4 RIGS REPORTER - APRIL 2012

by James R. MillerEnvelopes sent during the Civil War let us glimpse a sol-

dier’s wartime experience and handwriting, and provide vivid evidence of military service. This paper presents six envelopes from Rhode Island, with basic genealogical data on the sender and recipient, when available. Three envelopes come from phil-atelic auction catalogs from which Philgen.org has permission to use photographs, two envelopes are from a genealogist’s personal collection, and one envelope is from a book of postal history.[1] As with any source of genealogical information, old envelopes must be studied in combination with other sources before we reach a conclusion.

William C. Barney of Apponaug, Warwick, RI, received an envelope from “M.L. Barney, Federal Prisoner of Late U.S. Str [Steamer] Clifton” postmarked 6 February 1864 in New Orleans, LA (Figure 1). William C. Barney and his apparent son Miller L.R. Barney are in Apponaug in the 1860 US census.[2] Miller L.R. Barney served as an ordinary seaman in the US Navy.[3] The U.S.S. Clifton was captured at the battle of Sabine Pass on 8 September 1863, and the envelope was sent from the Confeder-ate military prison in Houston, TX, and traveled via Galveston and the federal blockading squadron and entered the U.S. mail system at New Orleans, which was held by the Union army.[4] Miller L.R. Barney survived the war and is in Apponaug with a wife and child in the 1870 US census.[5]

Mr. Joseph E. Smith of Wickford, RI, received an envelope postmarked in New Bern, NC, on 12 April 1863 (Figure 2). An enclosed letter was written 11 April 1863 by William M. Smith.[6] Joseph E. and William M. Smith, apparently brothers, are in North Kingstown (which includes Wickford) in the 1850 US census.[7] William M. Smith served as private and later as corporal and sergeant with Company F of the 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery, and this company was in New Bern in April 1863.[8] William M. Smith survived the war and is living with his parents in Wickford in the 1870 US census.[9] This envelope has a patriotic illustration of Lady Liberty holding a shield, liberty cap and pole.

Daniel P. Gladding of the 4th Rhode Island Infantry received an envelope postmarked 4 January 1862 in Woonsocket, RI (Figure 3). The envelope is addressed to him as a member of the regimental band at Camp California. A Daniel Gladding is in Woonsocket apparently with his parents in the 1860 US census.[10] Daniel P. Gladding served as a musician with the 4th Rhode Island Infantry, and the regiment was at Camp California (just outside Alexandria, VA) from 28 November to 14 Decem-ber 1861.[11] Daniel P. Gladding survived the war and is with his parents in Woonsocket in the 1870 U.S. census.[12] A family mem-ber probably sent this envelope to him.

George W. Cushing of Providence, RI, received an envelope postmarked “Banks’ Division” on 28 July [1862][13] (Figure 4). A George W. Cushing and his apparent sons Samuel T. and Harry C. Cushing are in Providence in the 1860 US census.[14] In July 1862, Samuel T. Cushing was serving as a captain in the US Signal Corps and Harry C. Cushing was an officer with the 4th US Light

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Civil War Envelopes of Rhode Island

Figure 1: 1864 envelope from Houston, TX, Confederate military prison to Apponaug, RI, via New Orleans, LA

Photograph courtesy of Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Sale 988, Lot 233

Figure 2: 1863 envelope from New Bern, NC, to Wickford, RI, with illustration of Lady Liberty with shield, liberty cap and pole

Photograph courtesy of Rachel Peirce

Figure 3: 1862 envelope from Woonsocket, RI, to the 4th Rhode Island Infantry at Camp California, VA

Photograph courtesy of Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Sale 1016, Lot 1013

This article is reprinted with permission of the Rhode Island Genealogical Society (RIGS), and first appeared in RIGS Reporter, Vol. XIV, Issue 5 (April 2012): 4-5. For more on RIGS, please visit www.rigensoc.org.

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Artillery.[15] One of George W. Cushing’s sons probably sent the envelope. Both survived the war.[16] The envelope has a comic illustration of a Confederate “guer-rilla” who is “willing to take the oath of allegiance.”

