Addressed to Culpeper C H, Virginia. Manuscript "Belmead Mills, VA May 17, 1861" and pen cancel.

According to the Confederate States of America Catalog and Handbook of Stamps and Postal History:

“On November 15, 1860, Governor John Letcher called for a Special Session of the General Assembly to consider secession. On January 7, 1861, the legislature authorized a Secession Convention to convene on February 13 in Richmond. On April 17, the convention adopted an Ordinance of Secession on condition of ratification by a statewide referendum. The voters overwhelmingly approved the measure on May 23 thus ratifying the terms stipulating the effective date of secession as of April 17, 1861. Virginia was admitted to the Confederacy on May 7.”

Therefore, this cover represents Confederate usage of U.S. Postage.

Cover Soiled with Faults. Top Left Backflap separating.

Cover Soiled with Faults, Creases

Single with manuscript cancel and matching manuscript "Fredericksburg," on 1862 multicolor flag & globe patriotic cover to San Francisco.

Like Bishcel 4228, W-2220v

Fort Sumter. Red, white & blue patriotic cover with design showing Eagle & Crossed Flags above Fort Sumter used to Canada & franked with 1861 10¢ green (small defect) with grid cancel & indistinct postmark below, light strike of "U. States/10 Paid" exchange handstamp in red and backstamped with arrival postmarks, some minor edge wear & toning on reverse.

Like Bischel 1316, W-760

1c Blue and 10c Green each tied by framed "Paid" cancels, red Boston Apr 14 origin cds and red oval "U.S. 10cts. Paid" handstamp on red white and blue flag patriotic cover to Kentville, Nova Scotia. Partial Kentville (4.23.1862) arrival backstamp, prepaid 1c carrier fee plus 10c cross border postage; cover repaired at lower left, reduced slightly at right.

Red and blue design with blue pointing hand and "TO WASHINGTON VIA BALTIMORE" on sign post (Like Bischel 3657, W·2008va), to Ohio, with blue 'FOREST CITY Cal" cds.

Figure Leaning on Shield small Red, White & Blue Design with Blue "Let our watchword ever be, Country, God, and Liberty" Imprint below, on Ladies Cover, franked with 10c Green with grid cancel. Red "NEW BEDFORD MASS JAN 27 PAID" Pmk, Red "U STATES" Arced Exchange Marking, and 1862 backstamp, addressed to Clyde River, Nova Scotia.

Bischel 3901, W-2225var

Single with black grid cancel on multicolored "The Constitution" patriotic cover, red "New Haven, CT, Nov 14, (1861)" double circle postmark, "San Francisco, Cal. Advertised Dec 25, 1861" marking, and red "Unclaimed" handstamp on reverse. Like Bischel 5068. Addressed to John A. Rockwell Esq. in San Francisco.

"With Large Flag Red" White & Blue Design on Cover, with "SAN FRANCISCO CAL/ APR 7 I 862" Prnk., addressed to Barron NY, slightly reduced at right.

From the Nutmeg sale, Bischel 4395. W-Unlisted

Murphy's, Cal., Feb 4 (Calaveras). Two strikes of blue cds, one tying 1861, 10c green on cover to Pottsville, Pa., with red and blue eagle and shield patriotic design at left; light cover edge wear and small tear at right.

This cover is the Cover Image for the 1988 Western Cover Society Vol 48, No 2 and is discussed on page 6.

10c Green tied by target, with "Oro Fino, Cal." postmark on Multicolor Waving Flag Verse patriotic cover with small staining, otherwise Very Fine.

"Our Flag
And long may it ware, as it ever
has since it
was first unfurled,
unsullied and triumphant."

This rare flag design may have been printed by the firm of Anton Roman, a printing and publishing firm in San Francisco.

Addressed to "Messrs Crawford Brothers, Beith, Ayrshire, Scotland, who operated one of the oldest linen thread manufacturing houses in the United Kingdom.

"Glasgow JUN 8 63" and "Beith JU 9 1863" datestamps on reverse.

Cover, carried out-of-the mails, addressed to the Surgeon of the Fleet G. R. B. Horner at Key West, Florida, board the St. Lawrence.

