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VERY FINE. THIS IS REPORTED TO BE THE EARLIEST OF THE FEW KNOWN MANUSCRIPT POSTMARKS FROM FORT DEFIANCE, USED BEFORE THE CIRCULAR DATESTAMP WAS IMPLEMENTED.
Fort Defiance, the first military post in present-day Arizona (then part of New Mexico Territory), was established on September 18, 1851, by Col. Edwin V. Sumner during his campaign against the Navajo. The conflicts with Navajo, generally over use of land for grazing and theft of livestock, escalated into two major attacks—one in 1856 and another in 1860. In 1861, with the start of the Civil War, the U.S. Army abandoned Fort Defiance. It was reestablished as Fort Canby in 1863. The fort did not have a U.S. post office until the appointment of John E. Weber as postmaster on April 9, 1856. The post office was discontinued on October 21, 1863. There was no mail contract for service to and from the fort, so military couriers were used to bring mail to Albuquerque, where it was carried by stage to Santa Fe and from there by the Hall-Hockaday contract mail stage to Independence.
This and the covers in lots 1043 and 1044 are from the same sender and are dated in September 1857 and June-July 1858, which corresponds to the periods in which members of the Beale Expedition were located at Fort Defiance. This expedition was tasked with exploring the roads from Fort Defiance west to the Colorado River, which resulted in the construction of Beale’s Wagon Road. Camels imported from the Middle East were tested for the first time on this expedition. We have not been able to establish a connection between the name Ridgway and the Beale Expedition.
Ex Dr. Dike and Everett (Image)
VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE MANUSCRIPT FORT DEFIANCE POSTMARK.
This letter contains an interesting report on postal arrangements: After this we expect our mail with more regularity as Major Brooks has established a semi-monthly mail to Albuquerque...”
Ex Rubel and Longfellow (Image)
VERY FINE. ONE OF FIVE REPORTED COVERS WITH THE FORT DEFIANCE DATESTAMP.
Ex Dr. Dike and Shipley (Image)
EXTREMELY FINE. THE FINEST KNOWN STRIKE OF THE RARE FORT DEFIANCE DATESTAMP.
Fort Defiance, the first military post in present-day Arizona (then part of New Mexico Territory), was established on September 18, 1851, by Col. Edwin V. Sumner during his campaign against the Navajo. The conflicts with Navajo, generally over use of land for grazing and theft of livestock, escalated into two major attacks—one in 1856 and another in 1860. In 1861, with the start of the Civil War, the U.S. Army abandoned Fort Defiance. It was reestablished as Fort Canby in 1863. The fort did not have a U.S. post office until the appointment of John E. Weber as postmaster on April 9, 1856. The post office was discontinued on October 21, 1863. There was no mail contract for service to and from the fort, so military couriers were used to bring mail to Albuquerque, where it was carried by stage to Santa Fe and from there by the Hall-Hockaday contract mail stage to Independence. (Image)
VERY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING AND EXTREMELY RARE COVER TO EUROPE FROM FORT DEFIANCE IN NEW MEXICO TERRITORY.
The 12¢ pair overpays the 15¢ treaty rate to France. The sender might have been confused about the applicable rate and incorrectly applied the postage for a letter to England. (Image)
VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE COVER TO EUROPE FROM FORT DEFIANCE IN NEW MEXICO TERRITORY.
Illustrated in Brookman, Vol. I (p. 225) (Image)