| BLK27 |
Incoming Blockade Cover through
Bermuda into Wilmington NC and on to Wetumpka, Ala. Cov
is from the known Lull Corrspondence addressed to Mrs. S. G. Lull,
Wetumpka, Ala Care Messers DeRosset Brown & Co Wilmington NC.
Cover
received the Wilmington
NC CDS dated 10 JAN (1864) and the handstamp SHIP with "12" manuscript
indicating 12c due (10c for the inland CSA delivery plus 2c ship fee).
Excellent strikes of the postal markings. "Presto"
manuscript at upper left corner which is the name of the blockade
runner that carried the cover. Very clean cover with just a little
minor nibbling at the left center edge which does not detract from the
overall appearance. There is no enclosure, so the precise origin of the
cover is not known. This cover is listed as BI-WM-52 in the
Walske-Trepel Census. Part of backflap missing, otherwise a Very Fine
incoming Blockade Cover.
The Presto (original
name Fergus)
was built in Glasgow, Scotland by Alexander Stephens & Sons in
1863
for the specific purpose of running the blockade. She was consigned to
DeRousset Brown & Co in Wilmington and made only two
successful
blockade runs before she was destroyed attempting to enter Charleston
Harbor in February 1864. The Presto ran aground in fog right in front
of Fort Moultrie. A New
York Times article from 2/14/1864 describes what happened
when the fog lifted -- "She
was a splendid looking side-wheel steamer with two smokestacks and
rakish masts. Forts Wagner and Gregg, aided by two monitors, at once
commenced to shell her, and by noon she was a complete wreck. A two
hundred pounder Parrot from Fort Wagner cut her nearly in two. Besides
the shelling of the steamer, the City of Charleston,
James Island, and
Forts Johnson and Moultrie have received a tremendous cannonading."
|
$3,500.00 |
JLKCSA@aol.com
-- Confederate Order
Form --