Civil War Postal History Articles and Resources
By Patricia A. Kaufmann

This is primarily a small selection of the many articles written by Trish Kaufmann on her favorite subject, as well as resources from other places on the Web..

The Confederate Stamp Primer Online is a basic guide for those who don't have access to classic philatelic literature on the subject or for those who do, but would like a quick online reference. You may view just the section in which you are interested or read it systematically from one page to the next. This primer deals only with stamps and not the vast area of postal history covered by The Rebel Post. Of particular note is the section called "Trouble Spots" which deals with common problems encountered between stamp types and details on forgeries encountered.

The Rebel Post
Collecting the Confederate Era

An overview of collecting the Confederate era, this article first appeared in Scott's Monthly Stamp Journal in April 1976, describing the the postal history that began when a handful of Southern states first seceded from the Union until the last shots of the War were fired. It is a fascinating look at the Confederate postal system which clearly demonstrates why specialists are so passionate about this area of collecting. For a more in depth article on the stamps of the Confederacy, see the "Confederate Stamp Primer Online".

New Postmasters' Provisional - Abingdon, Virginia Revalued 5 over 2¢

The Confederate Philatelist January-March 2010 issue announced this new find and the story of the Hannum family to whom it is addressed. It just goes to show that almost 150 years later, important new finds are still being made. The article appears here in PDF format viewable with free software - Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don't have this, you can download it for free here

William Weaver, Buffalo Forge and Paid Slave Labor
New Earliest Known Usage for Richmond Print - July 25, 1862*

This article appeared in The Confederate Philatelist in the January-March 2005 issue. Some additional photos have been added to the on-line version for those not as well versed in Confederate postal history or just for the pleasure of those who are. It is a perfect example of why this period of history intrigues us. Initially intended to be written as a simple report of a new earliest known usage of the "Richmond Print", it evolved into a fascinating look at the people and history behind the correspondence, effectively putting the "history" into postal history. * N.B. This is no longer the earliest known use.

The Madison, Florida Postmaster Provisionals
Anatomy of a Postal History Research Project

Due to the revolutionary nature of the material presented, this article appeared in both The American Philatelist and The Confederate Philatelist at the same time in February 2000 by joint cooperation of the editorial teams. The research resulted in the addition of a completely new section in the Scott Catalogues which immediately precedes the Confederate section.

The Confederate Post is a monthly column I began writing with the January 2007 issue of this very special publication. It is a general interest column on Confederates. With their permission, I am archiving the Confederate column on this website as PDF files. I invite you to check out the ASDA's slick full color 72-page monthly publication, which is chock full of general philatelic articles and the latest news with an emphasis on the human side of philately. This is not just a magazine for dealers. There is a wealth of collector related information on a wide variety of subjects and its features on the people, events and activities in our hobby is unprecidented. It's a professional magazine that has been sorely needed in the hobby for years and bears the distinctive touch of Editor Randy Neil. Check out the publication website for subscriptions and other information at www.americanstampdealer.com/

Check back here for the monthly update/archive of Confederate articles. There are regrettably some missing PDF files. The columns appeared, but I was not able to get all of them in order to upload here. For a complete set, you just need to subscribe to the magazine!

One of many compliments received April 2009 with regard to my column "The Immortal 600": "I NEVER, and I mean NEVER EVER, write to an author. But, I could not ignore your GREAT article in the ASDA magazine, which I have now read four times, enjoying it more each time. Wow!!! I can think of no other philatelic item, that impressed me so much. I look for your column in the ASDA magazine, one of the main reasons, I subscribe." PR

Can't open these files? They are in PDF format and viewable with free software - Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don't have this, you can download it for free here

June 2011 - A Blue Umbrella and a Tall Beaver Hat - Major General "Extra Billy" Smith
May 2011 - Adversity Double Use to Signal Corps Balloonist on the CSS Palmetto State
April 2011- Caf or Decaf?
February March 2011 - Confederate Patriotic Enigma Valentine
January 2011 -Dr. General Collett Leventhorpe - England's Fighting Generals
November-December 2010 - Private Noah Deaton - One of Lee's Tarheels, Army of Northern Virginia
October 2010 - Unused Norfolk, Virginia 5¢ Postmaster Provisional Resurfaces
September 2010 - The Gregory Siblings - Spirited Scots
July-August 2010 - A final cover to Brigadier General James Johnston Pettigrew
June 2010 - Fort Stockton, Texas - in transit to destiny at Glorieta Pass
May 2010 - A scolding note from the CSAPOD Chief Clerk
April 2010 - The Tax Man Cometh - A War Tax Circular
March 2010 - "...any attempt to coerce seceding states would unite them all in one day."
February 2010 - Brig. Gen. John Wesley Frazer POW
January 2010 -North Carolina Depot - Clothing the Troops
November-December 2009 - A First Day Cover – Virginia Secedes April 17, 1861
October 2009 - Louisiana Relief Committee Mail
July-August 2009 - Brothers: Gen. John Hunt Morgan and Sergeant Frank Key Morgan
September 2009 - Lordy and Neptune…a tale of friendship and loyalty - N.B. Since this column was written, a family member wrote to correct one bit of information printed in the column. Neptune Sr. and Sukey died as slaves on Retreat Plantation prior to emancipation and were never granted the right to choose a last name.It was Neptune Jr. who chose the last name “Small” after emancipation.  
June 2009 - Arnaud Eduard Préot (1818-1873) - An Ignominious End
April 2009 - The Immortal 600 - a tale of one of the war's most infamous events
March 2009 - James Wright Tracy, Confederate Surgeon
February 2009 - More Close Calls
January 2009 - Custodians for Future Generations
November-December 2008 - Civil War Cherokee Regiments - An Indian Nation Divided
October 2008 - Mail from Johnson's Island Union Prison
September 2008 - Brothers: Gen. John Hunt Morgan and Sergeant Frank Key Morgan
July-August 2008 - Regimental Surgeon Samuel Van Wyck/Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest
June 2008 - Capt. John B. Castleman - Company "D", 2nd Kentucky Cavalary
May 2008 - Confederate Stamps as Battlefield Souvenirs
April 2008 - "First Word" - Randy Neil editorial featuring Trish Kaufmann
April 2008 - Dr. Edward G. Porcher - a victim of "the end of the medical Middle Ages"
March 2008 - Six Degrees of Separation - Dibble, Kohn, and Kaufmann
February 2008 - Wonderful Confederate Valentines!
January 2008 - Rediscovered Family History - Stephen A. Corker, POW
November-December 2007 - COMING: The new Confederate States Catalog in 2010
October 2007 - After Union mail service ended...a fascinating correspondence.
September 2007 - Contradictions of Research - Dr. S. S. Herrick
July-August 2007 - The Calhoun Legacy
June 2007 - "Hetty likes them that way: gilt edged with stars!"
May 2007 - Confederate letter with a military address and a sad statistic
April 2007 - A Mysterious Confederate Cipher Cover
March 2007 - Ordinary looking cover...to the lady who "danced herself to death"?
February 2007 - A Confederate Gem: The largest known block of CSA #8
January 2007 - Specialize in Confederates?

