| FL273 |
Stampless
PAID cover with the large single rim Jacksonville,
Flor CDS partially struck off the cover 15 FEB (1862) and
handstamp PAID 5 revalued PAID 10
(Type Aa). Small but complete cover addressed to Mrs. Julia W. Gibbs
Care of Major G. C. Gibbs CSA, Salisbury, N. Carolina. It has been
suggested by Van Dyk MacBride in 1945 that this may be a Jacksonville
PAID 5 provisional cover (134XU1) re-rated to a PAID 10. This was
reiterated by Dr. Briggs in an article he wrote for the Jan-Feb 2003
issue of the Confederate Phialtelist. But there is
no control
mark. The distance from Jacksonville to Salisbury is well less than 500
miles (but could have been officially 500 miles by the postal routes of
the day), and the cover seems to be too small to be overweight. The
Union occupation of Jacksonville began 3/12/1862 well before the
universal 10c rate went into effect. Very unusual use as the 10c rate
just does not seem to fit unless the distance was considered to be over
500 miles by the postmaster. The Briggs Census records only 4 such
Jacksonville re-valued covers. Minor foxing at the bottom but a bit
more apparent on the reverse. Ex-Briggs Collection.
George
Couper Gibbs (1822-1873) from Quincey, Florida, entered service as a
Florida Captain of Infantry 5/20/1861. At the time of this cover, he
was a Major and the Commandant of the Salisbury NC POW Camp. The
addressee was Major Gibbs' wife who was with him in Salisbury. On
4/22/1862 he was promoted Colonel of the 42nd NC Infantry
and
resigned 1/7/1864. He was paroled at Washington DC 6/16/1865. Col Gibbs
was accused of War Crimes (presumably from his time at the Salisbury
prison) and did appear at the trial of Henry Wirz but was acquitted of
all charges. |
$950.00 |
JLKCSA@aol.com
-- Confederate Order
Form --