CANTON / Miss. / Nov. 4, 1861, clear strike of cds with woodcut PAID 5 handstamp on blue folded letter to Carroll Hoy & Co., New Orleans, horizontal file fold well away from markings with few small erosion spots, Very Fine strikes, with 2004 C.S.A. certificate #4579, Ex-Matz  

COLUMBUS / Miss. Oct 5 PAID (no rate) on cover addressed to “Mrs. Henry L. Muldrow, Tibbee Station, M & O (Mobile & Ohio) RR”, pencil docketing “Telegram”, slightly reduced at right 

Henry Lowndes Muldrow (1837-1905) entered the CS Army as a private in 1861 and rose to the rank of Colonel of Cavalry. He had both an illustrious military career commanding a batallion of the 11th Mississippi Cavalry and a distinguished law career before and after the War. He was a U.S. congressman and First Assistant Secretary of the Intererior during the Cleveland administration

OSYKA / MISS. OCT 12 (1861) cds and matching "PAID" handstamp with manuscript "5 Cents" on cover from well-known Carroll Hoy & Co. correspondence to New Orleans, La., Very Fine, with 2004 C.S.A. certificate #04588. Osyka postmarks also known in brown. This has a bit of that “tobacco juice” look, but brown is NOT noted on the certificate. Either way, a desirable and scarce cancel 

BROOKVILLE / Miss. / NOV / 2 [1861] cds on blue folded letter with scarce matching fancy PAID 5 in circle, addressed to “James E. Saunders & Son, Courtland North Alabama” from Matt Clay to his uncle to get him to send money to pay taxes for T. F. Clay or he will be forced to sell some cotton. He also says “Times look gloomy, but I hope by Spring our revolution will be decided and Lincoln will be satisfied he cannot subdue the South and he will find somebody is hurt…The Blockade ? now can tell what England and France will do and I don’t believe it politic for our Government to purchase our cotton…Uncle Will will get off very soon, he has gone to Orleans after his gun, will get off very soon, they go in Walker’s Brigade, I expect to Kentucky… ” Very Fine, ex Hart and Green $400.

PONTOTOC / Miss.  APR / 24 [1862] bold cds with matching boxed handstamped PAID 5 on embossed ladies envelope (sealed tear along left side) to Mrs. A. J. Duncan, New Albany, Miss. with a fantastic original letter headed Pontotoc from her daughter “Dolly”, a student who was apparently one of the “Mississippi Nightingales” or similar – a company women soldiers!

Dolly’s letter says, in part, “Mama we have got up a company. Our Captain’s name is Philbrick 1st Lieutenant Preasley 2nd Miller, Orderly Sargant (sic) Agneau Corperal(sic) no 1 Morse no 2 Angew no 3 Wright no. 4 Bardwell. We drill every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening. Captain Philbrick appointed Saturday for dress parade. Our uniform is a red calico sack and a light calico or white dress. We were not drilled well enough for dress parade Saturday. Captain Philbrick says we will be by next Saturday and Mr. Cankey said the people in town will come to see us. We will be mustered into service the 1st of May.”

Online is a letter from Sallie Reneau to Mississippi Gov. John Pettus saying, in part, “The ladies of this vicinity desire to form themselves into a company of "Mississippi Nightingales" to go around to the various camps where Mississippi volunteers may be stationed to nurse the sick and wounded soldiers and to sew for those who may need it. The ladies propose to organize a company numbering twenty or twenty-five members to be armed and uniformed in suitable traveling dress trimmed with metal buttons ala militaire. … Will the State equip, arm, and defray our expenses?… We would want small arms - Colts Navy Repeater, or something similar..” Some transparent tape repairs on otherwise clean and very readable letter. Amazing glimpse into Civil War history that is not much known. This will be the subject of one of my columns in the American Stamp Dealer & Collector. $500.

CORINTH / Miss // MAR balloon cds with matching PAID (no rate) on cover to Mrs E E R Hopkins, Brookville, Miss.; bit of edge wear at top, Very Fine markings  $280.

“Vinton Miss / May 14, 1861 / Paid" all in manuscript on cover to B. McDaniel, Greenville, Tenn.; siled and reduced at left. Accompanied by pristine very fine original 4-page letter, mostly business and personal content, but includes two very political paragraphs, in part, "…If nothing but blood will satisfy the tyrant at Washington, I hope he will have his desire met by short work. If the war must be bloody, be it so; but…Lincoln can never conquer the South. Even the women are aiming to resist. He has his choice: to acknowledge our independence or carry on a war of extermination…"; wonderful rising tide content and scarce manuscript town. $300.

VICKSBURG / MISS // JUN / 12 / 1862 with matching handstamped [due] 5 revalued with manuscript “10”  on soldier’s cover to Wm. H. E. Merritt Esq., Lawrenceville, Brunswick Co. Virginia; mandated endorsement “H. E. Merrett, Co. C, 28th Regt. Miss Volunteers” as well as contents docketing at lower left. Wm. H. E. Merritt was a Virginia legislator, plantation and slave owner. Side flaps missing but not reduced, Ex Myerson  $250.