Lot
4492 
Confederacy, Taylor's Tobacco Warehouse, Richmond Va., Prisoner of War cover bearing 1861, 3¢ rose, small flaw, cancelled by grid and addressed to "Sergeant George G Noyes, Prisoner of War, Richmond Va", reverse with pencil notation "Gen Williams Washington D.C.", matching "Worcester Mass Feb 3" cds, entered Confederate mails with blue "Norfolk Va. Feb 14 1861" dcds and "5" due rating handstamp; some soiling and small backflap tear, Very Fine, One of only four recorded POW covers from Taylor's Tobacco Warehouse in Richmond Va. Ex-Walske. Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
George Gustavus Adams Noyes enlisted in Company D, Massachusetts 15th Infantry Regiment on July 12, 1861, and served alongside his brother Francis H. Noyes who died at Antietam in September 1862. On October 21, 1861, George was taken prisoner at the Battle of Ball's Bluff, in Leesburg Va. After exchange in late February 1862, he was mustered out on disability in April 1863. He died in 1905.
Taylor's Tobacco warehouse opened as a prison following the Battle of Ball's Bluff on October 28, 1861. Regimental histories report that all the men from the 15th Massachusetts were confined at Taylor's following the battle. Residents of Massachusetts were the first to form a relief effort for their imprisoned soldiers and raised several hundred dollars to purchase necessities to send to the men (Harrison, p. 101).
Lot
4493
Confederacy, Taylor's Tobacco Warehouse, Richmond Va., buff Prisoner of War cover with blue "Norfolk Va. Dec 28 1861" cds and matching "Paid 5c." circled handstamp and addressed to "Lieut. George W. Kinney, Prisoner of War, Richmond Va, Care of Gen Winder Commander", manuscript "Exd D.W.C." examiner's initials at Fortress Monroe; light fold at left, Very Fine, One of only four recorded POW covers from Taylor's Tobacco Warehouse in Richmond Va. Ex-Everett. Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
Mainly because of smaller prison populations, early mail from the September 1861 to May 1862 period was routed via Norfolk and is far rarer after 1862. Lieut. George W. Kenney was in the 71st Penn. Infantry whose records are in the Gettysburg National Military Park Library.
The four recorded examples of Taylor POW comprise two incoming letters from the Kenny correspondence, and one outgoing and one incoming letter from the Noyes correspondence.
Realized: $900