Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

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

Early Mail and Expresses continued...

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

1026

Tucson NM Nov 21” (1858) Manuscript Postmark on Eastbound Mail Carried by Military Express from Fort Buchanan to Tucson, then by Butterfield Overland Mail to St. Louis. 3¢ Red on Buff Nesbitt entire (U10) addressed in the hand of Captain Richard S. Ewell (commander 1st Dragoons, U.S. Army, later a general in C.S.A. Army), to his niece Elizabeth in Williamsburg, Virginia, slight toning
VERY FINE. THIS IS THE EARLIEST REPORTED COVER FROM ARIZONA CARRIED ON THE BUTTERFIELD SOUTHERN OVERLAND MAIL ROUTE.
The sender of this cover, Captain Ewell, arrived in the area of southern Arizona in November 1856 with Major Enoch Steen and the 1st Dragoons. They established Camp Moore in mid-November 1856, which was relocated and renamed Fort Buchanan in mid-1857. This November 1858 cover from Capt. Ewell was carried by military express from Fort Buchanan to the post office at Tucson, where the November 21 manuscript postmark was applied by Postmaster Fred Leimbach. It was picked up by the eastbound Butterfield Overland Mail stage and carried to St. Louis via Fort Smith (by stage to Tipton, Missouri).
After raging sectional debate between Northern and Southern leglislators, in March 1857 Congress authorized the southern overland mail route, variously called the Southern Route, Great Overland Mail, Butterfield Route, and, owing to its curving path, the Horseshoe or Oxbow Route. After receiving proposals, Postmaster General Aaron V. Brown, former governor of Tennessee, awarded the Post Office contract for Route 12578 to a consortium organized by John Butterfield, which named itself the Overland Mail Company. The contract was signed on September 16, 1857, with service to commence one year later. The first eastbound Butterfield stagecoach left San Francisco at 1:00 a.m. in the morning on Wednesday, September 15, 1858 (Daily Alta California, Sep. 15, 1858). The first westbound mail left St. Louis on September 16. The struggling San Antonio and San Diego Mail Line, which had been awarded the western portion of the route in a consolation prize,” was ultimately defunded and subordinated to the Butterfield line. Service was suspended in March 1861, due to the Civil War.
The distance from Tucson to St. Louis on the Southern Route was approximately 1,800 miles, which required about 15 days to cover. This cover was postmarked at Tucson on Sunday, November 21, 1858. Eastbound stage departures from Tucson were scheduled at 3:00 a.m. on Saturdays (Sunday morning), so this was probably postmarked in advance of the November 21 departure (or, less likely, the November 24 departure). Although Arizona covers from earlier Butterfield trips could exist, this is currently the earliest recorded, and it is extremely rare from Arizona, regardless of the date.
Ex Persson and Shipley (Image)
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E. 5,000-7,500

SOLD for $4,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

1027

1859 March--Butterfield Overland Way Mail via Tucson. 3¢ Red on Buff Nesbitt entire (U10) addressed to Mrs. D. W. Wilson in Philadelphia with sender’s route directive via Tuson & St. Louis” indicating the cover was picked up west of Tucson and east of Pima Villages at one of the Butterfield stations without a post office (Oneida, Blue Water, Pichacho Pass or Point of Mountain), perfect strike of Tucson N.M. Mar. 22” (1859) circular datestamp

EXTREMELY FINE. REPORTED TO BE THE ONLY KNOWN VERIFIABLE WAY COVER FROM ARIZONA CARRIED ON THE BUTTERFIELD OVERLAND MAIL ROUTE.

The Butterfield stage picked up letters en route and had them postmarked at the next post office. This is the only reported cover with a route directive proving it is way mail from Arizona. Another cover from this correspondence is offered in lot 1056. (Image)

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E. 3,000-4,000

SOLD for $5,250.00
Will close during Public Auction

1028

1859 September 17--Butterfield Overland Mail via Memphis, Tennessee. Cover addressed to Hon. Alexander H. Stephens (future Confederate vice president) in Crawfordville, Georgia, bold Tucson N.M. Sep. 17” (1859) circular datestamp, manuscript Free” (congressional free mail), forwarded to Warrenton, Georgia, with Crawfordville Ga. Oct. 9” circular datestamp, receipt docketing Sylvester Mowry, Tuscon Arizona, Sept. 14, 1859 is re-elected”, backflap is repaired and might be a replacement (as often with the Stephens correspondence)

VERY FINE. EXTREMELY RARE BUTTERFIELD OVERLAND MAIL COVER VIA MEMPHIS.

