addressed to Arizona during Civil War (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 500-750 CLOSED Will close during Public Auction
1104		Mesilla, N.M. Jan. 23” (1864) Rimless Circular Datestamp--Only Reported Example of the First Mesilla Datestamp after Union Occupation. 3¢ Rose (65) cancelled by segmented cork, clear and mostly complete strike of circular datestamp on yellow cover to Teresa C. Sculy in New York City, reduced at left, otherwise Fine, carried on stagecoaches to Santa Fe (Route 12851) and Kansas City, Missouri (Route 10547)--John Birkinbine reports this is the only example of the first Mesilla datestamp after U.S. occupation, ex Dr. Dike (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com	E. 500-750 SOLD for $550.00 Will close during Public Auction

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