Lot
52 
From Steam Boat Tennessee (Cumberland River), fancy red circular handstamp on folded Nov 5th, 1846 Port of Cairo, Ill. bill of lading to New Orleans, La., Very Fine.Milgram No. 1355 Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
AN EARLY AND VERY RARE EXAMPLE OF "TENNESSEE" FANCY STEAMBOAT MARKING.
Letters carried on the Cumberland River in Tennessee are rare, the route from Nashville to New Orleans used the Cumberland, the Ohio and the Mississippi Rivers, a distance of 1,270 miles. No contracts existed for this route and all letters were carried outside the mails to New Orleans.
The "Tennessee" of 391 tons was built in 1846 and carried President Elect Zachary Taylor between Vicksburg and Nashville on his inauguration journey in February 1849.