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Sale 47: The Westpex Sale

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Letters & Postal History

Lots 1752-1761

Lot 1752    

Confederacy, 1863 Confederate Home Front Letter, folded letter with Somerville Ala. postmark and franked with 2 pen cancelled #7, to Aberdeen, Miss., reporting some details about Union soldiers looking for Confederate cavalry General Philip Roddey and the various movements of troops, with vivid first person descriptions of the political alienation, mixed citizen loyalties and consequent internal war within the Civil War that took place in northern Alabama; writer relates Union soldiers stealing horses & livestock, intercepting wagons with supplies, etc; much additional commentary, with transcription of letter and corresponding historical details, Very Fine.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Realized: $600

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Lot 1753    

Confederacy, 1864 Talladega, Ala. Adversity Cover, Alabama Confederate citizen W. J. Estill writing to his brother datelined "Talladega, Ala., Dec 24th 1864", asking favor from Congressman Cruikshank anticipating postwar Reconstruction, the favor involves his being appointed to oversee a work "squad of negroes", adversity cover fashioned from old navigation map and is postmarked "Talladega Ala Dec 26", transcription of letter accompanies., Very Fine.
Estimate    $100 - 150.

Realized: $525

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Lot 1754    

Confederacy, Alexander Stephens, manuscript free frank as a member of the United States Congress prior to becoming the Vice President of the Confederate States, postmarked Washington, D.C. cds with attached "Free" on cover to his father, John L. Stephens of La Grange, Ga., Very Fine.
Estimate    $100 - 150.

Realized: $125

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Lot 1755    

Confederacy, Confederate Soldier's Letter, from James Miner of the 15th South Carolina, camped at Winchester, Va.after R.E. Lee's defeat at Gettysburg; there is no reference to the battle or the retreat, typical of Southern soldier's letters home, cover with Federal stamp scraped off probably taken from dead Union soldier; with transcription and much commentary, F.-V.F.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

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Lot 1756    

Confederacy, Confederate Soldier's Letter, from Pvt James B. Allen of the 15th Virginia Infantry on duty at Kinston NC under Gen. George Picket, stamp on cover (#11) postmarked with target field cancel with no town cds intended to conceal the location of the troops to the enemy should the letter be intercepted; includes a transcription of the letter and interesting historical notes, F.-V.F.
Estimate    $150 - 200.

Realized: $95

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Lot 1757    

Confederacy, J.C. Breckinridge, manuscript free franked (as United States Vice President) on large size cover sent pre-war to J.W. Scott in Philadelphia, small corner defect at top left & minor edge wear, still Very Fine, a very scarce Vice Presidential free franks.
Estimate    $150 - 200.

John C. Breckinridge, served as Buchanan's Vice President from 1857-1861 and was elected senator from Kentucky when Lincoln came to office. However, he was expelled from Congress on December 4, 1861 because of his pro Southern sympathies and promptly became a major general in the Confederate Army.

Realized: $115

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Lot 1758    

Confederacy, New Orleans to Thibodeaux, La. by Military Courier, cover franked with 1861, 3¢ rose tied by target handstamp on cover carried by military courier to Thibodeaux, La., manuscript "The provost marshal will please forward to destination" and "Care of Lt. John Pugh" endorsements, "New Orleans La. Oct. 10 '65" cds, forwarded to Painecourtville by Baldwin's Express with manuscript. "Oct-14th 1865 J.Y.S(anders)." at center, small faults, Fine appearance.
Scott No. U.S. 65    Estimate $400 - 600.

One of the few methods of fowarding this letter to Thibodeaux was by military courier as the regular mail service was still being established. The forwarding docketing is known used on covers bearing the Baldwin's South La. Express handstamp.

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Lot 1759    

Confederacy, Port Lavaca, Tex., four covers from early 1866 correspondence to Massachusetts; first two on "Office Chief Quartermaster U.S. Mil. R.R., Victoria, Texas, Official Business" imprint covers with Victoria crossed out, one with manuscript "Lavaca" endorsement and both posted in New Orleans, La. in January (stamps partially removed showing imprint), second two with U.S.M.R.R. circular date stamps, one dated Feb. 12 posted in New Orleans and other Feb 23 with "Lavaca, Tex, Feb 26" Confederate period device with "Port" name removed, generally F.-V.F.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $135

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Lot 1760    

Confederacy, Union & Confederate Soldier's Views of the Battle of Roanoke, two 4-page letters from Cpt. Andrew Upson about moving prisoners, each with its original cover, datelined "Stevenson, Ala., December 14, 1863" and "December 29, 1863"; covers are postmarked Nashville, Ten., letters deal with problems of moving P.O.W.'sI received orders to proceed to Chattanooga in charge of all the Federal prisoners now confined here…I prefer prisoners with the boys outside who carry loaded guns, then matters go smoothly….two more men returned this morning from eastern hospitalsthey were wounded at Gettysburg & now are recovered, other logistic aspects; Upson's service record included, Fine.
Estimate    $1,500 - 2,000.

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Lot 1761    

Confederacy, Cover Selection, 1861-1865, group of 72 covers, with various frankings including pair #1 to Somerset, Va., single on nice cover with New Orleans cds, #4 pair with Pittsboro, S.C. cds, another #4 pair with pre-printing fold & manuscript North Carolina cancel, various #6 pairs, many #11 & #12 usages including Chapel Hill camp grid cancels; many more North Carolina postmarks; couple colored cancels; covers in somewhat mixed condition but including many 4-margin stamps and clearly readable postmarks; a few stampless and including 1854 free frank of Alexander Stephens as Member of Congress; contents for many covers accompany; close examination strongly recommended (no photo).
Estimate    $750 - 1,000.

Realized: $2,600

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Lots 1752-1761

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