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49 Selected Lots, Page 1 of 5
General/Issue
Date
Adams Ex. Co. * Louisville, Ky. * Aug. 2, 1861. Circular datestamp on blue folded letter datelined "New Orleans 26 July, 1861" to New York City, two 3c Dull Red, Ty. III (26), tied by blue grid cancels and matching "Louisville, Ky. Aug. 3, 1861" double-circle datestamp, large Adams Express label pasted to back which is partly peeled off, letter with internal splits not affecting the front or back panels, Very Fine thru-the-lines cover carried by Adams Express, Special Routes Census No. N-AD-45, ex Gibson with blue Ward sale backstamp, with 2001 C.S.A. certificate
Adams Ex. Co. * Louisville, Ky. * Jul. 17, 1861. Partly clear strike of circular datestamp on 3c Red on Buff Star Die entire (U27) originating in the North and addressed to Augusta Ga., blue "Adams Express Co. Augusta Ga. Jul. 21" oval datestamp, manuscript "2/-" express charge (two bits or 25c), most of backflap removed, small mended nick at top, Fine and rare use of the Adams Augusta office handstamp, this cover never entered Confederate mails, it was delivered by Adams in Augusta and no Confederate postage was paid, Special Routes Census No. S-AD-22, ex Ewing and Wiltsee, with 1987 C.S.A. certificate
Adams Ex. Co. * Louisville, Ky. * Aug. 11, 1861. Clearly struck circular datestamp on 3c Red on Buff Nesbitt entire (U10) to Richmond Va., blue "Nashville Ten. Aug. 12, 1861" circular datestamp, matching "PAID" and "10" handstamps, manuscript "2/-" express charge (two bits or 25c), sealed tear at top and small cover corner fault at bottom right, otherwise Very Fine, Special Routes Census No. S-AD-59, ex Hall, with 2002 C.S.A. certificate
Adams Express cover carried across the lines in August 1861 after suspension of the mails"Adams Ex. Co. * Louisville, Ky. * Aug. 12, 1861", clear strike of circular datestamp on 3¢ Red on Buff Star Die entire (U27) to New York City, 3¢ Dull Red, Type III (26) cancelled by blue grid with matching "Louisville Ky. Aug. 13, 1861" circular datestamp, receipt docketing of August 15, 1861, at left
Very Fine example of mail carried from the South to the North across the lines, after the regular transmission of mail along pre-war postal routes was suspended. This is also an unusual combination of a 3¢ adhesive and a 3¢ entire on this type of mail. The 3¢ adhesive was probably affixed by the Adams office in Louisville to avoid having the prepaid postage rejected as Southern contraband.
Ex Stephen D. Brown, Lawrence L. Shenfield and Robert W. Wiseman. Special Routes census no. N-AD-64.
Adams Express Co. New-Orleans Apr. Circular datestamp (with "Apr" month only, 1861 use) ties 3c Dull Red, Ty. III (26) on gray lithographed American Tract Society illustrated advertising cover to Col. John Duncan at Jackson Miss., manuscript "Paid 2/-" express charge (two bits, or 25c), neatly docketed with April 25, 1861 origin date and April 26 arrival dateEXTREMELY FINE. A RARE PRECURSOR EXPRESS COMPANY COVER FROM NEW ORLEANS TO JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, CARRIED BY ADAMS EXPRESS OUTSIDE THE MAILS BEFORE JUNE 1, 1861, ENTIRELY WITHIN THE STATES IN REBELLION.
In the early months of 1861, express companies began carrying mail in anticipation of service disruptions. The Adams New Orleans marking is rare, and this beautiful cover is an extremely rare example of Adams mail carried between New Orleans and another seceded state -- the typical use is on mail to New York City or other states in the Union.
Illustrated in Chase book (p. 318). Ex Chase, Knapp, Emerson, Shenfield and Richey. With 1999 P.F. certificate
Adams Express Co. Memphis, Jun. 20 (1861). Mostly clear strike of red oval datestamp on legal-size buff cover to Governor Isham G. Harris in Nashville Tenn. with purplish-black Jefferson Davis Medallion, 7-Star Flags and 10-Star Sunburst Patriotic design (JD-1B), "DH" express notation meaning "Dead Head" or free, cover refolded at right to fit on an album page, minor staining spots at leftVERY FINE APPEARANCE. A LIKELY UNIQUE USE OF THE RARE ADAMS EXPRESS MEMPHIS DATESTAMP ON A PATRIOTIC COVER.
