The Brandon Collection of Confederate States, Part 2 continued...

VERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED USE OF THE 5-CENT BLUE LITHOGRAPH ON A TRANS-MISSISSIPPI EXPRESS COVER. THE MIXED-ISSUE COMBINATION FOR THE 40-CENT GOVERNMENT EXPRESS RATE IS SPECTACULAR AND UNIQUE, MAKING THIS ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING GENERAL ISSUE COVERS EXTANT.

This cover was postmarked on August 29, 1864, at Shreveport, Louisiana, the location of the Confederate States Trans-Mississippi Department. It is dated about three months after the Union's Red River Campaign (March 10-May 22, 1864) against the Confederate forces along the Red River in Louisiana. The campaign was a dismal failure for the Federal army, and the outcome basically ended the military career of Major General Nathaniel P. Banks.

At this point in the war, eastbound Trans-Mississippi mail had to cross via ad hoc secondary routes further south near Simmsport and Red River Landing. The unusual combination of stamps on this cover and the presence of pen cancels on the 5c Lithographs, but not the 10c Engraved stamps, suggests that it was brought to the Shreveport post office with only 10c postage (the two 5c stamps), and the additional 30c postage (three 10c stamps) was applied there to make up the required 40c rate for government express service across the river. Further supporting this theory is the presence of writing (in a different hand than address) under the 10c pair, which we cannot read but probably indicates the need for additional postage. Thus, this is probably a "held for postage" cover, with the stamps applied at two different points in time.

Illustrated in Shenfield book (page 90). Ex Shenfield (probably also ex Antrim). (Image)

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VERY FINE PIECE. AN EXTRAORDINARY CONFEDERATE FRANKING WITH FOUR HALVES OF TWO BISECTED 20-CENT GENERAL ISSUE STAMPS PAYING THE 40-CENT TRANS-MISSISSIPPI EXPRESS RATE.

The writing of the sender's route directive very closely matches the writing on a cover from the Dr. Starr correspondence, which was sent from Tyler, Texas (Siegel Sale 1016, lot 579). The logical explanation for this cover is that the sender prepared bisects for the prevailing 10c rate, but used four of them to pay the 40c Trans-Mississippi Express rate on this piece of mail.

Ex Haas. With 1980 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE AND UNUSUAL TRANS-MISSISSIPPI EXPRESS COVER ADDRESSED TO A CONFEDERATE MILITARY INSTALLATION IN ARKANSAS.

At the time this cover was mailed, the addressee, Charles Wetmore Broadfoot (1842-1919), was a 1st lieutenant and aide-de-camp on General Theophilus H. Holmes's staff at Camp Bragg in Arkansas. In 1864 he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel with the 70th Regiment, First N.C. Junior Reserves. Although the month is difficult to read in the datestamp, the "1863" year is clear, and this is an early example of the government's 40c Trans-Mississippi Express rate, which commenced in October 1863.

Ex Wiseman (Image)

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VERY FINE. A REMARKABLE CONFEDERATE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI EXPRESS COVER SENT BY AN OFFICER IN THE ARMY OF TENNESSEE, USING A CAPTURED UNION PATRIOTIC ENVELOPE.

The 6th Texas Infantry, known as the "Matagorda Coast Guards," was mustered into service in 1861 and served throughout the entire war. In January 1863 the 6th Texas fought in the battle of Arkansas Post (or Fort Hindman), where a large number of its members were captured, including Lieut. Holt (he was exchanged six months later). The 6th Texas was reorganized in July 1863 and transferred to the Army of Tennessee.

Another cover from Lieut. Holt -- an identical Liberty and Flag captured envelope, prepaid 40c for Trans-Mississippi Express service -- was mailed by him at the time of the Battle of Chickamauga, in November 1863, to his mother in Matagorda (ex Everett, Siegel Sale 754, lot 450). After the battle most of the troops involved retreated to the area around Dalton, Georgia, and spent the winter there. This cover was sent from Georgia by Lieut. Holt in early March 1864. The pair of 20c stamps is the only indication of postage on the cover, but because the datestamp does not tie the stamps and seems to be a Charlotte N.C. marking, we must offer this "as is", with no assurance that the stamps originated on the cover.

Krieger Census No. E21. Ex Weatherly and Antrim (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE I LABEL, THE RAREST OF THE VARIOUS TYPES USED ON TRANS-MISSISSIPPI MAIL CARRIED BY E. H. CUSHING.

Edward H. Cushing, publisher of the Houston Daily Telegraph, commenced his express service after New Orleans fell to Federal forces in April 1862. In an effort to improve communications between Texas regiments in the East and their relations at home, as well as secure safe lines for news transmission, Cushing established routes with pony riders and other means of conveyance necessary to cross the Federal lines. Cushing's agents affixed labels to the backs of envelopes carried by express. These were intended to inform patrons and advertise the service. Approximately 20 examples (of all varieties) are believed to exist. This type is much rarer than the larger labels.