Mr. Pardon Hopkins of “Noose Neck,” RI, received an envelope postmarked at Camp Nelson, KY, on 29 December 1863 (Figure 5). A Pardon Hopkins and his apparent sons Charles W. and William P. Hopkins are in West Greenwich (about two miles west of Nooseneck) in the 1860 US census.[17] Charles W. and William P. Hopkins were musicians with the 7th Rhode Island Infantry, and this regiment was in Kentucky in December, 1863.[18] One of Pardon Hopkins’ sons probably sent the envelope. Both survived the war.[19]

Benjamin Champlin of Wickford, RI, received a “Soldier’s Letter” postmarked in Washington, DC, on 23 October 1861 (Figure 6). The envelope was signed by “G.W. Tew Major 4th Reg R.I.V.” [Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers], and he may have sent the envelope or, more likely, endorsed it because the envelope was sent without a stamp, postage due.[20]

Thomas Smith, Benjamin Champlin’s nephew, served as a private in the 4th Rhode Island, and he may have sent the envelope.[21] Benjamin Champlin and Thomas Smith are in North Kingstown (adjacent to Wickford), and George W. Tew is in Newport, in the 1860 US cen-sus.[22] The 4th Rhode Island Infantry de-parted from Providence for Washington, DC, on 2 October 1861.[23] George W. Tew and Thomas Smith survived the war.[24] The envelope has an illustration of Win-field Scott, “Commander in Chief” of the Union Army until 1 November 1861, and “The War for the Union.”

This article shows how postal history documents our ancestors’ wartime ex-perience. Other Rhode Island envelopes and postcards illustrate our ancestors’ work, family correspondence, travel, political and social interests, where they lived before emigrating to the US, and may have their photograph on a real photo postcard.[25] Please contact the au-thor if you would like to add an envelope or postcard photograph with sender and recipient information to the phila-telic genealogy website and database, Philgen.org.Notes1 Figures 1 and 3 are from Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries

(http://www.siegelauctions.com/ : accessed 20 December 2011) and Figure 5 is from Schuyler Rumsey Philatelic Auctions (http://www.rumseyauctions.com/ : accessed 20 December 2011). Figures 2 and 6 are from Rachel Peirce, RIGS Reporter. Figure 4 is from James W. Milgram, M.D., Federal Civil War Postal History (Lake Forest, IL: Northbrook Publishing Company, Inc., 2007).

2 1860 US census, Kent County, RI, population (pop.) schedule, Warwick, Apponaug post office, p. 187 (penned), dwelling 1199, family 1434, William C. Barney; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 December 2011); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm publica-tion (NARA) series M653, roll 1203.

3 Historical Data Systems (HDS), compiler, “US Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles” (USCWSRP) database, Ancestry.com, entry for Miller L.R. Barney.

4 Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, “Power Search,” enter 988 as Sale # and 233 as Lot #.

5 1870 US census, Kent County, RI, pop. schedule, Warwick, Ap-ponaug post office, p. 212 (penned), dwelling 1738, family 1677, Miller L.R. Barney; digital image, Ancestry.com; citing NARA series M593, roll 1471.

6 Email from Rachel Peirce to the author, 12 December 2011.7 1850 US census, Washington County, RI, pop. schedule, North

Kingstown, p. 311 (stamped, verso), dwelling 218, family 256, Har-

ris Smith; digital image, Ancestry.com; citing NARA series M432, roll 847.

8 HDS, USCWSRP, Ancestry.com, entry for William M. Smith, served Rhode Island; National Park Service (NPS), Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (CWSSS) (http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/ : accessed 20 December 2011), “Regiments,” 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery F.

9 1870 US census, Washington County, RI, pop. schedule, North Kingstown, Wickford post office, p. 58 (penned), dwelling 414, family 463, Harris Smith; digital image, Ancestry.com; citing NARA series M593, roll 1473.

10 1860 US census, Providence County, RI, pop. schedule, Cumber-land, Woonsocket post office, p. 82 (penned), dwelling 448, family 592, Joseph H. Gladding; digital image, Ancestry.com; citing NARA series M653, roll 1205.

11 NPS, CWSSS, “Soldiers,” Daniel P. Gladding, served Rhode Island; and “Regiments,” 4th Rhode Island Infantry.

12 1870 US census, Providence County, RI, pop. schedule, Woon-socket, p. 171 (penned), dwelling 782, family 1269, Joseph H. Gladding; digital image, Ancestry.com; citing NARA series M593, roll 1474.

13 Milgram, Federal Civil War Postal History, “Banks Division Post-marks,” 245-249. This postmark was in use only in 1862.

