| POW209 |
USA #65 tied by a Target Cancel and the small double ring New-York (City) CDS 26 JUL 1862. Period endorsement at top left "From Capt W. W. Warner, Prisoner of War, Selma, Alabama." Addressed to Horatio Warner, Clermont, Fayette Co, Iowa (Capt Warner's father). Examiner's manuscript at the left edge "Examined J.M.H." This is a Through-the-Lines South-to North POW
cover which originated at the obscure Selma, Ala, prison in 1862. The
prison is mentioned several times in the Official Records, but Galen
Harrision recorded no known covers from this prison when his book was
published in 1997. This cover first came to light after the book
was published and is currently believed to be the only known cover that
can be atrributed to this obscure prison. The examiner (J. M. H.) has
been identified as John M. Higgins, a clerk at the War Department in
Richmond. Since the cover did not go through the usual transfer
point, it was most likely hand carried North by an exchanged prisoner
who dropped it in the Union mail when he arrived in New York City for
delivery to Iowa. Period pencil notation on the reverse "Williams letters written from Southern Prison."
Reduced a little at left with edge wear and corner wear at the left
and light staining at the lower right. Ex-Brandon, Ex-Harrison Exhibit.
William
W. Warner (1836-1863) is recorded on the 1860 Federal Census as a
schoolteacher in Claremont County, Iowa. He enlisted as a private
9/15/1861 in Co C 12th Iowa Inf.
He was commissioned and promoted Captain of Co C on 10/24/1861. He was
captured as a POW at the Battle of Shiloh (Ten) 4/6/1862 and confined
at several different locations including Madison, Ga, and Selma, Ala,
(the Selma prison reportedly held 250 officers in the summer of 1862)
before being transferred to Atlanta for exchange at an unrecorded date.
After exchange, he rejoined his unit and was wounded at Vicksburg
5/19/1863. Capt Warner died of his wounds some months later on
12/22/1863 in Memphis, Ten, where he is buried. A full biography of
Capt Warner appears in Campaigns and Battles of the Twelfth Regiment Iowa Voluntary Infantry 1861-1866 by David W. Reed. This biography contains quotes from his letters home. This cover does not contain a letter. |
$1,750.00
SOLD |
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