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USA 3c RED Nesbitt Postal
Stationey (1854) (U10 buff) with a Grid Cancel and the Sumter SC CDS 5 JAN
1861 to the left. Yeardate is in the CDS. South Carolina Independent State.
Addressed to Hon T. B. Fraser, Charleston, So. Ca. Light period ink
stain at upper left. Small edge piece out at the top center not
involving the postmark and does not distract from an overall very clean
appearance. Otherwise a very clean cover. Thomas Boone Fraser Sr (1825-1900), a lawyer and a circuit judge, was a native of Sumter SC and is buried there. His son, Thomas Boone Fraser Jr (1860-1925), became an Associate Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court. Ex-Baum Collection. |
$150.00 SOLD |
 |
USA 3c RED Nesbitt Postal
Stationey (1854) (U10 buff) with a Grid Cancel and the Sumter SC CDS 13 MAY
1861 to the left. Yeardate is in the CDS. USA Used in CSA South Carolina. Addressed
to Mr. W. E. B. Fraser Esqr, Bishopville, So. Ca. Very Fine. Ex-Baum
Collection. William E. B. Fraser (1824-1903) is listed on the Federal Censuses of 1860 and 1880 as a Merchant and Planter. He had service as a Private in Co E 19th SC Inf beginning 2/1/1862. No further record. |
$150.00 SOLD |
 |
USA 3c Red Star Die
uncancelled and no postmark. Addressed to Messers Spain &
Richardson, Sumter SC. Receiving docketing at left "John C. Rhame"
which identifies the sender. The original letter remains with the cover
which is a business letter in which the addressee is mentioned and is
signed by "J. C. Rhame" which matches the name of the docketing. The
letter is datelined "Lynchburg
Feby 20th 1861." That would put the cover in the USA Used in CSA South Carolina
period. Lynchburg SC is very near Sumter in the same county. What this
looks like is that the cover with letter was handcarried the short
distance from Lynchburg to Sumter and dropped at the Sumter post
office. The Sumter postmaster did not use a postmark on drop
letters. Since the Star Die overpaid the drop letter rate, it looks as
though he just neglected to cancel it as well. That is speculation but
still a plausible explanation as it seems unreasonable to think someone
would use a Star Die for a completely handcarried use and waste the
postage. A very clean and very interesting cover with letter which
bears further research. Ex-Baum Collection. Colonel John C. Rhame(s) (1806-1870) of Lynchburg, the letter writer, was a prominent county official in the Sumter District of South Carolina and a former sheriff of the Sumter District in 1852. He was a Colonel pre-war in the South Carolina Militia. The Federal Census of 1860 lists him as a fairly wealthy farmer (planter) in the Sumter District. His 1870 obituary states that he served during the war as the Captain of a Company of Reserves, but there is no official record of that service. |
$200.00 |
LB4 |
CSA #80xu2a stampless Sumter SC Handstamp PAID 10 Provsional re-rated "2" for Drop Letter use with no postmark.
Addressed locally to Capt T. B. Fraser, Sumter SC. Capt T. B. Frazer
was a staff officer (Quartermaster). Unsure if this is the same T. B.
