| MSC208 |
State of Virginia Overall Semi-Official Imprint Office of the Second Auditor and the Virginia State Seal
(CC S-VA-06) hand-carried outside the postal system with no postal
markings and not dated. Addressed to a soldier in Major John S. Mosby's
Command in the field - John H. Thomas, Mosby's Command, Lenoir Co., Va. At lower left "Attention of Mr. Ayre"
which may be the name of the person who carried the cover. Minor small
edge tear at bottom center, otherwise Very Fine. Covers to a soldier in
Mosby's unit in the field are not common.
John H. Thomas (1843-1888) enlisted as a private in Co A Mosby's Partisan Rangers (Partisan Cavalry) (formerly known as the 43rd Batt Va Cav) 9/1/1863 and rose to the rank of 4th Sergt. He had prior service in 1862 as a private in Co G 4th Va Cav.
He was paroled 4/21/1865 at Winchester, Va., when Mosby surrendered his
command and took the Oath of Allegiance 5/9/1865 at Alexandria, Va. His
father was Henry W. Thomas who was the Auditor for the State of
Virginia which explains the use of this envelope. John H. Thomas
reportedly lived in Baltimore after the war but is buried in Fairfax,
Viginia.
George Ayre (1846-1929), presumably the one who carried
the cover, also served as a private in Co A of Mosby's Partison
Rangers. He may have carried the letter returning to his unit from a
furlough. Pvt Ayre was capturd as a POW 4/29/1864 near Upperville, Va.
That would date this cover to most likely early 1864. Pvt Ayre was
first confined at Old Capitol Prison in Washington DC and transferred
to Fort Warren (Boston Harbor) 9/20/1864. He was released from Fort
Warren 6/10/1865 when he took the Oath of Alegiance. After the war, he
relocated to Nebraska where he farmed. He is buried in Gage
County, Nebraska. |
$500.00 |
JLKCSA@aol.com
-- Confederate Order
Form --