Confederate Postal Service Begins
Confederate Postal Service Begins
On June 1, 1861, the Confederate States of America took control of their own postal operations.
As North and South grew closer to war in early 1861, the Federal government continued postal service in the South for a limited time. However, US post offices across the South held substantial stamp inventories and the federal government feared they would be used or sold for profit. To this end, the US government declared that all existing US stamps would be demonetized (declared invalid) as of June 1, and US postal operations in the South would cease on that day.
As a result, the Confederate Post Office Department was formed in February 1861. John Henninger Reagan was appointed postmaster general of the Confederate Post Office in March of 1861. Reagan persuaded some of the US Post Office’s bureau heads to follow him to the Confederacy. Several brought their records and account books with them.
Reagan was able to establish a Southern postal service within six weeks, but was hamstrung by shortages of ink, paper, and printing companies with the resources to produce sufficient quantities of postage stamps.
When the June 1, 1861, deadline approached and mail service between the two sides ended, the Confederacy lacked stamps. Some postmasters handstamped the word “PAID” on envelopes, while others in major cities like New Orleans produced provisional stamps to keep the mail moving within their region. But the first government-issued stamps did not become available for twenty weeks.
Express companies suddenly found themselves busy carrying mail between the North and South. The US Post Office Department ordered an end to the practice on August 26, 1861. After that date, mail between the Union and the Confederacy had to be sent by flag of truce.
A 5¢ stamp picturing Jefferson Davis was issued on October 16, 1861. It was produced by the Richmond firm Hoyer & Ludwig using stone lithography. In an era before television and the Internet, the 5¢ Jefferson Davis stamp offered some people in the South a first glimpse of the new Confederate president. This also marked the first time a living politician appeared on a stamp used in the US.
Click here for more Confederate stamps and here for more stamps relating to the Civil War.
Click here to see what else happened on This Day in History.
Nice story, interesting philately, highly-priced stamps.
So much history behind stamps. Not just a small piece of paper. Some one like Mystic need to bring it up for people like me to learn. Otherwise the stories are almost lost in time.
“The 5¢ Jefferson stamp offered some people in the South a first glimpse of the new Confederate president. ” Don’t you mean, “The 5¢ DAVIS stamp offered some people in the South a first glimpse of the new Confederate president?”
Start most of my days with “This day in history” learning more about history not always taught in school.
What a wonderful article. It helps to publicize that stamps have much more meaning than just getting a letter from one place to another. Most of our postage stamps have a wealth of history behind them, and I thank Mystic for keeping this knowledge alive. I would sure love to own some of these, but unfortunately, my income is not such that I will ever have one in my collection. It is absolutely great, though, that these stamps have survived along with their stories. Such an important part of our unique history.
Dear sir,
Thank you to show us the historic stamps of USA. I myself professional of Philately / stamps study and preparation personality of stamp for 35 years.
Can you guide me where I can see these stamps in Oakland museum of Post Office.
Than You.
Nice piece of history…
As the author of The Secret War Diaries of Abraham Lincoln – Including His Recurring Dreams” I found your article on the Jefferson Davis stamps enlightening. Few people understand how the mail was delivered in the South during he Civil War. Good reporting and it was great to see the stamps you illustrated in the article. Thanks so much. Paul Dunn