Lot
4152 
(Civil War Transport) "On Steamboat Meteor, Jan. 8th 1862", datelined on patriotic lettersheet showing sitting liberty in red design, accompanied by original yellow cover with blue patriotic Eagle with rays design endorsed "Army Letter, Maj. W. Warner, 76th Oh" addressed to Hanover OH., probably carried by steamboat from Vicksburg area to Memphis, entered mails with "Memphis Ten Feb 6 1862" cds and matching "Due 3" rating handstamp and transferred to steamboat to Cairo and then Cincinnati; edge wear and reduced at right, F.-V.F. Estimate $300 - 400.
Many of the Mississippi mail boats were contracted to carry troops during the Civil War. The Meteor carried troops to the siege of Vicksburg in January 1862 and to the landings at Bledsoe's and Hamblin's Landings, Arkansas in October of that year.
Patriotic letter sheet contained within envelope reading : "Dear Uncle, I had not written to you for some in consequence of being where the mails did not reach us. We have been down to Vicksburg on a little excursion but before going any further I will give you a little account of the trip, I do not remember the dates but never mind. We left Helena and proceeded down the Mississippi when we arrived at the mouth of the Yazoo we started up the river having gone up that river about fifteen miles we disembarked but had not gone more than a mile before we came in sight of the rebels earthworks here we stopped and waited until the rest of troops disembarked when Gen. Frank P. Blairs' brigade had landed and it marched about a mile towards Vicksburg and was soon engaged hotley with the rebels and night only ended the engagement…".
Realized: $250
Lot
4153
(Confederate Use - New Orleans) New Orleans La. Jan. 16, 1862, cds and matching bold "Steam 7" straightline rating handstamp for 5¢ postage plus 2¢ ship fee on fresh cover from the Carroll Hoy correspondence to New Orleans La., endorsed "Per Freight"; usual filing holes, Extremely Fine, ex-Wiseman, Engel, Haas, Birkinbine. Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
A CHOICE AND RARE MISSISSIPPI RIVER PACKET BOAT USAGE.
New Orleans surrendered to Vice Admiral Farragut on April 25th 1862, thus ending the Confederate post office and the use of their handstamps and adhesives in the city.
Realized: $3,500
Lot
4154
(Confederate Use - New Orleans) New Orleans La. Aug 14, 1861, double-circle river mail cds on cover to Port Gibson Miss. bearing New Orleans, La., 1861, 5¢ Brown (62X4), mostly large margins to just touching, tied by clear strike of "PD 5 CTS/N.O.P.O." two-line provisional handstamp and with partial "J. L. RIDDELL, P.M." straightline, endorsed Steamboat "Lafourche", "Grand Gulf Oct 15" transit cds; cover staining and edge wear, Fine. Scott No. 62X4 Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE CONFEDERATE STEAMBOAT USE SHOWING THE COMBINATION OF PROVISIONAL HANDSTAMP TO CANCEL THE NEW ORLEANS 5¢ PROVISIONAL STAMP AND THE RIVER MAIL CDS AS POSTMARK.
The "provisional" handstamp was also used at the New Orleans wharf office to cancel mail put on board steamboats where the small double-circle datestamp was used to postmark the mails. This cover was carried by Confederate Steamboat "Lafourche" from New Orleans to Grand Gulf, where put off for the 7 miles to Port Gibson.
Realized: $4,250
