Memphis, Tenn. 5¢ red vertical pair #56X2, gum stains, tied bold DEC 11 (1861) town cancel on lightly stained cover to "John H. Randolph, Esq., Bayou Goula, La" from John Shelby & Co., Ex-Matz, Scott Retail Value $3,500.00;a longer interesting bio of Randolph accompanies

John Hampden Randolph (1813-1883) was a Louisiana planter. During the Civil War he took slaves and valuables to Washington County, Texas, where he farmed for the duration of the war on rented land. Algernon Sidney Randolph (John's oldest son) was killed fighting for the Confederate Army during the siege of Vicksburg in 1863.

Petersburg Va., 5¢ Red #65X1, Position 10, huge right sheet margin, tied by blue "Petersburg Va. Jan. 23" town cancel on 1862 folded letter to Weldon N.C., both the cover and stamp have minor surface abrasions possibly caused by vermin, otherwise Fine, Ex-Tobias, 2008 SCV $2,500.

New Orleans, La. 5¢ brown on white #62X3 with four nice margins all around, tied town cancel on cover to Livonia, La. 

Petersburg, Va. 5¢ red postmaster provisional, Scott #65X1, position 10, tied by usual blue town cancel on commercial cover to Raleigh, N.Ca., top back flap repaired, 2008 SCV $2,500.   

New Orleans, La. 5¢ brown on bluish #62X4 tied neat bold 23 October 1861 town cancel on cover addressed to “Hon. J. Alex Ventress, Woodville, Miss.” (the town where Jefferson Davis was reared), small portion top back flap missing, 2008 SCV $425.  

Memphis, Tenn 5¢ red postmaster provisional #56X2 tied on small neat cover to Nashville, flap faults, 2008 SCV $1,750.  

Abingdon, Va. 5¢ black #2XU2 nicely struck on partial cover, essentially a front, but nice examples of the strikes.  2009 SCV $1,400. 

New Orleans La., 5¢ brown on white #62X3, position 2, large margins including a trace of imprint at top, tied by indistinct New Orleans circular datestamp on cover to “Mr. Lestan Prudhomme, Natchitoches La.”, from a very old aristocratic Nathchitoches family (much may be found online about them), Very Fine  Ex-Gunter

New Orleans, La. 5¢ ocher #62X3b, tied by "PAID" handstamps on reduced (at left) defective cover to Baton Rouge, sent via steamboat "Acadia" to “Mrs. Nancy & J.C. Foreman, Baton Rouge, La”, blind embossed advertising on the back flap of FELLOWES & CO. / NEW ORLEANS, 2007 C.S.A. certificate #05074, 2009 SCV $2,750. Very seldom seen and desirable shade on a cover with a story twist. Texas General Land Office crews searching for underwater debris created by Hurricane Ike “rediscovered” a sunken Civil War blockade ship historical officials and divers have known for decades was there. In January 2009, land office crews using sonar imaging picked up the remains of the Acadia, a 738-ton Confederate steamship sunk off the island in 1865. The 211-foot-long Acadia was on its maiden voyage as a blockade-runner, heading toward the mouth of the Brazos River, when it ran aground in fog near the island and was abandoned by its crew Feb. 6, 1865, according to the “Handbook of Texas Online.” Union forces sank the ship the next morning after the fog lifted. $1,400.

Columbia, S.C. 5¢ blue #18XU4a with seal control mark on back flaps, addressed to “Mr. Ralph Gorrell Greensboro, N.C.”, Very Fine and scarce handstamped provisional entire, 2009 SCV $1,250.  Ex-Cantey.

Click on thumbnail images at left individually to enlarge.

ATLANTA Geo. 10¢ black #6XU6, neat strike of provisional handstamp with "Atlanta Ga./Sep. 21, 1861" cds on lemon cover wonderfully addressed to "Capt. Benj C. Yancey, Fulton Dragoons, Care Col. T. R. R. Cobbs Geo(rgia) Legion, Yorktown, Va.” Included is lengthy and articulate 8-page letter from wife to officer husband which mentions the "Express" delivering a box of uniforms for the Dragoons, the CDV and cases he sent, and continues with "I should like so much, to see you in your tent; you might fill pages in telling me of your self; hope your location will prove healthy & pleasant; & not bring you too near the Yankees. Tell me, why they want so large a force there? Surely not to attack Fortress Monroe; but to prevent the enemy landing on our soil.", plus so very much more, pristine use with wonderful letter. Photo and brief bio enclosed.

