Confederate Cover with U. S. Postal Issue Used After Secession

Object Details

Depicts

George Washington, American, 1732 - 1799

Description

United States 3-cent George Washington stamped envelope (USA Scott U26), cancelled by a black seven-bar gridiron. Envelope is postmarked by Charleston, South Carolina, February 2, 1861, concentric circle date stamp on white envelope addressed to Washington, District of Columbia.

The sender of this envelope is 1st Lt. Theodore Talbot of the 1st Regiment of Artillery of the garrison within Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor. He is writing to his sister, Mary.

South Carolina was admitted to the Confederacy on February 4, 1861, and this cover therefore represents Independent State usage of United Sates postage.

Mail continued to travel uninterrupted under the service of the U.S. Post Office Department until the Confederate Post Office Department officially began service on June 1, 1861. A 3-cent stamp paid the letter rate for a distance less than 3,000 miles.

February 2, 1861

Object number

1984.0531.677

Type

Covers & Associated Letters

Medium

paper; ink

Place of Destination

District of Columbia

Place of Origin

Charleston, South Carolina

See more items in

National Postal Museum Collection

Title

Scott Catalogue USA U26

National Postal Museum

Topic

Civil War and Reconstruction (1860-1877)

Covers & Letters

Record ID

npm_1984.0531.677

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm88436c160-77c7-4e40-a39e-aac59687ad03