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The Deane R. Briggs, M.D. Collection of Florida in the Civil War continued...

Across-the-Lines Mail
Lot Sym. Lot Description  
2175 c Image3c Dull Red, Ty. III (26). Tied by bold strike of "Montgomery Ala. Mar. 24, 1861" circular datestamp on cover addressed to Mrs. Looker in Cincinnati O., through-the-lines from the U.S. Steamer Brooklyn on blockade of Pensacola, several letter enclosures datelined between Mar. 12 and Mar. 18 "on-board the U.S. Str. Brooklyn off Ft. Pickens near Pensacola Fla.," two describe how to send return letters through the Warrington Fla. postmaster, who was a friend of the writer, including drawings of how the front of the cover should look (omitting any mention of the recipient's name or ship), contents also include a fascinating discussion of the impending Civil War, cover with small mended backflap tears

VERY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING AND VERY EARLY COVERT THROUGH-THE-LINES COVER FROM THE UNION BLOCKADE OF PENSACOLA, CARRIED THROUGH CONFEDERATE FLORIDA AND MAILED FROM THE STILL-OPERATING U.S. POST OFFICE IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

This is a rare and very early covert through-the-lines use as well as a Confederate post office use of U.S. postage. It was facilitated by Warrington postmaster W. H. Lamberton and posted at Montgomery Ala., as the U.S. post offices at Pensacola and Warrington had both been closed by Jan. 29, 1861. Shortly after this was sent, any assistance for the Union blockade ships, including correspondence going north, was strictly forbidden by General Braxton Bragg in a General Order dated March 18, 1861.

Accompanied by a Feb. 17, 1860 postmarked 3c Nesbitt entire from Warrington Fla. to Cincinnati from the same correspondence, with letter enclosure datelined "On Shore. Warrington Navy Yard." Also accompanied by an article from The Confederate Philatelist (Oct.-Dec. 2012) describing this correspondence. (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com (imagea)

 E. $ 1,500-2,000

SOLD for $1,200.00
Will close during Public Auction
2176 c ImageLake City Fla. May 13 (1863). Circular datestamp and "Paid 10" handstamp on brown cover to Mrs. E. C. Benton in Union-occupied Jacksonville, manuscript "Official Business" and charge box notation, original enclosure datelined "Head Quarters Dist. E. Fla., Lake City May 13th 1863", letter grants permission for Mrs. Benton "to go into enemy lines via Fernandina," signed by Adjutant General Wilkinson Call (later a U.S. Senator), cover with minor wrinkling, Very Fine and rare covert across-the-lines cover from Confederate to Union-occupied Florida, a fantastic use and accompaniment to the cover offered in the following lot (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $750.00
Will close during Public Auction
2177 c ImageLake City Fla. May 22 (1863). Circular datestamp and "Paid 10" handstamp on cover to Mrs. E.C. Benton in Union-occupied Jacksonville, manuscript "Official" and charge box notation, original enclosure datelined "Head Quarters Dist. E. Fla., Lake City May 20th 1863", letter is a follow up to the letter offered in the previous lot and grants permission for Mrs. Benton "to pass to the enemy lines via Fernandina where my facility will be offered you by our officers & a flag of truce sent with you," signed by Adjutant General Wilkinson Call (later a U.S. Senator), cover with minor wrinkling and scattered toned spots, still Very Fine and rare covert across-the-lines cover from Confederate to Union-occupied Florida, the accompaniment to the cover offered in the previous lot (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 750-1,000

SOLD for $700.00
Will close during Public Auction
2178 c ImageUnion-Occupied Pensacola Fla. to Mobile Ala. "Pollard Ala. Nov. 9, 1863" circular datestamp, "Due" and "10" in circle handstamps on across-the-lines cover from Union-occupied Pensacola to Confederate Mobile Ala., manuscript "Exd. W. Smith, Commd. Comdg Navy Yard Pensacola" Union censor mark, carried to Pollard where it entered the Confederate mails, additional "10" due struck in Mobile, some minor soiling and edgewear, still Very Fine and extremely rare, there were some covert exchanges of mail between evacuees to Pollard and Pensacola residents who remained after Union occupation, these letters could not have been great in number as this is the only recorded example (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $1,300.00
Will close during Public Auction
2179 c ImageBay Port Fla. to Rye N.H. via Norfolk and Old Point Comfort Va. Manuscript "Bay Port Fla. Jan. 13" (1862) postmark and "Paid 10" over-500 miles rate at top of buff civilian flag-of-truce cover to Rye N.H., manuscript "Via Norfolk & Flag of Truce" at bottom and sent by the Confederate mails to Norfolk, where exchanged via Fortress Monroe, manuscript "Exd" censor marking and 3c Rose (65) for U.S. postage tied by "Old Point Comfort Va. Feb. 9" double-circle datestamp, stamp with couple perf flaws and pre-use diagonal crease, sealed cover tears