The Butterfield route forked at Fort Smith into St. Louis and Memphis branches, and the Fort Smith-Memphis line was subcontracted to another carrier. Mail and passengers were carried in one of three ways: by rail and stage; over an all-water route on the Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers; or by stage between Fort Smith and Des Arc, supplemented by steamboats on the White and Mississippi Rivers. Very little mail was carried on the Memphis branch. (Image)

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E. 3,000-4,000

CLOSED
Will close during Public Auction

1029

Tucson N.M. Nov. 6” (1859). Perfect strike of circular datestamp ties well-centered 3¢ Dull Red, Ty. III (26) on OVERLAND--via--Los Angeles” hand-colored illustrated four-horse stagecoach cover to Oramel Clark in Springfield, Illinois, slightly reduced and tiny edge tear at right, small edge nick at upper left, backstamped Library of Hannibal Hamlin”

VERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED ILLUSTRATED STAGECOACH COVER USED FROM ARIZONA. ADDING TO ITS HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE IS THAT FACT THAT IT PASSED FROM THE ADDRESSEE, ORAMEL CLARK, TO HIS FRIEND AND NEIGHBOR IN SPRINGFIELD, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, WHO IN TURN PRESENTED IT TO HANNIBAL HAMLIN, VICE PRESIDENT DURING LINCOLN’S FIRST TERM.

Ex J. David Baker (Image)

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E. 20,000-30,000

CLOSED
Will close during Public Auction

1030

Fort Buchanan N.M. May 5” (1860) Circular Datestamp--Military Express to Tubac, then by Lathrop’s Buckboard Mail to Tucson, and from Tucson to St. Louis by Butterfield Overland Mail. Perfect strike of circular datestamp on 3¢ Red on Buff Nesbitt entire (U10) addressed in the hand of Captain Richard S. Ewell (commander 1st Dragoons, U.S. Army, later a general in C.S.A. Army), to his niece Elizabeth in Williamsburg, Virginia, with directive Via Washington D.C.” , docketing note on back Relating to child captured from Indians”

EXTREMELY FINE. A CLEAR STRIKE OF THE RARE FORT BUCHANAN DATESTAMP ON A COVER FROM CAPTAIN RICHARD OLD BALDY” EWELL--LATER A CONFEDERATE GENERAL.

The sender of this cover, Captain Richard S. Ewell, arrived in the area of southern Arizona in November 1856 with Major Enoch Steen and the 1st Dragoons. They established Camp Moore in mid-November 1856, which was relocated and renamed Fort Buchanan in mid-1857. This May 1860 cover from Capt. Ewell was carried by military express from Fort Buchanan to the post office at Tubac. It was carried from Tubac to Tucson by S. H. Lathrop, who was under contract to transport mail once a week between the two towns. At Tucson the cover was put on the eastbound Butterfield Overland Mail stage to St. Louis via Fort Smith.

In early 1860 Captain Ewell successfully negotiated the release of eleven-year old Mercedes Sias Quiroz, one of two young women abducted by Pinal Apaches (the other was seriously injured and returned to camp after Mercedes’s release). In recognition of his efforts, one of four Arizona territorial counties was named Ewell. In May 1860, around the time this cover was postmarked, he inspected the site where Fort Breckinridge was eventually established to prevent Apache attacks. Before construction of the new fort was completed, Ewell returned east in January 1861 due to recurring malaria infections. The note on back indicates that Ewell’s letter contained a report of the recovery of the young hostage.

