The Steven C. Walske Collection of Special Mail Routes of the American Civil War continued...

VERY FINE. A RARE DOUBLE-RATE INCOMING BLOCKADE COVER WITH FRASER & COMPANY'S FORWARDING NOTATION.

Carried by Cunarder Australasian, dep. Liverpool Aug. 30, 1862, arr. New York Sep. 10, then Cunarder British Queen, dep. New York Sep. 13, arr. Nassau Sep. 7, then blockade-runner Kate I, dep. Nassau ca. Sep. 26, arr. Charleston Sep. 29. The Kate I was owned by John Fraser & Co., active Jan. to Nov. 1862, 20 for 20 in successful trips, hit a snag in the Cape Fear River and sank on Nov. 18, 1862. Fraser & Co. affiliate in Nassau was Adderley & Co. who would have placed it on the blockade-runner. It was treated as double 10c rate plus the 2c ship fee, but technically should have been rated 6c for delivery in the port of Charleston, then an additional 20c for C.S.A. postage.

Ex Kimmel (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. A DESIRABLE INBOUND BLOCKADE-RUN COVER FROM THE CORRESPONDENCE OF ONE OF NAVAL HISTORY'S MOST FAMOUS FAMILIES.

Carried by Cunarder Asia, dep. Liverpool Jan. 31, 1863, arr. New York Feb. 15, then Cunarder British Queen, dep. New York Mar. 2, arr. Nassau Mar. 6, then blockade-runner Ruby dep. Nassau Mar. 15, arr. Charleston Mar. 17. The Ruby was owned by Alexander Collie & Co., active Feb. to June 1863, 8 for 10 in successful trips, destroyed off Charleston Jun. 11, 1863.

Lieutenant William L. Maury was commander of the C.S.S. Georgia, a cruiser in the North and South Atlantic, capturing nine United States' merchant vessels. She put into Cherbourg, France, in late October 1863 with her iron hull badly fouled by marine growth and was decommissioned as being unsuited for further use as a warship.

With 1979 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE. A QUINTESSENTIAL BLOCKADE-RUN COVER WITH THE SAWYER & MENENDEZ FORWARDER HANDSTAMP AND CHARLESTON DOUBLE-RATE MARKINGS ALL CLEARLY STRUCK ON THE ADDRESS SIDE.

Origin unknown. Carried by blockade-runner Ruby, dep. Nassau Mar. 15, 1863, arr. Charleston Mar. 17. The Ruby was owned by London-based Alexander Collie & Co., active Feb. to Jun. 1863, 8 for 10 in successful trips, destroyed off Charleston Jun. 11, 1863, on its last attempt.

Illustrated in Special Routes (p. 120). Ex Ludington (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN ATTRACTIVE BLOCKADE-RUNNER COVER ORIGINATING IN GERMANY AND SENT TO RICHMOND VIA NASSAU AND CHARLESTON.

Carried on Cunarder Scotia, dep. Liverpool Jun. 6, 1863, arr. New York Jun. 16, then Cunarder Corsica, dep. New York Jun. 20, arr. Nassau Jun. 24, then blockade-runner Fannie, dep. Nassau Jun. 24, arr. Charleston Jun. 28. The Fannie was owned by the Importing & Exporting Company of South Carolina (William C. Bee), active May 1863 to April 1865, 20 for 20 in successful trips, survived the war. (Image)

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VERY FINE. A RARE BLOCKADE-RUN COVER FROM BERMUDA. ONE OF THE FEW RECORDED COVERS BEARING THE NAME OF NORMAN S. WALKER, THE CONFEDERATE AGENT. ADDRESSED TO GUSTAVUS A. MYERS, THE ACTING BRITISH CONSUL IN RICHMOND.

Carried on the Minnie, dep. St. Georges Mar. 26, 1864, arr. Charleston Mar. 29. The Minnie was owned by the Albion Trading Co., active Jan. to May 1864, 3 for 4 in successful trips, captured by U.S.S. Connecticut on May 9, 1864, coming out of Wilmington.

Major Norman S. Walker was the senior Confederate agent in Bermuda from February 1863 until June 27, 1864. The yellow fever epidemic caused him and his family to leave the island, his wife and children for England, and Major Walker to the Confederate States on government business. After an abandoned effort to establish Halifax as a principal port for blockade-running, Major Walker and his family traveled to Bermuda and eventually returned to England (source: Rev. William Parkes, "Per Walker: Major Norman S. Walker and Bermuda Blockade Mail", Confederate Philatelist , May-June 1982 and July-Aug. 1982, Nos. 207-208).

Several covers are recorded with a notation at lower left that has been variously read as "P. Walker" (Per Walker), "ApWalker" (Approved Walker) or "NSWalker" (Norman S. Walker). The endorsement and address are in identical writing, which is similar to samples of Walker's hand, but we are uncertain why Major Walker would have signed these covers. (Image)

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VERY FINE. A FASCINATING BURCKMYER COVER FROM FRANCE TO CHARLESTON VIA NASSAU WITH "6" RATE HANDSTAMP APPLIED TO LETTERS DELIVERED AT THE PORT OF ARRIVAL.

Carried on Cunarder Persia, dep. Liverpool Jul. 30, 1864, arr. New York Aug. 11, then Cunarder Corsica, dep. New York Aug. 15, arr. Nassau Aug. 17, then blockade-runner Syren, dep. Nassau Aug. 31, arr. Charleston Sep. 4. The Syren was owned by the Charleston Importing & Exporting Co., in which Burckmyer was probably a shareholder, active Oct. 1863 to Feb. 1865, 33 for 33 successful runs, captured in Charleston harbor in Feb. 1865. Characterized by Stephen Wise as one of "the most successful" blockade runners.

Ex Birkinbine (Image)

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VERY FINE. A DESIRABLE EXAMPLE OF INBOUND BLOCKADE-RUN MAIL WITH FORWARDER MARKING AND SHIP-NAME ENDORSEMENT.

Carried on Cunarder Scotia, dep. Liverpool Aug. 27, 1864, arr. New York Sep. 6, then Cunarder Corsica, dep. New York Sep. 10, arr. Nassau Sep. 14, then blockade-runner General Whiting, dep. Nassau Sep. 21, arr. Charleston Sep. 26. The General Whiting was owned by the Consolidated Steamship Co., active Apr. 1864 to Jan. 1865, 4 for 4 in successful trips, survived the war.

The principals in Beach Root & Co. were Major Sidney Root, a close friend of Jefferson Davis, and J. N. Beach. They ran a wholesale mercantile business and were large suppliers to the C.S.A. Beach went to Liverpool in 1861 and Root went to Europe in 1864.

Ex Seacrest (Image)

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