La Posta - The Journal of American Postal History - this wonderful magazine has been published since 1969. They publish informative research by the leading students of U.S. postal history as well as presenting discussions of timely topics and collecting tips. They also publish postal history reference books and monographs as e-books on CD. I began writing articles for them in the 4th quarter issue of 2012. I will archive them here for your reading pleasure.

1st Quarter, 2013 - First Battalion Florida Special Cavalry - "Munnerlyn's Cow Cavalry"
4th Quarter, 2012 - Producing a 21st Century Confederate Catalog

Noteworthy Kaufmann News

The Buck Boshwit Collection - This is not an article, it is the scanned collection of Confederate Tennessee Postal History (as well as Arkansas and magnificent adversity covers) formed by the late Buck Boshwit of Memphis. "Back in the day", Buck won virtually every one of the Confederate Stamp Alliance exhbit awards including the coveted CSA Trophy, as well as many national philatelic exhbit awards. Prior to the auction of most of his collection, the Boshwit family allowed Buck's wonderful collection to be scanned by the Shelby County Archives Department of the County Register so that it would remain available to future students and researchers. Take the time to enjoy this magnificent collection so lovingly put together over many years.

To a Confederate Stamp - wonderful ode written and published in July 1893 - really gives one pause.

"Envelopes - Confederate" - a wonderful brief description on the creation of "adversity covers" directly from a young lady of the South during the War.

Custodians for Future Generations is the subject of "The President's Prerogative" printed in the third quarter 2008 issue of The Confederate Philatelist. After reading this, one of the editors of the Scott Catalogue emailed to say, "Your PP column in the July-September issue of The Confederate Philatelist should be read far and wide, and not just by collectors of CSA material." Thus so encouraged, I share it here with you.

Some Philatelic Memories of Dixie is a fascinating look at the stamps of the Confederacy from a collector in the 1800's - someone who actually remembered the war and the stamp as they were issued. The author and the publication in which this was published are unknown. To my amusement in the last paragraph, the author writes, "A complete monograph on these Confederate stamps is much to be desired. Yet we doubt if it will ever be written. We have been this season in active correspondence with Confederate officials, as with the authorities in charge of the Confederate archives in Washington, seeking some tangible data. The quest has not been very encouraging. No one seems to know the date, or the number, or the character of the several series as issued any more positively than is known the year when Homer published his Iliad." The author speaks of corresponding with Judge (John H.) Reagan and others about Confederate stamps in an effort to fill in the history of these issues. At first I thought this may have been written by August Dietz himself, but since the author actually remembers Confederate stamps during the war and Dietz moved to America from Prussia with his parents in 1871, this appears not to be the case. If you are a bibliophile who recognizes this monograph, please let me know the correct attribution.

For more on-line information on collecting Confederates, see these sites:

Confederate Stamp Alliance A non-political organization dedicated to fraternity, research, and cooperation among collectors of Confederate stamps and postal history. An application for membership is available from trishkauf@comcast.net or may be downloaded by clicking on CSA application.(.pdf file) The CSA also maintains a respected expertizing service which determines the authenticity of Confederate stamps and covers, an important mission of the Alliance.

CSA Catalog and Handbook - The Confederate Stamp Alliance acquired the rights to the New Dietz Confederate States Catalog and Handbook, last published in 1986, in 2006. The 21st century edition of the Confederate States of America Catalog and Handbook of Stamps and Postal History (CSA Catalog) is in much demand by collectors, serious students and dealers. It takes advantage of all of the marvelous changes in technology that have occurred in the past three decades, including a color catalog and a complete rework of content from the ground up, using primary sources. The CSA Catalog sold out only three months after publication from the Confederate Stamp Alliance (November 2012), but is still available directly from me while supplies last - $150 postpaid.

For an illustrated more in depth look at both the history of prior catalogs and the marvelous changes in this 2012 edition, see A 21st Century Confederate Catalog