Spanish-American War Cover

Here is a cover I got from another dealer in a box lot.

I can't read the cancel on the Postage Due stamps, which is sort of the key to understanding this cover. The Spanish-American War was long since over by October 1898, but I think the Philippine Insurrection was just getting started. Therefore the date for "free" soldiers' mail might have passed. Or it may be that because the envelope was not counter-signed by an officer, or censored, that it did not qualify as soldiers' mail.

Nor is it clear how Harrison (?) PA got involved, unless that's where the letter was mailed from, in which case you would think the Postage Dues would have been applied there, or the letter simply returned to sender. It could also be that "free" postage only applied to persons in the combat zone, not back home in Pennsylvania. Interesting!

Are the Postage Dues cancelled Washington D.C.?

Very nice regimental cover. Seldom do you come across covers like those.

Chimo

Bujutsu

Doug,
Here is where I got my info from on this cover:
http://www.spanamwar.com/15thPAhistory.htm

Don

Doug,
some more Info:
http://www.spanamwar.com/timeline.htm

Maybe the cover was 'lost' in the mail, and then found...
subsequently cancelled long after it was mailed. Then,
to add insult, they added the postage due because free
mail was discontinued by the time they found the cover!

I don't know if that fits, but it would be funny if it did.

The main duplex postmark on the cover is Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, October 22, 1898. I can't read the handstamp on the postage due stamps either, but it looks as if it could be Washington, DC, which would make sense as that would be the delivery office where the mail piece was sent based on the addressee.