Benjamin Cudworth Yancey enlisted as a captain from Alabama (pre-war member of Alabama legislature). The letter is from his second wife, Sarah P. Hamilton. He was in the Alabama 17th Battalion SharpShooters as well as Co. B Cobb’s Georgia Infantry. He rose to the rank of Lt. Col. during the war. Click on thumbnail images at left individually to enlarge. Click again to further enlarge.

MILLEDGEVILLE, GA., 1861, 10¢ black, type I, # 57XU5 provisional handstamp on overpaid drop cover addressed locally with no accompanying cds, Very Fine, Ex-Ballard, SCV $800 

Atlanta, Ga. 5¢ black #62XU2 postmaster provisional, uncanceled but contemporarily addressed to Memphis so most likely went through the mail, beautiful strike on pristine cover, Ex-Ballard, SCV $700.

Petersburg, Va. 5¢ red #65X1 tied blue town cancel on cover addressed in peacock blue ink to “Mrs. James Haskins Pres L.L. Aid Society Kennedy’s P.O. Brunswick, Va”, slightly reduced at top and couple expertly sealed cover tears at top, Handsome use, 2009 SCV $2,500.

Atlanta, Ga. 10¢ black handstamped provisional #6XU9 used with July 9, 1861 town cancel, faded or removed address, soiled, edge worn and folded down all around to enhance appearance; Ex-Ballard, 2009 SCV $2,750.

Charleston, S.C. 5¢ blue #16X1, tied by CHARLESTON / S.C. / JAN / 21 / 1862 dc on folded business letter to “N. B. Knapp, Esq., Savannah, Geo., 2010 SCV $2,500.  $1,250.

Charleston, S.C. 5¢ blue #16X1, horizontal file fold through stamp, tied by CHARLESTON / S.C. / DEC / 4 / 1861 cds on folded business letter to “Revd H.A. Tupper, Washington, Geoa”, Ex-Kohn, 2010 SCV $2,500.  $1,250.

Charleston, S.C. 5¢ blue #16X1 (cut in at top left), tied by CHARLESTON / S.C. / 1861 dc on cover with Hayden & Whilden, 250 King Street, Charleston SC blind embossed corner card, to "Col. Thomas H. Connors, Friendship P.O., S.C.", restored section at top and back flap replaced, 2010 SCV $2,500.  The thriving mercantile firm of Hayden & Whilden were importers and retailers of fine English and Northern jewelry and silverware as well as swords, pistols and other military gear.  $650.

New Orleans, La.  5¢ brown #62X3, two singles both with large margins, tied by straight line PAID handstamps on 1861 folded letter sheet to Jackson, Miss. with matching New Orleans, La., Jul 21 cds at center; minor edge wear and file fold through postmark, otherwise Very Fine.  $975.

Atlanta, Geo. 5¢ black handstamped provisional #6XU2 used with Nov 29, 1861 town cancel on pristine lemon cover with green embossed Salmons & Simmons Staple & Fancy Goods cameo corner card. A Showstopper! Ex-Oswald and Crouch. Charles J. Phillips note on verson that it sold for $25 in 1932 – a “little” more expensive today at $4,000.

Macon, Ga.5¢ black handstamped provisional #53XU15 over PAID variety, (much scarcer than PAID over 5) used with OCT 30 (1861) town cancel on orange cameo corner card of Grocery and Staple Goods dealer, addressed to the mercantile firm of Messrs McWilliams & Roberts, Griffin, Ga., Ex-Crouch. $2,300.

