Interesting Cover Purchase Becomes Exciting Find

I just purchased a cover (1900-1901) which at first I thought was an interesting cover, but after some research it became even more interesting and then an exciting find!

On Sunday I purchased this cover in silent auction at the Charpex Stamp show. I almost passed it by, but decided to bid on it. I hoped I hadn't gotten to extravagant with a bid of $20.00. The only enclosure was a newspaper picture (shown).




It has 6 cancellations (one partial) which is what mainly created my interest in it.
I am also deep into genealogy and one of the pleasures I like is to research the "to" and "from" on the cover.
Take a look at the cover while I prepare several more posts to this topic explaining why I became more excited with the cover!

To research the cover, I did the following:

First, I write down what is obvious.

1. To: Capt Carl ? ?
U.S.M.C. (United State Marine Corps)
U.S. Naval Hospital
Yokohama Japan

2. From Unknown - no return address on cover

3. Six postmarks, chronological order:

Norfolk, VA Dec 17, 1900 (front)
Washington, DC Dec 18, 1900 (back)
San Francisco, CA Dec 22, 1900 (back)
Yohohama, Japan Jan 17, ---- (front - partial)
Yokohama, Japan Jan 18, 1901 (front)
Honolulu, HA rec'd Feb 1, 1901 (rear)

4. Part of original address lined out in red

5. Added (in writing) in red:

u.s.s. "Solace"
Honolulu
Hawaiian Islands

6. Enclosure picture - revers not significant. Picture of Thomas M. Lippitt

Next, if I am able to do any research, I need to know the name. What is the middle initial?
I am pretty certain it is a "G". Last name - hmmm - partially obscured by a cancellation, but
ends in an "n" (compare the "n" with the "n" in Japan below). First thought is last name is
"Anderson" or "Anderian". So, I will search Google and some genealogy sites for a "Carl G. Anderson" who
was in the U.S. Marine Corps
After four hours of searching using both last names as well as with and without "G.", I turned up
nothing. I also did extensive search of U.S. Marine Corps records around the 1900-1901 time
period. --- nothing!
Searching under Lippitt (on enclosure) provided a clue - he was severely wounded in China during the Boxer rebellion.
That was the clue I needed!
I looked at the name again under power - the last name is "Andresen". Thus the name is Carl G. Andresen.
As I researched this name, my excitement for the cover grew!
More in my next post!

Carl G. Andresen was born in Norway, name of Charles Gamborg-Andresen (hence the initial "G"). He enlisted in
the U.S. Marines and through his bravery and leadership received a filed promotion to lieutenant. The Dept of
Navy authorized his changing his name from Charles to Carl. For braverly in China during the Boxer rebellion,
he received the U.S.M.C. Brevet award. At that time, only enlisted or civilians could receive the Congressional Medal
of Honor.
This was enough to make the cover very interesting. But, since Andresen eventually rose to Colonel, I am sure there are
other covers addressed to him. What makes this cover unique and (to me) a very exciting find is the time of the cover.

The Boxer rebellion climaxed starting in June 1900. From what I have found out at this time is that he was injured to
some extent and sent to the U>S> Naval Hospital in Yokohama, Japan, the sent on to Honolulu. The USS Solace was a hospital
ship also used to carry mail between China, Japan, Guam and the Hawaiian Islands. He was in the hospital in Japan for
a very short time. This letter was addressed to him during that very short time!
Now I have quite a lot of confidence in explaining this cover. It was mailed from Norfolk Va., went to Washington, D.C., cancelled,
then placed on a train and sent to San Francisco (took 4 days to get there) where it was cancelled. It would have been placed on a
ship to Yokohama, Japan where it received a cancellation (partial) on front (most likely a "rec'd" cancellation). But, Andresen
had already departed for Honolulu. So the address was crossed off and a note to send it on the USS Solace written on it.
It was cancelled again in Yokohama and placed on the USS Solace. The question could arise as to the meaning of USS Solace.
Did that mean that whoever wrote the note thought that Andresen was on the USS Solace or to mail it via the USS Solace?
Regardless, Andresen was not on board. If he had been, he would have been delivered the letter and the "rec'd" in Honolulu
cancellation on the reverse would not have happened.
So, the notation and cancellations on this cover could have occured only during a very short time span.

By the way, Andresen was one of only 23 marines to have evert recieved the Brevet award and he is considered one of the
marine "legends" of the old Corps. An interesting cover became a coveted cover!

Great research on this wonderful cover. A lot of history packed into a small punch. Great movie "77 Days in Peking" about the seige of the foreign ligations by the boxers.

PP

That is a fascinating read. A very very nice job on researching the cover, and to think modern technology allowed you to find all this out in a matter of hours!

Thanks for sharing it.

Good going Buckeye you took a chance and it paid off..i like covers a lot..but I tend more to worldwide than U.S. Now if I can hit a few good horses/jockeys on my yearly trek to the track at Saratoga I can bid on a few covers

ncbuckeye,

A most excellent piece of work and a great read! I don't have patience for doing that kind of research but enjoy reading the work of others. Thanks for sharingl.

Art

fascinating - this is what stamp collecting is all about - the stories that we discover are incredible some times