1847 Kearny’s Overland Mail cover in Rumsey’s Dec. 8 Gems of Philately auction

By Charles Snee

Schuyler Rumsey Philatelic Auctions will present its annual Gems of Philately sale Dec. 8 at its headquarters in San Francisco, Calif.

Up for bids will be a broad selection of worldwide postal history and United States stamps. The U.S. offerings range from the 1851 1¢ issue to 1893-1917 regular issues and local stamps.

Among the 30 lots from the time of the 1846-48 Mexican-American War is a stampless Kearny’s Overland Mail cover that was sent from the Monterey Barracks in Monterey, Calif., to Alfred, N.Y. The letter is datelined May 27, 1847.

According to Rumsey, the detailed, three-page folded letter was written by Pvt. J.S. Vincent of the 1st Regiment, New York Volunteers to his brother in Alfred.

Rumsey notes that the letter was “carried on the first overland mail from California and entered the mails with red ‘St. Louis, Mo., Aug 26’ cds [circular datestamp] and matching ‘Steam 10’ straight line handstamp.”

The letter provides “a detailed account of the ongoing war in California and mentions Kearny’s overland departure,” Rumsey said.

The description of the cover in the sale catalog includes a transcription of Vincent’s letter.

At one point, Vincent wryly observes, “Every thing is dull in California. There is no chance for a fight and here we are sucking our thumbs in Monterey the Capitol California.”

Rumsey’s also provides a summary of the letter’s journey:

“This letter was carried by military express to Monterey and then overland May 31, 1847 by Brig. General Stephen Watts Kearny to Fort Leavenworth arriving on August 22. At Fort Leavenworth, Kearny, on his way to Washington D.C., boarded the steamboat ‘Amelia’ August 23rd to St Louis and deposited his mail. They were postmarked upon arrival in St. Louis August 26th with 10¢ due. Kearny was returning from the campaign that conquered California during the Mexican War. He brought Lt. Col. John C. Fremont with him, under arrest, for attempting to usurp Kearny’s authority there. The trip over the California-Oregon trail took 66 days.”

Rumsey is offering this important Kearny’s Overland Mail folded letter with an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000.

Rumsey has prepared a single catalog for the Dec. 8 Gems of Philately sale. The catalog is available for download on the Rumsey website, www.rumseyauctions.com. Online bidding is through Stamp Auction Network.

For more information, email srumsey@rumseyauctions.com or write to Schuyler Rumsey Philatelic Auctions, 47 Kearny St., Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94108.

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