Shortly after the Confederacy was formed on February 4, 1861, the private freight express companies began carrying mail. Soon after June 1, 1861, newspapers published the first advertisements for thru-the-lines express service after the Federal government suspended the mails to seceded states. Tennessee seceded on June 8, 1861, 12 days before this cover was sent. It likely originated in Memphis and was handed directly to the Adams office in that city. This is the only use of the Adams Memphis marking on a Confederate Patriotic cover we have encountered
Adams Ex. Co. * Louisville, Ky. * Aug. 14, 1861. Circular datestamp ties 3c Dull Red, Ty. III (26) on censored folded letter from the Rives correspondence to New York City, blue "Charlottesville Va. Jul. 31, 1861" double-circle datestamp, matching "Paid" and "10" handstamps, 3c cancelled by Adams treated as invalid postage, second 3c applied and tied by blue "Louisville Ky. Aug. 15, 1861" double-circle datestamp and grid cancel, right stamp with replaced lower left corner, cover with small inconsequential edge tearsFINE AND RARE EXAMPLE OF CENSORSHIP BY THE ADAMS EXPRESS AGENT OF CIVILIAN MAIL BETWEEN SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN CORRESPONDENTS.
This interesting pro-Confederate letter opens with comments on reported unreliability of American Letter Express and difficulty sending letters. The writer also describes watching the Battle of First Manassas. The last portion of the letter has been censored by being crossed out with squiggles and writing in a different pen (some ink bleed-thru to front). The writer's reaction to the censorship is expressed in the letter offered in the following lot.
The opening of mail, for censorship and espionage purposes, was a sore point with the civilian population. This reference to Adams Express opening and censoring mail is a significant contemporary account.
Walske-Trepel Cenus no. N-AD-66. Ex Gallagher. With 2005 C.S.A. certificate
American Letter Express. Another folded letter from the Rives correspondence, datelined "Charlottesville Va. Aug. 10, 1861" to New York City, carried thru-the-lines to Louisville (this is the inner letter), 3c Rose (65) tied by blue "Louisville Ky. Aug. 22" double-circle datestamp and grid, the writer refers to the letter offered in the previous lot: "I do not like the espionage of Adams Express -- its dunderheaded agt. here undertook to erase certain portions of my last letter to you as contra band. You will therefore please answer me under cover to 'American Letter Express Company' Louisville Ky. enclosing 15c for postage which you will find herewith." minor wear and edge tearsVERY FINE AND RARE THROUGH-THE-LINES EXPRESS COVER BEARING POSTAGE OF THE 1861 ISSUE. THIS WAS POSSIBLE FOR ONLY A FEW DAYS IN LATE AUGUST, 1861. ALSO AN OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNT OF FRUSTRATION OVER CENSORSHIP OF CIVILIAN MAIL.
This letter was posted on August 22, four days before the August 26 prohibition of thru-the-lines express mail. Through-the-lines express covers bearing 1861 Issue stamps are very rare as there was less than a one-week window from the date of issue to the prohibition. The Walske-Trepel census records only three such covers with 1861 Issue stamps.
Walske-Trepel Cenus no. N-AX-12. Ex Knapp, MacBride, Roser and Gallagher
Adams Express Company, Great Eastern, Western & Southern Express Forwarders, New-York. Large blue oval handstamp clearly struck on 3c Red on Buff Star Die entire (U27), southbound to Washington N.C., clear strike of blue "Adams Express Co. Augusta Ga. Jul. 4" (1861) oval datestamp, manuscript "25/1" (25c single rate), partly clear "Augusta Ga. Jul. 16" double-circle datestamp and "PAID 10" straightline handstamp for Confederate postage, accompanying certificate notes a repair at upper right but this appears to be only on a small section of the back and does not affect the indiciaVERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE COMBINATION OF ADAMS EXPRESS NEW YORK AND AUGUSTA OFFICE MARKINGS, BOTH CLEARLY STRUCK ON THE OBVERSE OF A COVER FOR ACROSS-THE-LINES EXPRESS SERVICE TO NORTH CAROLINA.
Only a few covers are recorded with this combination of Adams office markings and at least one of the others has the large New York oval handstamp struck on the back (ex Brandon). This cover was sent during the early period when Adams southbound mail was not postmarked at Louisville or Nashville. In this case, it was carried in the Adams network to Augusta and entered the C.S.A. mails there.
The Adams New York oval handstamp is extremely rare, and collectors should be aware that a number of clever fakes were handled by John A. Fox, which have only recently been properly identified. Genuine strikes are much rarer than the auction record would indicate.
Special Routes Census No. S-AD-10. With 1997 C.S.A. certificate
Adams Ex. Co. * Louisville, Ky. * Aug. 7, 1861. Circular datestamp on folded printed circular and letter datelined New Orleans Aug. 3, 1861, to New York City, 3c Dull Red, Ty. III (26), s.e. at left, tied by blue grid with matching "Louisville, Ky. Aug. 7, 1861" double-circle datestamp, fold splits reinforced with non-archival materials that show some staining, Fine appearing thru-the-lines use by Adams Express
49 Selected Lots , Page 1 of 5
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