Richmond Va. to London via Wilmington and Halifax. Original letter datelined "Richmond July 25th 64" from Susan P. Quarles to her brother, the poet John R. Thompson, in London, England, sent to Wilmington for an outbound blockade run, but the yellow fever outbreak in Bermuda paralyzed blockade-running through that port, diverted to Halifax N.S. where it entered the British Mails with partly struck Sep. 13 circular datestamp on back, clear strike of "4" pence due handstamp struck in error and corrected to "1/" shilling British Packet rate on arrival in London, slightly age toned and minor splits along edges

FINE. THERE ARE ONLY FIVE RECORDED EXAMPLES OF BLOCKADE-RUN MAIL DIVERTED TO HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, DURING THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC IN BERMUDA.

The addressee, John Reuben Thompson (1823-73), was a publisher and poet of some renown. In 1860 he left the Southern Literary Messenger and for a short time served as editor of the Southern Field and Fireside in Augusta, Georgia. During the Civil War, Thompson spent several years in London, and contributed articles to various journals. After the war he served as literary editor of William Cullen Bryant's New York Evening Post. His sister, Susan P. Quarles, wrote this letter.

Carried on the Annie, dep. Wilmington Sep. 6, 1864, arr. Halifax Sep. 13; the captain of the Annie dropped it into mail in Halifax, picked up his ship fee and letter was rated "4" pence due (London later corrected rate to 1sh); then Cunarder Europa, dep. Halifax Sep. 16, arr. Liverpool Sep. 26. The Annie was owned by Alexander Collie & Co.; active Feb. to Nov. 1864, 13 for 14 in successful trips; ran aground and captured coming out of Wilmington on Nov. 1, 1864.

With 1977 C.S.A. certificate

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