Lot
1967 
Confederacy, Beaufort, S.C., 1861, 5¢ black, lemon provisional entire with "Paid 5" provisional handstamp crossed out and updated with manuscript "Due 5" rating, "Pocotaligo S.C., 17 Nov" cds endorsed from "Lt. Witherspoon, Co. A. 12th Regt. S.C.V." and addressed to his wife at Yorkville S.C.; reduced slightly at right, Very Fine; with 2018 C.S.A. certificate. Scott No. 150XU1 $3,500.
ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THIS NEW C.S.A. PROVISIONAL ENVELOPE, THE ONLY USED FROM THE POCOTALIGO POST OFFICE.
By November 16, 1861 Lieutenant Witherspoon had moved from Beaufort S.C. to a camp 20 miles north near Pocotaligo S.C. On that date, he mailed this cover and the Pocotaligo Postmaster did not accept the Beaufort "Paid 5" provisional entire as prepaid. In the original letter that no longer accompanies he wrote, "There is no mail on the Savannah [Rail] road on Sundays and hence I can't forward you another letter until Monday." The following lot has another Beaufort "Paid 5" provisional entire that he wrote on Monday Nov. 17th and it was hand delivered without post office marking (someone docketed "November 17, 1861" in pencil). Lt. Witherspoon must have acquired these Beaufort 5¢ Provisional entires two weeks earlier and used them from his camp near Pocotaligo two weeks later.
Harvey Teal acquired the balance of the 117 Witherspoon correspondence envelopes from a direct descendant in 2018. This is the first time this material is being offered at auction.
Realized: $1,600