Lot
4354 
Confederacy, 1863, 10¢ Milky Blue, four nice margins, tied by blue dateless "Charlotte, N.C." circular postmark on small homemade cover addressed to "Commodore Barron, C.S. Navy, Savannah, Georgia", the cover was then forwarded to Charleston, S.C. with "Savannah, Ga., May 14" cds and straightline "Forwarded" handstamp with red "10" rating handstamp, Extremely Fine. Scott No. 11a Estimate $750 - 1,000.
Samuel Barron was born 28 November 1809 in Hampton, Virginia. His father, who died in 1810, was a commodore in the US navy stationed there. As a tribute to his father Barron was appointed a midshipman on 1 January 1812. He was only two at the time. He entered active service with the navy in 1820. By 1855 he was a captain. By 1860 he was chief of the Bureau of Detail and one of the most powerful men in the navy. After Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated in 1861 there is evidence that Barron was actively attempting to take control of the Navy Department. Once Virginia left the Union he tendered his resignation. Gideon Welles, the Secretary of the Navy, refused to accept the resignation and instead dismissed Barron on 22 April 1861.
Offering his services to his native state, Barron was named a captain and head of the Office of Naval Detail and Equipment. When Virginia's navy became part of the Confederate navy he was given a commission as commander dated 10 June 1861 and appointed head of the Office of Orders and Details. He held this position only until 20 July 1861 when he convinced the Confederate Secretary of the Navy, Stephen R. Mallory, to give him command of the coastal defenses of Virginia and North Carolina. Barron chose to administer his duties from Fort Hatteras, North Carolina. He arrived at the fort 28 August 1861; the day after a Union fleet began a bombardment and was forced to surrender the following day. He was held as a prisoner of war until exchanged 11 months later.
In November 1862, Barron was briefly reassigned command of naval forces in Virginia before he was sent to Great Britain to take command of the two ironclad rams, CSS North Carolina and CSS Mississippi (also known as the 'Laird Rams'), that were being built under the direction of Commander James D. Bulloch for the Confederacy. After the ships were seized by British authorities the following year, Barron traveled to France, remaining in Paris as "Flag Officer" commanding Confederate States Naval Forces in Europe acting as a contact for Confederate naval officers as well as blockade runners and privateers until February 25, 1865 when he resigned his commission returning to the United States shortly before the Confederacy's surrender a month later. Retiring to his home in Essex County, Virginia, Barron took up farm life until his death on February 26, 1888.
Realized: $1,150
Lot
4355
Confederacy, 1863, 10¢ Blue, Perf'd, tied by "Cahaba Ala. Aug. 10" cds on homemade cover to Benton Ala.; stamp with some light staining, minor cover wrinkling, otherwise Very Fine and scarce official perf use from Alabama; signed by Ashbrook, with 1976 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 11e $750.
Realized: $725
Lot 4356 o
Confederacy, 1863, 10¢ Blue, Die A, Perforated, Block of Four, dark shade and fine impression, each stamp cancelled by open grid, possibly an army field office grid, but also similar to the device used at Brookhaven Miss. where perforated stamps are known to have originated, Fine and extremely rare used block; with 2006 C.S.A. certificate.Scott No. 11e Estimate $5,000 - 7,500.
THE ONLY RECORDED USED BLOCK OF THE 1863 10¢ BLUE DIE A.
Lot
4357 
Confederacy, 1863, 10¢ Blue, Die A, Forsyth Ga. Serpentine Roulette, original gum, shallow thin and some light creases, Fine, an exceedingly rare unused example of this private perf, ex-Hulme; with 2009 C.S.A. certificate. Scott No. 11 var. Estimate $500 - 750.
Lot
4358 ()
Confederacy, 1863, 10¢ Blue, Harrisonburg Va. Roulette, roulettes on three sides, straight edge at right, deep shade, unused, light vertical crease ends in tiny tear, Fine, a very rare Harrisonburg roulette pair.; with 2009 C.S.A. certificate. Scott No. 11 var. Estimate $500 - 750.
The Harrisonburg Va. roulettes were used from post offices in the surrounding Shenandoah Valley area and are known as the "Shenandoah Separations".
Lot
4359
Confederacy, 1863, 10¢ Blue, Harrisonburg Va. Roulette, showing full roulettes on all sides, centered to left, tied by "Lexington Va. Apr. 5" cds on homemade cover to Richmond Va., Very Fine, ex-Myerson, Hulme; with 2009 C.S.A. certificate. Scott No. 11 var. Estimate $500 - 750.
The Harrisonburg roulettes were used from post offices in the surrounding Shenandoah Valley area, and they are therefore also known as the "Shenandoah Separations".
Realized: $800
Lot
4360
Confederacy, 1863, 10¢ Blue, Die A, Unofficially Perforated, perf. 12 all around, tied by blue "Petersburg Va. Jul. 28" cds, second strike dated Jul. 27 at left on blue 1863 folded letter made from lined paper addressed to to Augusta Ga.; ink spot also ties stamp to cover, small tear at top, Fine, signed Ashbrook as "Unofficial Perforation"; with 2008 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 11 var. Estimate $500 - 750.
Realized: $900
Lot
4361
Confederacy, 1863, 10¢ Blue, Forsyth Ga. Sawtooth Roulette, full perforations with large wing margin at left, short transfer, printed on horiz. ribbed paper, tied by "Forsyth, Geo., Mar. 21" cds on cover to W. M. Blaton at Griffin, Ga., Very Fine, ex-Judd, Ballard. Scott No. 12 var. Estimate $750 - 1,000.
ONE OF ONLY EIGHT RECORDED FORSYTH SAWTOOTH ROULETTE COVERS.
Realized: $675
Lot
4362
Confederacy, 1863, 10¢ Blue, three margins with faint corner crease, tied by partial Charlottesville Va. cds on buff cover addressed to Miss Mary R. Huck, care Capt. Lewis Huck, CSS Patrick Henry, Richmond Va., Very Fine and scarce naval address. Scott No. 12 Estimate $300 - 400.
Lewis Neill Huck was an attorney commissioned as a Lieut. in company H of the 13th Virginia Infantry on April 20, 1861, and promoted to Captain on April 26, 1862. Huck resigned unfit for duty on Oct. 21 and was appointed Master "not in line for promotion" in the Confederate States Navy on November 14, 1863 where he served aboard the CSS Patrick Henry 1863-64.
CSS Patrick Henry was built in New York City in 1859 by the renowned William H. Webb for the Old Dominion Steam Ship Line as the civilian steamer Yorktown, a brigantine-rigged side-wheel steamer. She carried passengers and freight between Richmond, Virginia and New York City. Yorktown was anchored in the James River when Virginia seceded from the Union on 17 April 1861 and was seized by the Virginia Navy and later turned over to the Confederate Navy on 8 June 1861. Commander John Randolph Tucker, who commanded the newly organized James River Squadron, directed that Yorktown be converted into a gunboat and renamed Patrick Henry in honor of that revolutionary patriot.
During the Battle of Hampton Roads on 8 March 1862 in which the Virginia destroyed the Federal warships USS Cumberland and USS Congress, the Patrick Henry attempted to take the latter's surrender but was fired upon by shore batteries, and took a shell in her steam chest that killed four men. Towed out of action long enough to make repairs, she soon resumed her former position. During the historic 9 March 1862 action between the CSS Virginia and USS Monitor, the Patrick Henry fired long range at Monitor. The Confederate Congress later accorded special thanks to all officers and men for their gallant conduct during the two-day battle.
Realized: $525