Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

The Jeanette C. Rudy Collection of Tennessee Postal History continued...

**Southern Letter Unpaid**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description	Est/Cat	Realized
77		SOUTHN. LETTER UNPAID. Blue two-line handstamp with matching "Louisville Ky. Jun. 29" double-circle datestamp and "DUE 3" straightline on cover to Frankfort Ky., 3c Dull Red (26) tied by partly readable "Fredericks Hall Va. June 28" (1861) circular datestamp, held for postage and marked in blue crayon "Due 5", "Paid" handstamp and ms. "5" Confederate rate applied after prepayment, sender's routing "Via Nashville", 3c with piece added at upper left, repaired opening faults, bottom flap and portion of bottom edge added FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE COVER WITH AN ESPECIALLY CLEAR STRIKE OF THE "SOUTHERN LETTER UNPAID" HANDSTAMP OF LOUISVILLE. Steven C. Walske's recently published analysis of mail service at the onset of the Civil War provides a much better understanding of circumstances surrounding the use of the coveted "Southern Letter Unpaid" marking. Postmaster General Blair's May 27 suspension order prohibited post offices from forwarding southbound mails to disloyal Southern states. However, northbound mail continued to be sent via Louisville. Through June 6, northbound mails were forwarded to Louisville from Memphis or Nashville. From June 7 through 12, only the Nashville post office forwarded mail to Louisville, and Louisville continued to forward mail north. With the resignation of W. D. McNish as Nashville's Federal postmaster on June 12, "Louisville held the mails still being sent north by the discontinued post office at Nashville. This held mail later became the well-known 'Southern Letter Unpaid' mail" (Walske). United States postage stamps affixed in the South were regarded as contraband and were refused as prepayment. On June 24, Dr. J. J. Speed, the postmaster at Louisville, was advised to forward letters from the South to the loyal states after removing postage. With approximately 5,000 such letters accumulating at Louisville by this date, Postmaster Speed employed a more practical means of invalidating postage by creating the "Southern Letter Unpaid" handstamp. Immediately after receiving instructions from Washington to forward the held mail, the Louisville post office began marking letters. Some of these have circular datestamps (June 27, 28 and 29 being the most common dates), while others have no Louisville datestamp. Given the June 28 origin date of this cover, it probably arrived in Louisville after June 29, the date of the Louisville postmark. Based on several covers with dating anomalies, it is known that the June 29 date was used on a subsequent day. Ex Krieger. Signed Brian M. Green. With 1977 P.F. certificate (Image)	E. 5,000-7,500	10,000.00

Southern Letter Unpaid

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

Est/Cat

Realized

SOUTHN. LETTER UNPAID. Blue two-line handstamp with matching "Louisville Ky. Jun. 29" double-circle datestamp and "DUE 3" straightline on cover to Frankfort Ky., 3c Dull Red (26) tied by partly readable "Fredericks Hall Va. June 28" (1861) circular datestamp, held for postage and marked in blue crayon "Due 5", "Paid" handstamp and ms. "5" Confederate rate applied after prepayment, sender's routing "Via Nashville", 3c with piece added at upper left, repaired opening faults, bottom flap and portion of bottom edge added

FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE COVER WITH AN ESPECIALLY CLEAR STRIKE OF THE "SOUTHERN LETTER UNPAID" HANDSTAMP OF LOUISVILLE.

Steven C. Walske's recently published analysis of mail service at the onset of the Civil War provides a much better understanding of circumstances surrounding the use of the coveted "Southern Letter Unpaid" marking. Postmaster General Blair's May 27 suspension order prohibited post offices from forwarding southbound mails to disloyal Southern states. However, northbound mail continued to be sent via Louisville. Through June 6, northbound mails were forwarded to Louisville from Memphis or Nashville. From June 7 through 12, only the Nashville post office forwarded mail to Louisville, and Louisville continued to forward mail north. With the resignation of W. D. McNish as Nashville's Federal postmaster on June 12, "Louisville held the mails still being sent north by the discontinued post office at Nashville. This held mail later became the well-known 'Southern Letter Unpaid' mail" (Walske).

United States postage stamps affixed in the South were regarded as contraband and were refused as prepayment. On June 24, Dr. J. J. Speed, the postmaster at Louisville, was advised to forward letters from the South to the loyal states after removing postage. With approximately 5,000 such letters accumulating at Louisville by this date, Postmaster Speed employed a more practical means of invalidating postage by creating the "Southern Letter Unpaid" handstamp.

Immediately after receiving instructions from Washington to forward the held mail, the Louisville post office began marking letters. Some of these have circular datestamps (June 27, 28 and 29 being the most common dates), while others have no Louisville datestamp. Given the June 28 origin date of this cover, it probably arrived in Louisville after June 29, the date of the Louisville postmark. Based on several covers with dating anomalies, it is known that the June 29 date was used on a subsequent day.

Ex Krieger. Signed Brian M. Green. With 1977 P.F. certificate (Image)

E. 5,000-7,500

10,000.00