While at the Confederate Stamp Alliance Convention at TEXPEX 2000 in Dallas, Texas, I visited a California dealer's table and viewed his very limited selection of Confederate covers. Three handstamped paid covers from Nacoochee, Georgia, caught my attention because of the very unusual name. Referring to my New Dietz Confederate States Catalog and Handbook, I quickly determined that these covers were unlisted. Then I was most fortunate to be able to consult with three Georgia Confederate postal history experts who were attending the Convention: General Francis J. Crown, Jr., General McCary Ballard and Colonel W. Newton Crouch, Jr. They indeed were of the opinion that until now no Nacoochee, Georgia, Confederate handstamped paid covers were known to exist. So understandably, I was most pleased and quite excited to purchase the cover, which was in the best condition.

The dealer, Mr. Roger Gutzman of R.G. Stamps & Covers, Biggs, California, related to me the interesting story of how he obtained the covers. He stated that a gentleman brought about 40 letters with envelopes to a flea market in California. The correspondence was from a family named Perkins from Morgantown, North Carolina. The purchaser of the correspondence was only interested in the letters and sold the envelopes to Mr. Gutzman. According to Mr. Gutzman, a fair number of the envelopes did not have postal markings and were probably hand delivered. The forty covers were addressed to several family members including Mr. Robert C. Perkins and Captain Elisha A. Perkins of the 41st Regiment, 3rd Cavalry, North Carolina State Troops. Captain Perkins was attached to Company "A" known as the "Rebel Rangers" and later assigned to Company "F" known as the "Davis Dragoons". It is believed that only three of the forty covers were from Nacoochee, Georgia. The cover I purchased is illustrated here as Figure 1. Please note that "Morgantown" was misspelled "Morganton" by the sender.

All these envelopes have postmarks with manuscript dates in ink and all were addressed to Mr. R. C. Perkins. Here is a brief summary of the three newly discovered Nacoochee, Georgia, handstamped paids:

1. June 15 (1861 or 1862), 'Pd 5" in pencil, orange envelope.
2. August 17 (1862), 'Paid 10" in ink, orange envelope, docketed in pencil "Recd 26th Aug 62".
3. October 19 (year unknown), "Paid 1O" in ink, light coarse paper envelope.

Nacoochee is located at the edge of the Chattahoochee National Forest in Habersham County in Northeast Georgia. I just love the name "Nacoochee" which is of Indian origin. If anyone can shed more light on this marvelous name, please write me.

Isn't it wonderful that discoveries are still being made 135 years after the great struggle? It is doubly wonderful to be the "finder" of the "find." So do you think I had a memorable 2000 Confederate Stamp Alliance Convention in Dallas? You betcha!!

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