POW212

CSA #13 Diagonal Bisect paying the CSA postage and USA #65 cork grid cancel paying the Union postage. South-to-North POW cover which originated at the Florence SC Stockade and transferred through Old Point Comfort, Va, with the Old Point Comfort, Va, double ring Union postmark tying the 20c Green bisect and dated 11 DEC (1864). Addressed to Mrs. Mary Steiger, No 1126 North 4th Street, Phila, Pa. Manuscript "Examined" with no initials or signature at the top right. This "Examined" marking is known to be from the Florence Stockade, but the examiner has not been identified. The cover is a blue paper folded letter. The writing of the letter has faded over the years and is difficult to read. The dateline is "Florence SC Oct 31st 1864." From the date of the letter and the date of the Old Point Comfort postmark, the letter must have been held for a few weeks at the transfer point before being allowed to go through. The letter was sent by Pvt Charles A. Steiger 5th Pa Cav home to his mother. This cover has been known for decades and is illustrated in the 1961 Antrim Book on Civil War Prisons (Page 136). The cover was in the Kohn Collection and sold by Siegel Auctions in the Kohn Sale in 1970. In the 1970 description, Siegel Auctions stated "...one of the most important Prisoner of War covers in existence." Receiving docketing on the reverse "Received December 13th 1864." Galen Harrison recorded only eight known covers from the Florence Stockade in his exhibit. This is currently the only known POW cover from anywhere with a 20c Green Bisect used to pay the CSA postage. The Union CSA #65 stamp on this cover is a replacement as the original stamp apparently fell off many years ago. The stamp was identified as a replacement in the 1961 book illustration and in the 1970 Siegel auction. But the replacement is so good that it matches the tied cork grid cancel perfectly. I would never have known it was a replacement if it had not been described as such over 60 years ago. Few fold splits sealed from the inside with older style archival tape and the replaced stamp as described. Very clean cover. PF Certificate 1980 states that the bisect use is Genuine and notes that the Union stamp is replaced. This cover is listed in Scott but not priced. Ex Kohn, Ex-Harrison Exhibit. Charles A. Steiger (Stiger) (1839-1893) enlisted as a private in Co A 5th Pa Cav (also known as the 65th Volunteers) 7/18/1861. He is listed as captured as a POW at the First Battle of Reams Station, Va 6/29/1864 and spent the remainder of the war as a POW being released 4/15/1865. After the war, Charles A. Steiger returned to Philadlphia and is listed as a butcher on the Federal Census of 1870. The faded handwriting of the letter could be brought out with scanning skills that I do not have and would benefit from a transcription (JLK).

$5,500.00 SOLD

If you wish to order this cover, send me an E-mail or use my secure Confederate Order Form. Clicking on my Confederate Order Form link below will open the order form in a new window or tab which can be kept open while you browse the remainder of the listings. JLKCSA@aol.com -- Confederate Order Form --