Suspended Mail Services Across-the-Lines During the American Civil War – Daniel Knowles
This presentation will explain and illustrate mail handling across the Union and Confederate lines by government and private carriers between the United States closure of the Washington, DC – Richmond, VA postal route on May 24, 1861 and its termination of all communication with the Confederate States of America on August 26, 1861.
Figure 1. The Louisville, KY postmaster applied the unique “SOUTHn. LETTER / UNPAID handstamp to this cover sent from Confederate North Carolina to indicate that US postage applied in the seceded states was not valid in the loyal states.
Figure 2. Cover carried by the Adams Express Company southbound across-the-lines outside the mails from their New York office to their Knoxville, TN office.
Figure 3. Cover carried by the Southern Express Company northbound across-the-lines outside the mails from their Nashville, TN office to the Adams Express Louisville office where it was placed in the United States mail.
are viewable with the free Adobe® Reader®. If you do not have Adobe Reader, click on the image below to download it.