In late 1862, Horner transferred to the St. Lawrence, berthed at Key West. He remained on the Flag Ship through 1863.

Two covers, carried out-of-the mails, addressed to the Surgeon of the Fleet G. R. B. Horner at Key West, Florida, aboard the USS Niagara.

When the Colorado was decommissioned in 1862, Horner was reassigned to the U.S.S. Niagara, also located at Key West.

1861 3c pink tied on cover and U.S. SHIP Straightline with Feb 11 Phildadelphia cds on cover to Mass. Manuscript "No. 4

U.S. SHIP 3 cts. oval handstamp on cover to Taunton, Mass with manuscript "J.E. Vail's Letters"

This letter was mailed from a vessel on blockade duty. The letter was a Federal letter and therefore under the regulations could travel without prepayment of postage and without the private ship letter fee (2¢) being due from the recipient. It is not possible, since the cover is undated as to month and day of arrival in the northern port, to tell where this letter originated.

Red double circle cancellation of "BELFAST/ME SEP 5" tied by black grid cancels, addressed to Samuel Phillbrook, aboard the Brigade USS Sabine.

Mostly clear strike of "U.S. SHIP/3cts." in circle cancel on cover to Grafton, Mass.

Mail to and from sailors and soldiers aboard gunboats and blockaders was carried and distributed by special vessels known as U.S Ships. These vessels were federal so they were not subject to the rules governing non-contract, private SHIP mail. Most mail conveyed to and from these vessels received one of several types of "U.S. SHIP MAIL" cancellations.

1861 3c pink tied on cover by black Philadelphia Mar 19 1864 cds with "U.S. SHIP" straightline, to Prividence, RI. Manuscript "Care of J.W. Smith"

Gunboat Winona was part of the Western Gunboat Fleet assembled by Navy Flag Officers COM. John Rodgers and RADM. Andrew H.
Foote under the jurisdiction of the War Department. The fleet was based at Cairo, IL for operations on the western waters. The fleet
consisted of all the warships operating on the Ohio, Mississippi and Red Rivers and their tributaries.

The fleet was renamed the Mississippi River Squadron and transferred to the Navy Department in 1862 because the Army had been interfering with naval operations in the inland waterways.
The Winona served at first at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Thereafter, she served in the siege of Vicksburg, then on the Yazoo
River, and eventually in Mobil Bay. After the fall of Mobile, the Winona resumed duty on the Mississippi River.

The Octorora was decommissioned On August 5, 1865. In her short career, she captured nine Confederate and British blockade runners as part of Commander Collins' "Flying Squadron" of blockade runner hunters.

3c rose tied by "DUE 6" marking with Dec 24, 1864 Port Royal, SC cds on cover to Connecticut. "U.S.S. Acacia off Charleston, SC" manuscript.

Union forces reoccupied the city of Port Royal, South Carolina on November 7, 1861. This letter came into Port Royal aboard the Blockader U.S.S. Acacia which patrolled the coast from South Carolina to Florida. The letter was brought into Port Royal with only partial prepayment, and was therefore rated at twice the unpaid portion of the postage [DUE 6]. Had the letter been endorsed by a ship's officer, it would have been treated as a Sailor's Letter and not have required any prepayment.

At Port Royal, the 3¢ postage stamp was cancelled. The letter was placed in a closed bag and carried north aboard a ship.

According to Richard Graham, only 10 Covers Recorded with "DUE 6"

Gustavus Horner, Surgeon of the Fleet (1861 - 1863) spent his Civil War career posted to several successive Flag Ships located in
and around Key West, Florida. Specifically, his postings were:
Flag Ship Colorado, 1861
Flag Ship Niagara, 1862
Flag Ship St. Lawrence, 1862 - 1863

These two covers were carried privately out of the mails.

"U.S. SHIP/3cts." in circle cancel on cover to Worcester, Mass with manuscript "Soldier Letter"

The marking "U.S. Ship 3 CTS" was applied to loose letters collected from soldiers and sailors on blockade duty and carried by a "Federal" ship to a post office for handling and distribution. This specific ship marking has been attributed to the New York Post Office although this attribution is not certain. Covers marked "Soldiers Letter". In both cases, 3¢ postage was due on delivery.