CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA

In addition to the Annual Convention, the CIVIL WAR PHILATELIC SOCIETY will continue to sponsor a philatelic weekend usually held midway between the conventions. The CWPS Mid-Year Gathering is an excellent opportunity to bring with you portions of your collection to share with other Confederate Collectors. It is also an excellent opportunity to share information and to obtain answers to your questions as many very knowledgeable collectors do attend.

30 OCT 2019 -- A new format was introduced for this event which was not strictly a CSA gathering. A Civil War Symposium major event (The Civil War: A Postal System Divided Postal Exhibition and Symposium 2019) was hosted jointly by the Confederate Stamp Alliance and the American Philatelic Society at the American Philatelic Center in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, 24-26 OCT 2019. This event had the status of a World Series of Philately show with the mulitple frame and single frame grand award winners eligible to compete in the Champion of Champions competition in 2020. Consequently, this show had an incredible array of very scarce and very spectacular philatelic material on display related to the Civil War, both North and South, the likes of which may never be seen again in one location. The show was supported by a very active bourse of 10 major dealers with Civil War material (Trish Kaufmann, John Kimbrough, Douglas Weisz, Stanley Piller, Elwyn Doubleday, Kenneth Pitt, James Taff, Don Tocher, Jerry Palazolo, Labron Harris) and 3 auction houses (H. R. Harmer, Schuyler Rumsey, Daniel F. Kelleher.) Event also made possible by a financial grant from Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries.

The event would not have been possible without the very hard work of the Confederate Stamp Alliance members who served on the Show Committee and Sub-Committees. Event Committee: Jerry Palazolo (Event Chairman, Dealers), Deane Briggs (Hospitality, Awards Dinner), Tony Crumbley (Speakers), Trish Kaufmann (Publicity, Website, Program), Tom Lera (Exhibits, Judges). Event Sub-Committee: Frank Crown (Awards), Wayne Farley (Finance), Mike O'Reilly (Publications).

Also a big shout-out to Scott English and Ken Martin and their fantastic APS staff that made it all work.

Click PHOTOS to see a few pictures from the event. Only a few photos are shown. There will undoubtedly be photo spreads in The Confederate Philatelist and the American Philatelist.

Only Confederate Stamp Alliance member exhibits with Confederate related material and their APS awards (no CSA awards were given at this show) are listed. The awards were presented at an absolutely excellent catered banquet at the APS Philatelic Center with an open bar and wine sponsored by the auction houses. In addition to the banquet, a Thursday evening reception was held for all attendees at the local Public House hosted by Kelleher Auctions.

• "A Country Divided: Effects of the American Civil War on the Mails" -- Daniel J. Ryterband -- Large Gold, Multiple Frame Grand Award.
• "The Development of the Confederate States of America (CSA) Postal Service from Secession to Appomattox" -- Daniel Knowles -- Large Gold, Multiple Frame Reserve Grand Award, American Philatelic Congress Award.
• "Independent Statehood and Confederate Mail of North Carolina 1861-1865" -- Tony Crumbley -- Large Gold, Postal History Society Medal.
• "West Virginia Born of the Civil War" -- Wayne Farley -- Gold.
• "The American Civil War 1861-1865: Background, Course of Events, and Aftermath" -- Anders Olason -- Gold, American Topical Association First.
• "Arkansas 1861-1865: A Divided Postal System" -- Bruce Roberts -- Gold.
• "Rally 'Round the Flag" -- Randy Smith -- Gold.
• "Confederate Advertising Covers" -- Larry Baum -- Large Vermeil.
• "Confederate Patriotic Covers and Lettersheets used during the Civil War (1861-1865)" -- John Walker -- Large Verweil.
• "Confederate Mails on Rails" -- Lou Hannen -- Vermeil.
• "Coping with Advertsity: Confederate Covers in a Time of Paper Shortage" -- Randy Smith -- Vermeil, AAPE Creativity Award.
• "West Virginia in the Civil War" -- Charles Channell -- Vermeil, Women Exhibitors Award.
• "Confederate States of America 2c Rated and Fees" (Single Frame) -- Cliff Alexander -- Large Vermeil.
• "1861 Postal Service in the Seceded States, USPOD Operations (Jan 1 - May 31)" (Single Frame) -- Jerry Wells -- Large Vermeil.
• "Arkansas Under Two Flags" (Single Frame) -- Rod Kelley -- Vermeil, AAPE Award of Honor.
• "Huntsville, Alabama, Confederate Postal History" (Single Frame) -- Mike O'Reilly -- Vermeil.
• "The McCrady Family Civil War Correspondence" (Single Frame) -- Phil Eschbach -- Silver, AAPE Award of Honor.
• "Blockade, Bucks, and Florida Express: Bogus Stamps of the Confederate States" -- Mike Farrell -- Court of Honor.
• "Treasures of the Erivan Collection" -- Presented by HR Harmer Auctions -- Court of Honor.
• "Civil War Special Routes"  -- Presented by Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries -- Court of Honor.
• "New Orleans in the Confederate Mail System" -- Doug Weisz -- Court of Honor.

There was so much more in the exhibits with Union related material shown by non CSA members that the depth of material was mind boggling. The standouts (personal preference - JLK) were --

• "Trans-Oceanic Uses of the 30 Cent U.S. Issues 1861-1868" -- Richard Drews -- Single Frame Grand Award, USPCS Medal -- So much scarce and powerful material presented in a single frame was astonishing.
• "Canada / British No. America (BNA) - Union and Confederate Postal Correspondence in the U.S. Civil War Era (1859-1867)  --  Ronald E. Majors -- Gold. Cross-Border mail with Canada during the Civil War which is seldom if ever seen.
• "The Role of the Union Navy in the Civil War" -- The Pollock Family -- Large Gold, APS Research Award, Military Postal History Society Medal. An in-depth study of the Union Navy during the Civil War.

• Formal presentations —
•  "The 3c Nashville Provisional" -- Francis J. Crown, Jr. (A copy of the monograph, donated by Mike Farrell, was available for each attendee as well as previously mailed to all CSA members.)
•  "Evolution of Confederate Army Field Post Service During the War Between the States" -- Stefan T. Jaronski, Ph.D.
• "The American Civil War Captured in Thirty-One Covers" -- Dr. Daniel M. Knowles.
• "A Country Divided: Effects of the American Civil War on the Mails" -- Daniel J. Ryterband.

CSA Generals in attendance – Gen John Kimbrough, Gen Frank Crown, Gen Rich Murphy, Gen Stefan Jaronski, Gen Larry Baum, Gen Trish Kaufmann, Gen Jerry Palazolo, Gen Harvey Teal.

A CSA board meeting was held the details of which will be published in The Confederate Philatelist. Highlights are that a mid-year in 2020 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, was approved for mid-October 2020, the next CSA Convention will be at NAPEX 2020 in June, the new CSA website continues to be expanded, the CSAAS Rapid Scan program has been discontinued, and a new slate of officers will take office January 1, 2020, with Larry Baum as the new CSA president.

This event was so resoundingly successful that there is already talk of possibly holding another similar event in 3-5 years.