Fraser as the addressee in cover LB1 above as South Carolina military
records are sketchy to almost non-existent. Very minor corner faults at
the left, othewise a Very Fine cover Ex-Zimmerman, Ex-Siegel Auction
1976 and 2003. Ex-Baum Collection. This cover has a very interesting and somewhat controversial history. This handstamp PAID 10 from Sumter struck in the upper right corner is known to have been used as a provisional handstamp as there are known and recorded unused examples of this handstamp as well as known and recorded uses of this handstamp under General Issue stamps which define the mark as provisional. This cover does not have a Sumter postmark. In researching Sumter drop letters, it is apparent that none of the Sumter drop letters have a Sumter postmark. The Sumter postmaster did not use the postmark on local drop letters. There are no control marks for the provisional handstamp, so a postally used example of the PAID 10 handstamp on its own with a postmark could be either a provisional or a standard handstamp paid. Since this cover has no postmark, it has been recognized for decades as a re-rated provisional and appears as such in the 1959 and the 1986 Dietz Catalogs. However, in the 2012 New CSA Catalog, it was removed from the provisional section and placed in the regular stampless section as a re-rated Handstamp PAID per the provisional section editor of the catalog. This is believed to be the only such cover showing this re-rated provisional use and has been recognized as such for years by Scott. This cover is still listed and illustrated in the current 2024 Scott USA Specialized Catalogue and retains its Scott provisional number (80xu2a). It is very likely that the sender had the pre-paid provisional envelope but only wanted to send a drop letter, so it was re-rated, and the remaining 8c credited to the sender's account. It is also very possible that the postmaster already had the PAID 10 envelope prepared for sale but sold it to the sender for 2c to cover the drop rate thus accounting for the re-valuing. Those are much more plausible explanations than saying that the postmaster perfectly struck the PAID 10 mark by mistake and then re-rated it when the postmaster was known not to use a postmark on drop letters. It makes no sense to say that the postmaster would strike a rate before looking at the address. Larry Baum was very upset that the cover was delisted from the CSA Provisional Section of the new CSA Catalog, and I too believe the delisting was a mistake. Also noted is the fact that this cover is illustrated and the subject of an article by noted CSA philatelist Van Dyk MacBride published in the June 1957 edition of the Confederate Stamp Album (forerunner of The Confederate Philatelist). Hopefully, the cover will be included in its rightful place in the CSA Catalog whenever an update to the catalog is done. Accompanying the cover is a short one page note that is undated by a collector of times past that is totally unknown to me also attesting to the provisional nature of the cover. A copy of the Van Dyk MacBride article is included with the cover. |
$1,000.00 SOLD |
LB5 |
Stampless Sumter SC (no postmark) cover rated with the distinctive Sumter manuscript "2" for Drop Letter use. The Sumter postmaster did not use a postmark on local drop letters. The Sumter 2c drop letter use is unlisted in the new CSA Catalog. Coarse paper cover with a light address locally to Mr. W. F. B Hainsworth (Haynsworth), Sumter, So. Ca. thru the politeness of A. ----- (cannot make out the last name). William Francis Baker Haynsworth (1824-1905) was a prominent lawyer in Sumter. The notation in the address indicates that the cover was handcarried into Sumter from somewhere else and then "Dropped" at the post office. Scarce Drop Letter use. Very clean cover. Ex-Baum Collection. | $450.00 SOLD |
LB6 |
Stampless
PAID
cover with the Sumter SC
CDS and handstamp PAID 10 Type D 27 SEP 1861 (error in the year date)
(could be a provisional
but impossible to tell so simply presented as a standard PAID 10).
Brown paper cover with Military
Address to Col J. H. Witherspoon, 4th Regt State Troops, Georgetown SC.
Minor back flap opening tears. Very clean
cover. Ex-Baum Collection. James Hervey Witherspoon (1810-1865), a lawyer, judge, and member of the Confederate Congress, was commissioned Colonel of the 8th SC Infantry Regiment Reserves in 1862. The regiment mustered out in early 1863. He then was commissioned Colonel of the 4th SC State Line Infantry 8/1/1863 which was a state reserve unit that served locally in the Department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. He died of cancer in March 1865. |
$150.00 |
LB7 |
