Items for Sale - Confederate Patriotic Covers, Section 1
16674

Item# 16674

Price: $550

Pages 1 & 4 of enclosed patriotic lettersheet
Pages 2 & 3 of enclosed patriotic lettersheet

Hand-carried captured Union blue patriotic design of statue of George Washington, addressed to George Harper, Lenoir, N.C. Care Mr. Ingles with excellent original accompanying patriotic lettersheet of red design with slogans of Agriculture (showing plow and fields) and Commerce (showing steamship) headed “G. W. F. Harper, Camp near Big Creek Gap [Tenn] Tuesday, Oct. 28th, 1862” from soldier to his father saying, in part, “We left Cumberland Gap…& marched ten miles…& camped in in limestone sinks in a grove to shelter us from the wind…this is the nicest camp we’ve found yet…Hope no wagons have started from Caldwell to the Goose Creek Salt Works for salt as Gen. Bragg’s retreat from Ky. ill again place them in the hands of the Yankees. A considerable quantity was hauled through Gap before the evacuation of Ky…W.W. Bradshaw died…before we left Gap, of fever. We can do very well without Ike & don’t want him now.” Much more in four pages. Cover with back flap tear extending a bit over top of cover, bit of foxing. $550.

George Washington Finley Harper (1834-1921), is shown in military records as a 27-year-old merchant who enlisted as a private rising to the rank of Major in Co. H of 58th NC Partisan Rangers (Army of Tennessee) and then transferred to Field & Staff. He also had service in Co. E 95th NC Militia and was wounded at Resaca, Georgia in the left leg. The Harper papers are at UNC Library and much biographical and military information may be found online on this railroad builder, banker, and entrepreneur. James Harper (1799-1879) served as postmaster of Lenoir, N.C., from 1841 until sometime in 1862 or 1863. His son, George Washington Finley (G. W. F.) Harper was the assistant postmaster and, according to the written affidavits, was responsible for carving the woodcut die used to make the provisional stamps and envelopes (see Crown Surveys, pp. 172-178, 651-652).

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