Lot
1808 
Confederacy, 1861 (May 21) Charleston S.C. to The Hague, Holland, hand carried cover with datelined letter of introduction of Thomas M. Horsey to Leon Herckenrath, cover endorsed at lower left "Introduction of Mr. Ths. M. Horsey", Very Fine. Estimate $500 - 750.
A RARE BLOCKADE-RUN LETTER FROM THE CONFEDERACY TO HOLLAND.
This letter was probably carried through the technical but non-effective U.S. blockade in later May 1861 by Bremen bark "Gause" whose destination was Amsterdam, Holland. It is likely that the "Gause" was not stopped by any blockader either because she was not seen or because she was glying a foreign flag and the departure time was within the 15-day grace period for foreign ships to clear blockaded ports. Mr. Horsey is known to have later received a July 1861 blockade-run letter addressed to him in care of Fraser, Thenholm and Co. at Liverpool, England, probably while he was waiting for return transportation to the Confederacy. The addressee Leon Herkenrath was born in Holland in 1800, married a Charleston S.C. girl in 1823 and was a merchant in Charleston until he and his family moved back to Holland about 1836. He died a wealthy merchant on Sep. 12th 1861, shortly after Horsey's visit.