United States & Worldwide Stamps and Postal History

1864 Louisville, Ky, two covers, one Apr 1, 64, endorsed "soldier's letter" and addressed to another, with Army of the Cumberland, handstamped "Due 3", other used Feb 16, 64, addressed to a Prisoner of War at Rock Island, Illinois, with 3c U.S. franking, Dept of Prisons handstamp, fine (During the Civil War, Rock Island was home to a large Union army prison camp for captured Confederate soldiers. The island facilities were converted and built in 1863 and were not yet completed in December of that year when the first Confederate prisoners were incarcerated. The construction was makeshift and was built with little notice of prisoners arriving. The first to arrive were 468 Confederate prisoners captured in battles at Chattanooga, Tennessee, although, over 5,000 total would swell the population of Rock Island Prison in that month alone)