Cover image above from the Robert A. Siegel Auction Gallery archives from a 2014 sale for reference purposes only and is not offered for sale. Image shown by prior arrangement as long as proper credit is given as to the source of the image. This is the only other cover example with a McDaniel Express notation that I could find.

SC1262

Cover with no postal markings, undated, and no rate indicated. Cover was handcarried outside the postal system to Mrs. Margaret Box, Laurens CH SC. Research below dates the cover to just before or during the Civil War period. Notation at lower right in the same hand as the address "in the care of McDaniels express."  Very coarse dark brown paper cover with a very clean appearance with just a little light water staining at the left. This cover is a real puzzle. What does the notation "McDaniels Express" mean? I have not seen such a reference before. A search has turned up one additional cover with a similar reference in the Siegel archves from 2014 (Sale 1071, Lot 4514). It is a cover with a CSA #5 posted in Richmond to the same addressee in Laurens CH but in a different handwriting and contains the reference "By Dr. McDaniel Express." I could find no other examples of this notation. But it does give an additional clue. McDaniel was a physician. The Federal Census of 1860 lists a physician, Dr. Robert McDaniel (1818-1879), in Laurens CH SC. What is interesting is that he is listed with a personal worth of $6500 and a property value of $18500 which is a total of aboutt $1,000,000 in today's money. Far more than what would be expected of a simple practicing physician at that time. He is also listed as owning 14 slaves on the Federal Slave Census of 1860. The only explanation is that he must also have had either a large farm or a small plantation and needed the slaves to work the land for him. The McDaniel family was a large and wealthy plantation family in Florence County (very close to Laurens County), so Dr. McDaniel must be from the Florence County McDaniel family, and the money must have been family money. Dr. McDaniel was also the Laurens Court House postmaster with his appointment dated 1860 and carried into the Confederate period. Laurens County was plantation country. The only possible explanation is that Dr. McDaniel must have set up some sort of a local express service to deliver the mail to the outlying plantations perhaps using one of his slaves. The closest analogy would be something like the documented Millway Carrier associated with the New Market SC post office. Some of this is, of course, speculation, but is reasonable given the researched facts. Perhaps other covers with the McDaniel Express reference will be found, and more information will be discovered. Or the service was very short lived. Right now, that is all we have. The addressee, Margaret Box (1841-1925), was the wife of William Irby Box (1839-1865). They were married in 1859. William Box, a shoemaker, entered service as a private in Co C 3rd SC Inf Battn 11/1/1861. Since he was a skilled shoemaker, he was detailed to make shoes for the army in Richmond. He died in 1865 in Richmond presumably from disease. Pvt Box undoubtedly sent the cover in the Siegel archives home to his wife and was familiar with the local McDaniel's Express delivery from the Laurens Court House post office.

$250.00

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