"The Blake M. Myers Collection of Trans-Oceanic Mail To and From the United States 1860-65" continued...

VERY FINE. A REMARKABLE BLOCKADE-RUN COVER FROM ST. VINCENT TO VIRGINIA WITH MULTIPLES OF THE FIRST ISSUE OF ST. VINCENT. ONE OF THE EARLIEST AND ARGUABLY THE MOST SPECTACULAR FRANKING OF ALL BLOCKADE-RUN COVERS.

Beginning with Norfolk, Virginia, on April 30, 1861, the Federal blockade of major Southern ports was successfully implemented over a three-month period. New Orleans was blockaded on May 26, 1861, and it was captured by Union forces on April 29, 1862. Although New Orleans had the potential to become the Confederacy's most important blockade-running port, it was not to be. According to Stephen R. Wise (Lifelines of the Confederacy, p. 75): "Throughout the first few months of the war the lack of cooperation between private, state, and government interests wrecked all attempts to send steam blockade runners out of New Orleans." The Mississippi Delata also proved easy for the Federal navy to blockade.

This folded letter, a duplicate of an April 6 letter, was posted from St. Vincent on June 8, 1861, and reached St. Thomas on June 13. It was almost certainly routed thru Havana for an available blockade runner, then brought into New Orleans on September 5, which makes it one of the earliest of all recorded trans-oceanic covers entering any Confederate port after termination of mail exchange (including expresses) on August 26, 1861. The use of the pre-war "Steam" handstamp is very unusual during the Confederate period. Presumably the letter was carried by rail from New Orleans to Norfolk via Memphis.

Very few blockade-run covers bear any stamps, and only a few are franked with stamps of foreign countries. This is the only cover with St. Vincent stamps.

Ex Bogg, Bilden and Haas. With 1967 B.P.A. certificate. (Image)

VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE INBOUND BLOCKADE-RUN COVER. VERY FEW KNOWN WITH A CONFEDERATE STAMP PREPAYING INTERNAL RATE.

With 1975 C.S.A. certificate (Image)

VERY FINE. RARE USE OF A CONFEDERATE STAMP ON BLOCKADE-RUN MAIL WITH NAME-OF-SHIP ENDORSEMENT.

The Will o' the Wisp arrived in Wilmington on September 5, 1864, after a run from Nassau. The "Dupl" notation at upper right suggests that this duplicate mailing was sent to Charleston via Wilmington (presumably the original was sent directly to Charleston).

With 1988 P.F. certificate (Image)

FINE APPEARANCE. A SPECTACULAR FRANKING AND VERY RARE COVER CAPTURED DURING AN ATTEMPTED BLOCKADE RUN AND USED AS EVIDENCE IN THE PRIZE COURT AT PHILADELPHIA.

The notations at right and evidence number "84" in red at left were applied by the Philadelphia Prize Court. Mail from captured blockade runners was used as evidence in trials to confiscate vessels. This cover was probably mailed at New York City on August 14, 1862, to Saunders and Son in Nassau, who acted as forwarding agents for blockade runs to and from the Confederacy. Evidently, the blockade-run steamer was captured en route from Nassau to one of the destination ports.

Ex Knapp (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. A PRISTINE OUTBOUND BLOCKADE-RUN COVER FROM WILMINGTON TO NASSAU.

The letter begins "I send this by St. 'Wild Rover'" and mentions a passport request to General Bragg and speculation about Sherman's advance. The Wild Rover sailed from Wilmington on Dec. 7, 1864, arriving Dec. 10.

Ex Knapp. (Image)