Stampless PAID cover with the Sumter SC CDS and handstamp PAID 10 Type D 12 APR 1864 (could be a provisional but impossible to tell so simply presented as a standard PAID 10). Light coarse paper cover addressed to Miss Leila D. Barnwell Care of Madam R. Toyns, Barhamville, Columbia, So. Carolina. Very Fine Ex-Wulfkuhler. Ex-Baum Collection. | $150.00 SOLD |
LB8 |
Stampless PAID cover with the Sumter SC CDS and handstamp PAID 10 Type D (date not apparent) (could be a provisional but impossible to tell so simply presented as a standard PAID 10). Addressed to Miss Josephine M. Bryan, Robeson PO, Brunswick NC Wallpaper Cover with a simple gold striped geometric pattern. Cover condition is definitely well below average but still makes a decent representative example of a wallpaper cover. Ex-Baum Collection. | $150.00 |
LB9 |
Stampless PAID cover with the Sumter SC CDS and handstamp PAID 10 Type D 29 JUL 1864 (could be a provisional but impossible to tell so simply presented as a standard PAID 10). Light corase brown paper cover addressed to Mr. Thomas Egleston, Gadsden Station, So. Ca. Gadsden, a station on the South Carolina Railroad southeast of Columbia, was an obscure post office in the Richland District. On arrival in Gadsden, the cover was forwarded to Charleston with Gadsden lined through and affixing a pair of CSA #6 stamps (pre-affixing clip to the right upper corner of the right stamp) to pay the forwarding fee. The stamps are affixed at the lower left corner and pen-canceled. Manuscript "Gadsden Jul 31" postal marking at the top center. The cover most likely went by train from Gadsden to Charleston. Very clean cover and an excellent example of a forwarded use. Ex-Baum Collection. | $250.00 SOLD |
LB10 |
CSA #7 Horz Pair (4-Margin with a minimal clip to the left upper corner. Stamps show a coarse printing with random printing flaws on the right stamp) tied by the Sumter SC CDS 7 MAR. Addressed to Revd James Douglas, Blackstocks, So. Ca. Revd James Douglas (1827-1904) was a Presbyterian minister in Blackstocks. Part of top black flap missing, and cover reduced a bit at the top not affecting anything. Very clean appearance. Ex-Baum Collection. | $100.00 |
LB11 |
CSA #12 (AD)
(4-Margin) tied by the Sumter
SC
CDS 19 JAN. Light but legible address to Miss E. C. Killian, Killians
Mill, N. Carolina. Reduced a bit right and left not affecting anything.
Very clean cover. Ex-Baum Collection. The entire Eliza C. Killian (1841-1923) correspondence was donated by the family to the Manuscripts Department of the Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is on file at the library. Eliza C. Killian received numerous letters during the war from her brother, John Killian 23rd NC Inf, and others in the Confederate Army. |
$75.00 |
LB12 |
On the front of the cover is a partial strike of the Sumter SC CDS 21 SEP and the Handstamp PAID 10 Type D. The PAID 10 is lined through and canceled. On the reverse, a CSA #11 (AD) stamp was affixed to seal the back flap. The stamp was torn in half when the cover was opened, and the bottom half of the stamp is missing. The stamp is tied by a remnant of the Sumter SC CDS 21 SEP (same CDS as is on the front of the cover). It appears as though the postal clerk did not see the stamp on the back initially and serviced the cover as a PAID 10 and then lined through it when the stamp was seen on the back. This is a dark blue paper Adversity Cover made from what appears to be a printed page or flyer concerning the Southern Literary Journal and Magazine of Arts. A little staining at the upper corners. Still a presentable adversity cover despite the faulty stamp. Ex-Baum Collection. | $200.00 |
LB13 |
CSA #6 Single Use Prior to the
Rate Change (4-Margin) tied by the Sumter SC CDS 23
JUN (1862). Addressed to Gen W. W. Harllee, Marion C. H. SC. On arrival
in Marion, the cover was forwarded
to Mars Bluff SC and "Marion" was lined through. Manuscript "Forded 5" was
added to assess the forwarding fee just before the rate change. Folded
blue lined notebook paper with the page that contained the letter
removed some time in the past. Very Fine. Ex-Baum Collection. General William Wallace Harllee (1812-1897), a lawyer and politician, was a pre-war Brig-Gen in the South Carolina Militia and the founder and president of the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad. He founded the village and later city of Florence SC at a W&M RR junction and named the settlement after his daughter. In 1860, he was elected Lieut Governor of SC and took office just prior to secession. He was an ardent secessionist and was a signer of the South Carolina Ordinance of Secession. He served only one term as Lieut Governor leaving office in 1862. |
$200.00 SOLD |
LB14 |
CSA #11a (AD) Milky Blue
(4-Margin but close at the top) tied by the Sumter SC CDS 3 JUN
1864. Adversity Cover
with the stamp used over the embossing of a USA 3c Red Star Die.