New Orleans, La., 5¢ brown #62X5, tied on cover by a light strike of a STEAM handstamp, manuscript "Pr Str Iberville" at upper left, addressed to Baton Rouge but not dated; small edge faults and part of back flap missing.Included with the cover is a printed 1861 Bill of Lading form with the "Steamer Iberville" letterhead; the form is not original to this cover. The cover was placed on the steamer, possibly in New Orleans, but more likely just upriver, as the stamp does not have a New Orleans postmark. The STEAM handstamp is consistent with the mark used in Baton Rouge and would have been used on arrival in Baton Rouge (to where it is addressed) to cancel the stamp. $1,300. Click on thumbnails at left individually to enlarge.

Tuscumbia, Ala., 5¢ black handstamped provisional #84XU1, to Military Springs, Ala., postmarked Tuscumbia Dec 1 (1861) cds; minor reduction at the left, small repaired upper left corner, 2010 SCV $2,250. Ex-Matz. Only 8 listed in Crown survey. $1,000.

Uniontown, Ala., 5¢ Green on gray-blue #86X3, tied by the usual blurred partial strike of the Uniontown town cancel – actually the best strike I’ve seen - on a pristine blue laid paper cover addressed to the classic correspondence for this issue, “Mrs. R. A. Cobbs, Care of Rev. J. M. Mitchell, Montgomery, Ala.”; part of backflap missing and a very minor edge repair at the top center. An exceptionally clean cover, certainly the best of the available 9 Uniontown provisionals recorded in Crown. A similar cover in the Wm. Gross sale in December 2009 sold for $10,925. (including “tip”), 2010 SCV $9,000. $12,000.

New Orleans, La. 5¢ brown on bluish #62X4 pair (large to huge side margins) tied neat strike 22 Oct town cancel on pristine cover to “Mssrs McWilliams & Roberts, Griffin, Ga” (large mercantile firm). Pieces out of the back flap,1999 PF Certificate #0348103, Ex-Wm. A. Fox and W. Newton Crouch, Jr. 2010 SCV $700. $1,000.

Griffin, Ga. 5¢ black handstamped provisional #102XU1 used with bold neat June 27 cds on brown paper cover addressed to “Mr. & Mrs. W. H. Baldy, New Market, Monroe County, Ga.” One of only four Griffin provisionals recorded in the Crown census. 2010 SCV $2,250. Ex-Emerson, Dietz (signed), Myerson, Matz, and Crouch. Rare provisional with great provenance. $3,000.

Athens Ga., 5¢ purple #5X1 pair, types I-II (small and large "PAID”) tied by grid cancel and ATHENS Ga. Paid / OCT / 15 (1861) cds with second strike at left on small pink envelope to “Lamar Cobb, Sergt Major, 16th Regt Ga. Vol. Col. Howell Cobb, Richmond Va.”. The Crown census shows 19 pairs of the Athens 5¢ purple provisional on separate covers and includes 3 entries that should be eliminated: the unique strip of four on cover, a cover with two singles, and one likely duplicate. 1982 C.S.A. Certificate, 2010 SCV $5,500.  Ex-Hart & Walske  $5,500.

Lamar Cobb was a son of Howell Cobb (1815-1868). Howell married Mary Ann Lamar, daughter of Colonel Zachariah Lamar, of Milledgeville, Georgia, by whom he had 12 children. He became Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Secretary of the Treasury under James Buchanan, President of the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States at Montgomery in 1861, and a Confederate Major General.    

Nashville Tenn., 5¢ Violet Brown #61X5 tied by blue "Nashville Ten. Sep. 23, 1861" circular cds with matching PAID handstamp on cover to "Col. T. H. Logwood, Care of Genl. Pillow, Memphis Tenn." with directions to forward at Memphis, slightly reduced at top. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas H. Logwood commanded "Logwood's Battalion" of 6th Tennessee Cavalry which merged into the 7th Tennessee Cavalry – later also 15th and 16th - Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s command. General Gideon Johnson Pillow (1806-1878) military bio included. Much great military history in this cover as well as a great provisional use. Ex-Green & Walske.1986 C.S.A. certificate #01615, 2010 SCV $4,500.  $4,500.

Click on thumbnail images at left individually to enlarge.

Memphis, Tenn. 5¢ red #56X2 cut to shape and tied on cover by Nov 1861 town cancel on neat cover to “Dr. Jno W. Justice, Fulton, Miss.” Scarce and desirable. $1,000.