S. H. Lathrop’s Buckboard Contract Mail -- The Overland Mail route passed through Tucson, but not Tubac, which lies approximately 45 miles south on the Camino Real. The Tubac postmaster, D. F. Hulseman, contracted with S. H. Lathrop, treasurer of the Sonora Exploration and Mining Co., to carry mail on weekly buckboard trips between the two towns. (Image)

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E. 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $2,100.00
Will close during Public Auction

1031

1860 May 19--Butterfield Overland Mail to Tucson, then by Lathrop’s Buckboard Mail to Tubac, and by Private Rider to Fort Buchanan N.M. 3¢ Dull Red, Ty. III (26) vertical pair tied by one of two clear strikes of St. Louis Mo. May 19, 1860” circular datestamp on cover to George W. McDowell at Fort Buchanan, backflap reattached, small hole in back, still Extremely Fine, McDowell lived at Soñorita Creek, this was carried on the Butterfield route as far as Tucson, then south to Tubac by Lathrop’s buckboard contract mail, and from there by a rider with the Compadre Silver Mining Works (Image)

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E. 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $1,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

1032

1860 May 17--Butterfield Overland Mail to Tucson, then by Lathrop’s Buckboard Mail to Tubac, and by Private Rider to Fort Buchanan N.M. 3¢ Dull Red, Ty. III (26) tied by clear strike of St. Louis Mo. May 17, 1860” circular datestamp on cover to George W. McDowell at Fort Buchanan, slightly reduced at top, small hole in back, still Extremely Fine, McDowell lived at Soñorita Creek, this was carried on the Butterfield route as far as Tucson, then south to Tubac by Lathrop’s buckboard contract mail, and from there by a rider with the Compadre Silver Mining Works (Image)

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E. 750-1,000

SOLD for $400.00
Will close during Public Auction

1033

10¢ Green, Ty. V (35). Rich color, tied by San Francisco Cal. Feb. 21, 1861” circular datestamp on buff cover with OVERLAND VIA LOS ANGELES” illustrated six-horse stagecoach design, Hutchings imprint, addressed to Cornville, Maine, very slightly reduced at left, small erasure above route directive

EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE ILLUSTRATED BUTTERFIELD STAGECOACH COVER CARRIED ACROSS ARIZONA IN FEBRUARY-MARCH 1861, JUST BEFORE THE CLOSURE OF THE SOUTHERN ROUTE.

The last eastbound Butterfield stage left San Francisco on Monday, April 1, 1861 (Walske-Frajola, Mails of the Westward Expansion 1803-1861, pp. 170-171). The Daily Alta California (April 6, 1861) published a letter from the San Francisco postmaster dated April 5 (Friday) announcing he had received instructions from Washington, D.C., to discontunue the Overland Mail, but he stated that he would continue to send mail on stages between Los Angeles and San Francisco (and way stations in between), which was separately announced as The New Los Angeles Mail.” Another letter from the newspaper’s St. Louis correspondent, dated May 1, 1861 (published May 16) stated: We have had no Overland mail since that of March 26th arrived, and the agents inform me today that the remaining ones due in this city have probably been sent to San Antonio, to be brought hence by steamer to Galveston, and so on to New Orleans. By this irregular route, there is no knowing when the letters which left your city between March 25th and April 2d, by Overland Mail, will arrive here.”

Ex Grunin. With 1988 P.F. certificate (Image)

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E. 4,000-5,000

SOLD for $3,250.00
Will close during Public Auction

1034

1861 Wells, Fargo & Co. Printed Announcement of Discontinuance of Overland Mail via Los Angeles. One-page folded notice datelined San Francisco, April 8, 1861, To Our Agents Who Sell Exchange” announcing that the semi-weekly overland mail via Los Angeles has been discontinued and that on July 1 it will be replaced by daily overland mail via Sacramento, Placerville, Carson Valley and Salt Lake, advises agents While this interruption continues, we must depend upon the Steamers” (via Panama) and the Pony Express,” also notes All Drafts which are to be forwarded by PONY EXPRESS, should be so NOTED in your advices”, piece out of bottom left far from printed notice, tear and nick at top, still exhibitable, a fascinating postal history document related to both the Butterfield Route and the Pony Express over the Central Route (Image)

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E. 400-500

SOLD for $300.00
Will close during Public Auction

1035

1851-59 Post Office Department Notices. Four items: printed notices to postmasters dated October 24, 1851 Regulations Concerning Postage Stamps”, 1854 Instructions” and 1855 New Postage Act”, and 1859 Postmaster General report of Butterfield Overland Mail contract, all of which affected the mails through Arizona (Image)

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E. 300-400

SOLD for $170.00
Will close during Public Auction