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF THE EARLIEST RECORDED COMBINATIONS OF CONFEDERATE AND UNITED STATES POSTAGE ON A FLAG-OF-TRUCE COVER. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED FLORIDA USE OF THE SHORT-LIVED CIVILIAN FLAG-OF-TRUCE SYSTEM FOR CONFEDERATE LETTERS SENT NORTH.

As discussed in the Walske-Trepel Special Routes book (pp. 89-90), in January 1862 Confederate newspapers announced a post office-sponsored northbound civilian flag-of-truce mail service via Norfolk. In this case the cover entered the mails at Bay Port Fla. and was pre-paid for the 10c over-500 miles rate to Norfolk. It was then franked with the 3c U.S. stamp at the exchange point and sent north via Fortress Monroe and the Old Point Comfort post office. None of the ten recorded letters using this service received a Norfolk postmark. Starting in mid-February 1862, shortly after this cover was exchanged, the Union ended this practice by diverting such mail to the Dead Letter Office. Among the ten recorded examples of this service, this is the only recorded Florida use. This is also one of only three recorded Bay Port Fla. Confederate postal markings (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 1,500-2,000

SOLD for $1,500.00
Will close during Public Auction
2180 c Image10c Blue, Die B (12). Affixed over 3c Rose (65) and tied by "Richmond Va. Aug. 8, 1862" circular datestamp on North-to-South flag-of-truce cover to Monticello Fla., manuscript "Examined John Cassels" by Union Provost Marshal at Fortress Monroe, exchanged at City Point and entered Confederate mails at Richmond, Confederate stamp partly peeled up, otherwise Fine and rare mixed franking to Florida sent via flag-of-truce (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 400-500

SOLD for $350.00
Will close during Public Auction
2181 c ImageReceived Hd. Qts. Dist. of Fla. Feb. 25, 1865. Two strikes of small circular datestamp and manuscript examined marking on brown cover endorsed "per flag of truce from Baldwin" to Union-occupied St. Augustine Fla., Very Fine, a rare across-the-lines use from Confederate Florida to Union-occupied Florida via flag-of-truce, the markings applied at Union headquarters in Jacksonville and without any evidence of postage paid or due on either side, this is the only recorded example with this marking, ex Meroni (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $1,300.00
Will close during Public Auction
2182 c ImageBridgeport Conn. to Andersonville Prison (Georgia) via Jacksonville and Lake City Fla. North-to-South buff inner cover and original letter sent to Col. William H. Noble, 17th Conn. Volunteers and prisoner-of-war at Andersonville Prison Ga. (Camp Sumter), originated in Bridgeport Conn. with letter datelined Jan. 28, 1865 and manuscript "Care of Mr. Cooper Gibbs" (commander of prison guard at Andersonville), sent via Union-occupied Jacksonville Fla. where the outer cover with U.S. postage was discarded, manuscript "Examined JMG AAAG" censor marking applied by Union assistant adjutant general in Jacksonville, exchanged via flag-of-truce and entered Confederate mails at Lake City Fla. with "Paid 10" in arc handstamp, upon arrival at Andersonville censored twice with manuscript "Ex JNY" at left and light "Ex HW" in the hand of Camp Commandant Capt. Henry Wirz at top right, top of cover with small tears and staple holes, minor stain at bottom

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THE ONLY KNOWN NORTH-TO-SOUTH FLAG-OF-TRUCE COVER AND LETTER TO A UNION PRISONER-OF-WAR AT ANDERSONVILLE, EXCHANGED THROUGH JACKSONVILLE AND LAKE CITY, FLORIDA, AND CENSORED BY THE NOTORIOUS CAPTAIN HENRY WIRZ.