Ex Engel (probably bought from Antrim collection handled by Bill Bogg of New England Stamp Co.). With 1973 C.S.A. certificate (Image)

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ONE OF EIGHT RECORDED COVERS WITH THE EDEY LABEL, OF WHICH HALF ARE AFFIXED TO THE BACKS. EDEY'S EXPRESS OPERATED BRIEFLY FROM JUNE UNTIL LATE OCTOBER 1862.

Arthur H. Edey enlisted as a Private in Co. A, 5th Regiment, Texas Infantry, on July 19, 1861, at Houston. He was detailed as agent for the regiment in Richmond on Feb. 7, 1862, and in that capacity provided mail service between members of the regiment serving east of the Mississippi and their correspondents back home. The earliest of the eight recorded Edey’s Express covers is dated June 1862, and the latest is October 1862. Edey was wounded and captured at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863, and sent to Fort Wood, New York Harbor. He was paroled on April 15, 1865.

This cover was sent by Tacitus T. Clay, who was promoted to captain in the 5th Texas Regiment in October 1861 and served as acting lieutenant-colonel and colonel at various times during 1863 and 1864. Clay was wounded at Gaines’ Mill, the Wilderness, and Darbytown Road -- as a result of his injuries at Darbytown, Clay’s leg was amputated. (Image)

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VERY FINE. THIS IS ONE OF FOUR RECORDED COVERS CARRIED BY ONE OF THE ARKANSAS EXPRESSES, AND IT IS THE ONLY COVER WITH PROOF OF HANDLING BY BARKSDALE'S EXPRESS.

This cover was the subject of an article by Francis J. Crown Jr. ("A New Private Express Cover", Confederate Philatelist, Jul-Sep. 2007, No. 354). We will draw on that article for this catalogue entry.

The sender, Capt. Alexander E. Spence, served in Company B (Clark County Volunteers), 1st Arkansas Infantry. Spence was promoted to captain on January 20, 1863. The expressman, J. M. Barksdale, was enlisted on Aug. 4, 1861, at Crane Creek, Missouri, and served in Company H, 2nd Arkansas Mounted Rifles. He was wounded on Mar. 7, 1862, at Elk Horn Ark and discharged on Dec. 17, 1862.

The following is an excerpt from Mark Christ's book Getting Used to Being Shot At: The Spence Family Civil War Letters: "Noted Arkansas jurist Uriah M. Rose, on a trip to Richmond in his capacity as the official historiographer of the state's Confederate government, met Barksdale. He described the courier thus: 'I had for a companion during my journey across the Mississippi River a most worthy and agreeable person, whose name was Barksdale; a resident of the State of Mississippi, a private enlisted in the Southern Army, then detailed to carry letters back and forth across the Mississippi River for officers and soldiers in the field. He was a very excellent and a very sensible person, and had a perfect knowledge of every foot of the way. Every one was glad to see him coming, as they expected to receive letters by him from their friends and relatives who were in daily peril of their lives, or from loved ones at home. Every one on the road knew him, and, so kind and obliging was he in disposition, that everyone seemed to be his friend. He was probably thirty-five years old, was not highly educated, but had a sound judgment about men and things, joined with simple and agreeable manners.'"

The Barksdale Express began operating no later than the summer of 1863 and was still carrying mail in late 1864. Barksdale carried mail from Arkansas soldiers in Reynolds' Arkansas Brigade to Washington, Arkansas, where they were posted in the Confederate mail. The express charge for a letter to Arkansas (westbound) was $1.00, as noted on the cover offered here. Mail from Arkansas to the soldiers (eastbound) was apparently carried free.

Illustrated in Special Routes (p. 113). Ex Walske. With 2006 C.S.A. certificate stating "genuine J. M. Barksdale private express use." (Image)

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ONLY FOUR COVERS ARE KNOWN THAT WERE CARRIED BY ONE OF THE ARKANSAS EXPRESS OPERATIONS ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THIS IS THE ONLY ONE WITH A BLACK'S EXPRESS ENDORSEMENT.

Elias W. Black was a soldier in the 4th Arkansas Regiment who was discharged for disability in June 1862. He operated an express between Arkansas and McNair's Arkansas Brigade of the Army of Tennessee. He charged $1.00 on letters to Arkansas, but return letters were apparently free. He carried his westbound letters to Washington, Arkansas, where he sent them onward in the Confederate mails. Return letters to the Brigade were sent under cover to his attention at Hampton, Arkansas (see Stefan T. Jaronski, "Another Private Trans-Mississippi Express Service Uncovered", Confederate Philatelist, No. 241). Certain covers from the Spence correspondence previously thought to have been carried by E. W. Black are now attributed to Barksdale's Express (see lot XXX).

Illustrated in Special Routes (p. 114). Ex Telep, Everett and Walske (Image)

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FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE "ONE-MAN EXPRESS" COVER CARRIED WESTWARD ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BY I. W. STURDIVANT AND PUT INTO THE MAILS IN MARSHALL, TEXAS.

Less than five covers carried by Sturdivant are reported, all of which travelled westward across the Mississippi River into Texas. The sender, Sgt. J. S. Foscue, joined the 7th Texas Infantry on Oct. 1, 1861, at Marshall, Texas.

Illustrated in Special Routes (p. 115). Ex Birkinbine and Walske (Image)

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