Rare Confederate Cover

My question is. Does anyone no a good cover repair company? This cover was written on the CSS Robert E Lee,Blockade runner around 1863, It has no back and faded. The second scan is the end of cover with so fade to be able to read the ship name it. I bought this in a Great Britain auction a few years ago.

I did not know that there was a General Lee ironclad.

Since this has no back, I'm not sure how you could "repair" it. You'd probably be better off leaving it as-is, and keeping it in a protective sleeve. It probably has more value as a historical curiosity than a philatelic item.

More than suspect as there was never any Confederate naval vessel named after R.E. Lee.

The Robert E. Lee was an ironclad steamship used by the South as a blockade runner from ? 1862 - Nov. 9, 1863 when it was captured and used by the Union.

Yes sorry I posted genneral woops, Baron was in V.A. in 1863, My gues these wear his orders to join them on the ships last voyage to Halifax were the Captain stayed in Halifax, The new captain and the ship was captured shortly after the trip. I bought it not noing of CSS Lee written on front in there scan and add it was never mentioned.

My apologies, I've done a considerable amount of reading on the Confederate "ironclads", as in warships. Overlooked the purchased blockade runner angle. Now, back to the Philaetely.#128535;

Don't know if they can help you with this one but you can ask them.

http://home.golden.net/~hanssitt/SR...SRShome.html

Thank you AIE.Gator. svensson Philaetely #128535. What does that mean? Sorry but im still a newbe to most of this, Use to be a member of Richard Frajola Board but no longer I guess. Im not a complete novice to U.s Fidelity though learning on there board for ten years has helped me alot. It will take me a life time to learn more. The only thing I ever taught them was I found the missing ship records thought not to exist for 1702. For mail shipped across the Atlantic, I found who carried the letter the captains name and all the passengers names and what they did at the time.

Very nice cover. The letter is addressed to Samuel Barron, a high ranking USA then Confederate Naval officer born in Virginia. His uncle James Barron was also a senior US naval officer but is more notoriously remembered as the guy who killed Commodore Stephen Decatur in a gun duel in Maryland in 1820.

https://www.encyclopediavirginia.or...#start_entry


Richard Frajola has great info on Confederate Navy postal history, including blockade runner mail, as well as additional covers addressed to Samuel Barron.

Afraid I agree with GregAlex on this one. Really just a curiosity. With out a post mark, date or some sort or corroborating evidence, there isn't much historical or philatelic value. Certainly an interesting jumping off point for research though.

craigk Thank you, By reading that the time line for the Official cover would be 1863, They were on two missions One to sell cotton and oil , buy guns and amo in Canada and attack the prison on the island on lake erie were they held Confederate officers, There mission failed, It was said 26 men were ordered on the mission and one maybe spy did not show up when it was time for the mission.By the time they reached Halifax the Canadian government was well aware of there mission. Making a law to arrest any Confederates buying guns. Yes I have seen Richards covers.I just sean that the stamp auction network has an auction on rare confederate letters and glass plates that Mr Dietz and Mr. Ashbrook worked on to gather. Wish mt pockets were deeper so I could add it to my collection of Mr Dietz and Ashbrooks letters I have.Note second scan has date upper right hand side.

There are no honest "repairs" for anything philatelic unless they are clearly marked in indelible ink on the back describing exactly what was done. Do what you like but in my opinion one should take stamps and covers as they are found as "repairing" starts down the slippery slope of making it a forgery and if this front is what it purports to be - and I agree there is no way to tell from what it there - then any "improvements" will be major detractions from its value both from it being something of historical value since it will no longer be original, as well of it being of considerably reduced cash value if you ever sell it.

Kimo I will leave as is. I agree with you.

At what point is preservation acceptable ?

im not sure as I do more research on this cover changing the scans tint to read some of the words on it , It maybe the cover got wet and some of the names of the 26 men that got orders for the mission has bled to the front. I will compare with the list of men to find matches, wish me luck ill need it lol