John H. Reagan. Confederate
Postmaster General, bold signature on 8-1/2 x 14 in. official
postmaster's appointment dated Aug. 14, 1861, the "Montgomery,
Alabama" printed site of execution has been changed by hand to
"Richmond, Virginia", issued to Thomas H. McCann of Equality
S.C., with original official business imprint cover used to transmit
document, minor splits along folds at right edgeA WONDERFUL EXHIBITION PIECE. REAGAN APPOINTMENTS OF THIS TYPE ARE VERY SCARCE, BUT THE APPOINTMENT OF A POSTMASTER AT EQUALITY IN THE SLAVE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IS IRONIC, TO SAY THE LEAST.
In an article by Van Dyke MacBride, published in the August 1956 American Philatelist, he observed "Confederate postmasters' commissions of any character are extremely rare" and he describes another example of this type as "the only one the writer has ever seen." (Image)
Robert E. Lee. Bold
signature "R. E. Lee Genl" at top right of manila cover addressed in
his hand to "Mrs. Margaret B. Daingerfield, Ingleside, Amelia Court
House, Virginia", the cover also bears a 10c Milky Blue, Die A
(11a), ample to huge margins, tied by "Richmond Va. Jun. 14, 1863"
circular datestampEXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THE FINEST KNOWN EXAMPLES OF GENERAL LEE'S SIGNATURE IN COMBINATION WITH A CONFEDERATE GENERAL ISSUE STAMP. MAILED DURING THE EARLY DAYS OF LEE'S INVASION OF THE NORTH, CULMINATING IN THE HISTORIC BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG. A MARVELOUS COMBINATION OF HISTORY AND PHILATELY.
General Robert E. Lee's letters sent from the field were enclosed in envelopes signed "R. E. Lee Genl". The letters and other important papers were carried by military courier, usually to Richmond. Letters addressed to locations outside Richmond were mailed at the post office with postage prepaid, locally-addressed mail was usually delivered by hand, although a few examples were given to the post office.
The Richmond postmark on this cover is dated June 14, 1863, which coincides with Lee's advance toward the North. The Confederate invasion of the North was stopped at Gettysburg a little more than two weeks later.
Ex Haas. (Image)