14 1860 US census, Providence County, RI, pop. schedule, Provi-dence, ward 1, p. 7 (penned), dwelling 32, family 40, George W. Cushing; digital image, Ancestry.com; citing NARA series M653, roll 1209.

15 “Genealogy of the Cushing Family 2010” family tree, owner: wrcushing49, sources shown include US censuses and Find A Grave database, Ancestry.com, see “Story” with Samuel Tobey Cushing; HDS, USCWSRP, Ancestry.com, entry for Henry Cooke Cushing, served Rhode Island.

16 1870 US census, Travis County, TX, pop. schedule, Austin, p. 54 (penned), dwelling 366, family 423, Sam’l T. Cushing; digital image, Ancestry.com; citing NARA series M593, roll 1606; 1890 US census, Newport County, RI, veterans schedule, Fort Adams, Enumeration District (ED) Fort Adams, p. 1, dwelling 17, family 17, Harry C. Cushing; digital image, Ancestry.com; citing NARA series M123, roll 92.

17 1860 US census, Kent County, RI, pop. schedule, West Greenwich, p. 30 (penned), dwelling 246, family 273, Pardon Hopkins; digital image, Ancestry.com; citing NARA series M653, roll 1203.

18 NPS, CWSSS, “Soldiers,” Charles W. Hopkins and Wm. P. Hopkins, served Rhode Island; and “Regiments,” 7th Rhode Island Infantry.

19 1890 US census, Providence County, RI, veterans schedule, Provi-dence, ED 75, p. 2, dwelling 247, family 134, Chas. W. Hopkins; digital image, Ancestry.com; citing NARA series M123, roll 92; 1890 US census, Essex County, MA, veterans schedule, Lawrence, ED 213, p. 1, dwelling 36, family 55, William P. Hopkins; digital image, Ancestry.com; citing NARA series M123, roll 15.

20 Milgram, Federal Civil War Postal History, p. 134.21 Email from Rachel Peirce to the author, 12 December 2011.22 1860 US census, Washington County, RI, pop. schedule, North

Kingstown, p. 66 (penned), dwelling 463, family 526, Benjamin Champlin, and p. 38 (penned), dwelling 270, family 324, Benjamin Smith; digital images, Ancestry.com; citing NARA series M653, roll 1211; 1860 US census, Newport County, RI, pop. schedule, Newport, p. 12 (penned), dwelling 60, family 70, George W. Tew; digital image, Ancestry.com; citing NARA series M653, roll 1204.

23 NPS, CWSSS, “Regiments,” 4th Rhode Island Infantry.24 1890 US census, Washington County, RI, veterans schedule, North

Kingstown, ED 202, p. 3, dwelling 281, family 305, Thomas A. Smith; digital image, Ancestry.com; citing NARA series M123, roll 92; HDS, USCWSRP, Ancestry.com, entry for George Washington Tew, served Rhode Island.

25 For examples of other types of information available from postal history, please visit http://philgen.org, and search the database by family or city name, or click on an article reprint listed in the Main Menu.

AcknowledgmentsThe author thanks the following for

the use of photographs: Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries; Rachel Peirce; James W. Milgram, M.D.; and Schuyler Rumsey Philatelic Auctions. Also thanks to the genealogists who posted family trees at Ancestry.com and responded to email and message board queries; and to Lisa Birsinger for database and website sup-port.

BiosketchJames R. (Jim) Miller is a genealogist

and postal historian and is the founder of Philgen.org. Jim’s article on 19th century politcal envelopes in Rhode Island appeared in the March 2012 RIGS Reporter. He lives in Caroga Lake, NY, and Haguenau (Alsace), France, and can be contacted at jim@philgen.org.

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Figure 4: 1862 envelope from Banks’ Division to Providence, RI, with drawing of a Confed-erate “guerilla”

Photograph courtesy of James W. Milgram, M.D., Federal Civil War Postal History, p. 249

Figure 5: 1863 envelope from Camp Nelson, Kentucky to “Noose Neck,” RI

Photograph courtesy of Schuyler Rumsey Philatelic Auctions, Sale 29, Lot 3877

Figure 6: 1861 envelope from Washington, DC, to Wickford, RI, with illustration of General Winfield Scott and “The War for the Union”

Photograph courtesy of Rachel Peirce