The Andersonville prison, officially known as Camp Sumter, was the largest Confederate military prison during the Civil War and the most dreaded by Union soldiers. On March 27, 1864, Captain Henry Wirz assumed command of the stockade. By the end of the war, 12,913 of the approximately 45,000 Union prisoners held there had died, mostly from starvation and disease. After the war, Wirz was charged with conspiracy and murder by Federal authorities. His trial was held in the Capitol building in Washington and presided over by Union General Lew Wallace. A number of former prisoners testified on conditions at Andersonville, many accusing Wirz of specific acts of cruelty (some of these accounts were later called into question by historians as exaggerated or false). The court also heard from Confederate officers and considered official correspondence from captured Confederate records. Wirz presented evidence that he pleaded to Confederate authorities to obtain more food and maintained that he tried to improve the conditions for the prisoners. Wirz was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. On November 10, 1865, he was hanged in Washington at the site of the current Supreme Court building -- the only Confederate official to be tried, convicted and executed for war crimes resulting from the Civil War.

This is the only recorded North-to-South cover exchanged through Union-occupied Jacksonville and Confederate Lake City, Florida. This route for mail to Andersonville is also singularly represented by this cover. The enclosed letter specifically refers to instructions the writer received to send mail through assistant adjutant general Robinson in Jacksonville, which would be sent via flag-of-truce to Col. Noble, who was the highest ranking Union officer held at Andersonville.

Accompanied by an article on this cover by John. L Kimbrough with a transcription of the letter (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 4,000-5,000

SOLD for $3,750.00
Will close during Public Auction
2183 c ImageFort Delaware, Delaware City to Centreville Fla. Buff prisoner-of-war cover to Miss Cromartie in Centreville Fla., endorsed "For flag of truce via Fortress Monroe", "Prisoner's Letter, Fort Delaware, Del. Examined" oval handstamp (Ty. I, known Apr.-Oct. 1864), "Delaware City Del. Sep. 3" (1864) circular datestamp, U.S. postage paid by 3c Rose (65) tied by circular grid, C.S.A. postage paid by 10c Blue, Die A (11), huge margins and an Extremely Fine Gem, tied by "Richmond Va. Sep. 16" circular datestamp, slightly reduced at left, small repair at top left not affecting stamp

EXTREMELY FINE APPEARING MIXED-FRANKING COVER FROM FORT DELAWARE TO FLORIDA VIA OLD POINT COMFORT AND RICHMOND. A BEAUTIFUL PRISONER'S FLAG-OF-TRUCE COVER TO A SCARCE DESTINATION.

This is from the same correspondence as the cover offered in lot 2184. In the case of the other, it was destined for Centreville and sent in an outer cover to Old Point Comfort, which was discarded before exchange (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 1,500-2,000

SOLD for $1,100.00
Will close during Public Auction
2184 c Image10c Blue, Die A (11). Large margins all around, tied by "Richmond Va. Apr. 27" circular datestamp on inner North-to-South flag-of-truce cover to Centreville Fla., manuscript "Via Flag of Truce" at top, outer envelope with U.S. postage discarded at Fortress Monroe before exchange, missing backflap and small nick at top, light file fold, Very Fine and scarce flag-of-truce cover addressed to Florida, based on the cover offered in lot 2183 (from the same correspondence), this may have originated at Fort Delaware Prison (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 500-750

CLOSED
Will close during Public Auction
2185 c ImageJohnson's Island, Sandusky O. to Jacksonville Fla. Two covers from the same correspondence, sent just prior to the Confederate surrender at Appomattox and just after, first with bold strike of "Prisoner's Letter, Johnsons Island, O. Examined C.H.R." oval handstamp (Chauncy H. Roberts from Nov 1864 to May 1865) and manuscript "By Flag of Truce" on buff cover to Tallahassee Fla., prisoner's endorsement at top, 3c Rose (65) tied by target cancel and by "Sandusky O. Mar. 7 '65" double-circle datestamp, "Due 10" straightline for confederate postage, Very Fine, second cover with same Johnson's Island markings except Sandusky double-circle datestamp in blue and dated Jun. 2, 1865, 3c Rose (65) tied by blue target cancel, manuscript "Care of Gen. Scammon Via Jacksonville Fla." as the flag-of-truce route via Old Point Comfort and Richmond was closed with the capture of Richmond, no Confederate postage paid or due since this was a post-war use, edge staining and some minor scuffs and wear, Fine appearance, a nice matched pair of prisoner-of-war covers (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com (imagea)

 E. $ 750-1,000

SOLD for $425.00
Will close during Public Auction

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