Part of the red embossing can be easily seen along the left margin of
the stamp. Addressed to J. W. Stuckey Esqr, Bishopville SC. Top edge of
the cover repaired and restored (not affecting the stamp or any of the
markings) with the partial addition of a back flap. The restoration is
well done giving the cover an overall Very Fine appearance. Ex-Baum
Collection. Capt John Wesley Stuckey (1810-1896) is listed on the Federal Census of 1860 as a farmer (planter). He was also very involved in local government and was appointed as the Bishopville postmaster in 1841. His title of "Capt" appears to be honorary and not associated with any military service. |
$100.00 |
LB15 |
Stampless PAID cover "Kingstree SC July 24 (1862) Paid 10" all in manuscript. Obscure postal use from the Williamsburgh District. Adversity cover made from blue-lined notebook paper. Addressed to W. F. B. Haynsworth Esqr, Court in Equity, Sumter SC. William Francis Baker Haynsworth (1824-1905) was a prominent lawyer in Sumter. Included with the cover is a fragment of the original letter written on the same notebook paper from which the cover was made and in the same handwriting as the address. The letter appears to be about funds associated with a court case. Interesting that the dateline of the letter is mis-written as Kingston instead of Kingstree. Minor edge wear at the lower right corner. Still an exceptionally clean cover. Ex-Baum Collection. | $150.00 |
LB16 |
Stampless
PAID
cover "Manchester SC Oct
17th (1861) Paid 5" all in manuscript. Addressed to Wm F.
B. Haynsworth Esqr, Sumter, South Carolina. William Francis Baker
Haynsworth
(1824-1905) was a prominent lawyer in Sumter. Very clean cover.
Ex-Zimmerman, Ex-William Fox. Ex-Baum Collection. The original letter remains with the cover datelined "Manchester So Ca. Oct 17th 1861." It is signed by Brown Manning, an old friend of the addressee, and deals with the death of the addressee's brother who is not named in the letter. Brown Manning was Captain of Co C Hampton's Legion. Lieut John R. Haynsworth (1832-1861) was the addressee's younger brother per the Federal Census of 1850 and was an officer in Co C Hamptons Infantry Legion. According to the records Lieut Haynsworth died 8/21/1861. Could not find the cause of death, but Hamptons Legion was not involved in any military activity at that time. Capt Brown Manning (1824-1881) began service as Capt of Co C Hamptons Legion and later served on the staff of Gen Cantey as an ADC. Capt Manning's older brother, John Laurence Manning, was a pre-war governor of South Carolina. The Federal Census of 1880 lists Brown Manning as a farmer in Clarendon County SC. Ex-Baum Collection. |
$150.00 SOLD |
LB17 |
USA #25 (Type I) tied by a Grid Cancel with the small single rim Manning SC CDS to the left 12 MAR (1861) USA Used in CSA South Carolina. Addressed to Messers Spain & Richardson, Sumter SC. The original short business letter remains with the cover dated at Manning SC March 11, 1861 and confirms 1861 as the year of use. Nice stamp and a Very Fine cover. Ex-Baum Collection. | $375.00 |
LB18 |
Stampless PAID cover with the small single rim Manning SC CDS and "5 Pd" manuscript 6 JUN. Could be either 1861 or 1862. Addressed to Mrs. Agnes D. Richardson, Sumter SC. Initials "J. McD" appear above the rate of unknown significance. The initials may be receiving docketing indicating the name of the sender. They are not the initials of the postmaster. Manning SC was not known to have prepared provisional covers. Turned cover with an inside pre-war use with a missing stamp and a remnant of the Sumter SC CDS dated 1859 and addressed to Mr. James McDowel, Sumter SC. The addressee of the 1859 use matches the initials on the other side of the cover which strengthens the possibly that the initials are receiving docketing related to the second use. Minor period stain in the address, otherwise a very clean cover. Ex-Baum Collection. | $150.00 |
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