Lone Star State Philatelist, Volume 7, Number 6, January 1899 Page: 70
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LONE STAR STATE PHILATELIST.
Postmaster General Reagan's fourth report is dated at Richmond, De-
cember 7, 1863. It does not contain much information about stamps but the
following may be of interest:
"The revenues derived from postages (for the fiscal year, from the 1st of
July, 1862, to the 30th of June, 1863,) were three millions three hundred and
thirty seven thousand eight hundred and fifty three dollars and one cent, ($3,-
337,853.01.) The expenditures of the Department were two million six hun-
dred and sixty-two thousand eight hundred and four dollars and fifty-seven
cents, ($2,662,804.57.) The excess of receipts over expenditures was six hun-
dred and seventy-five thousand and forty-eight dollars and forty-four cents,
($675,048.44,) thus showing the gratifying fact that the Department has been
brought within the requirement of the Constitution, that its expenses shall be
paid out of its own revenues after the 1st of March, 1863."
This result it was stated was in part brought about by "the increased rates
of postage, which went into operation with the beginning of the fiscal year"
-July 1, 1862.
The sources of the receipts as above stated were given in detail as follows:
"From letter postage paid in money................. $ 753,069.84.
From newspapers and pamphlets.. ....... ........ ... 188,665.52.
From sale of postage stamps... ....................... 2,392,332.63.
From surplus of emoluments and box rents.............. 3,785.02.
Total....... .. ........................ $3,337,853.01."
The large amount of receipts "from letter postage paid in money" indi-
cates that the private arrangements between postmasters and patrons still
continued into 1862 and 1863, resulting in the issuance of local stamps and local
stamped envelopes, for it is very improbable to any one acquainted with the
financial and monetary situation in the Confederate States in those years that
any "money" was paid for postage in amounts less than five dollars at a time.
It is stated that $12,572.78 was paid for postage stamps during the year
ending June 30, 1863, but it does not appear to whom this amount was paid.
Supplies of two-cent, and of twenty-cent stamps were secured between
the dates of Post Master General Reagan's third and fourth reports as will ap-
pear from the following extract from the latter:
"The stamps supplied to postmasters from July 1st, 1862, to June 30th,
1863, were as follows:
Number of 2 cent stamps ........ 557,200 value $ 11,144.00.
" 5 " " ........ 37,953,977 " 1,897,698.85.
" 10 " " .... ... 10,417,700 " 1,041,770.00.
" 20 " " ........ 95,100 " 19,020.00.
Total making ...... 49,023,977 $2,969,632.85."
After mentioning the facts that "previous to the fall of Vicksburg and
Port Hudson, communication across the Mississippi river and valley had been
rendered irregular and uncertain by the military operations of the enemy"
and that "since their fall and occupation by them, we have had no reliable
postal service across that river," it is stated that "among the means recently
adopted for securing mail service across the Mississippi, was the establish-
ment of an express mail line, under the authority of an act authorizing the es-
tablishment of express mails, approved May 1, 1863, and the making of a con-
tract with a party represented to have ample means of carrying it out, for the
conveyance of letters and packages, twice a week, between Meridian, Miss-
issippi, and Shreveport, Louisiana. On all letters or packages sent by this
line, the postage to be prepaid, is at the rate of forty cents for each single let-70
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Bradley, Royal Bennett. Lone Star State Philatelist, Volume 7, Number 6, January 1899, periodical, January 1899; Waco, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1129267/m1/4/: accessed June 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The University of Texas at Dallas.