This cover was described and illustrated in the May-June 1990 issue of The Conifederate Philatelist in an article entitled "A New 'Double Due' Danville Prisoner-of-War Cover Generates More Questions than Answers." The article by former editor, Stefan T. Jaronski made mention of several unusual aspects of the cover, and posed several questions in reference to the handling of the letter.(1) It was not possible at that time to identify the building in which the prisoner was being held. Recently obtained information has identified the prisoner's specific location, and may help shed some light on the handling of the letter, although some portions will probably always remain a mystery.

While working on another project, I came across a published listing of patients at the Danville Prison Hospital. The listing gives both the date of admission, and date of disposition, whether by death or return to quarters. A.E. Mason, 6th Kentucky Cavalry, was listed as a patient in the hospital having been admitted Dec. 12, 1863 with diarrhea. He was returned to prison quarters Feb. 9, 1864.(2) The letter was written Christmas Day, just 13 days after Mason was admitted to the hospital, but 45 days before he was returned to quarters. Thus for the first time we have a proven usage from the Danville Prison Hospital.

Figure 1 -- Double Due folded letter from the Prison Hospital, Danville, Va. Danville markings all in red.

Not only is this cover unique in that aspect, but it remains as described in Jaronski's original article the only reported South to North "double due" usage. Incidentally, I record only two North to South "double due" usages. From the 7 prison buildings combined, I currently record a total of 42 POW covers either to or from Danville. All but three of the 42 did go through the lines in some fashion; one was smuggled out in a button. Only two show the Danville CDS, and one of these two is addressed to Lynchburg, Virginia, leaving this cover as the only through-the-lines with a Danville CDS. One other POW cover from Danville does show a "Due IO" but lacks the Danville CDS.

An additional point of interest to me as a Virginia collector is the Danville markings are in Red. The Danville "Due 10" is listed, but not previously listed in Red.

Solon Hyde, Hospital Steward 17" Ohio Volunteer Infantry spent 17 months in various Confederate prisons including several months in Danville. In A Captive of War, Hyde described the hospital there as "A large brick tobacco warehouse so centrally located in the town, the people began to complain of its proximity to their dwellings, especially as smallpox had broken out in the prisons and they feared its spread in the city."'(3) Hyde was well informed when he wrote about the Danville hospital as he actually worked as a hospital steward in charge of a ward of the Confederate hospital.

Hyde also made reference to at least two civilians who had unlimited access to the hospital, one a Rev. Dr. Carmichael, an Episcopal Minister, and the other a Confederate Lieutenant's widow (possibly named Rogers) who acted as matron. Hyde spoke of the many small ways in which these two ministered to the needs of the hospital inmates. Among the questions posed by Jaronski was why there were no examined markings, and why there was no Soldier's endorsement. Actually the absence of examined markings on mail from Southern prisons in itself is not unusual. Of the over 600 POW covers to or from Southern prisons I record, probably a quarter or more have no examined markings. In this case it is likely that one of the two mentioned civilians, or any of several other civilians who had access to the hospital, probably accepted the letter from the POW and as a favor carried it to the Danville post office to be mailed. The lack of a soldier's endorsement was probably deliberate to make it less obvious that it was from a Yankee POW. In this case I believe it is highly unlikely that this letter was examined at the prison or that there was ever an outside envelope to be thrown away. Since the letter was written Christmas day, it is possible the postal clerk at Danville exuded a bit of the Christmas spirit and chose to ignore existing regulations.

References:
1. Jaronski, Stefan T., "A New 'Double Due' Danville Prisoner-of-War Cover Generates More Questions than Answers." The Confederate Philatelist May-June 1990. p. 97.
2. Register of Federal Prisoners of War of the U.S. Army Confined at Danville, Va. 1863-1864-1865. VA-NC Piedmont Genealogical Society, Danville, Va. 1982. p. 65.
3. Hyde, Solon A Captive of War. Burd Street Press. Columbus, OH. 1996 p. 51.

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