Existing comment:
1861-1866
Civil War Era:
Abraham Lincoln's election to the presidency in 1860 with exclusively northern and western support incited the Civil War. The Confederate States of America formed in February 1861, weeks before his inauguration. The split followed sectional feuds over states' rights and slavery. The bloodiest conflict ever fought on American soil erupted on April 12, 1861.
On May 31, 1861, the Union suspended postal service to the Confederacy and soon issued new stamps, not valid in the Confederacy. The Confederacy responded with a stamp of its own, issued on October 17. Whether North or South, mail provided the lifeline between home and battlefront. |