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Indian Nations > 1861-65 Confederate System
 Indian Nations in the Confederate Postal System Minimize
In 1861, the mail in the Indian Nations was carried by the US Postal System and was administered from the Fort Smith  Arkansas post office, on the boundary line between the US and the Indian Nations.  This arrangement had been in place for at least 30 years. Because of the arrangement, many of the Indian Nations post offices used ARK in their CDS or when the post office name was written.  Others used the abbreviation of the Indian Nation in which they were located.  The two largest tribes, the Cherokee and the Choctaw both would uses CN for Cherokee Nation or Choctaw Nation.  The number of post offices was not large.

When Arkansas seceded from the US and joined the Confederacy, the administration of the  Indian Nation  postal system went along with it.  The Indian Nations did not "secede" from the US since they were legally separate nations. They simply passed to a new nation the carrying of their mail.

Letters from the Indian Nations were directed either through Arkansas or through Texas in about equal amounts.  Letters sent later in the war, after about 2/3 of Arkansas (including Fort Smith) had been occupied by Union Troops, were sent through Texas.

A portion of the Indian Nations did choose to fight on the side of the Confederates. Stand Watie was the principle military leader and the only Native American that rose to the rank of General in the army on either side in the conflict.  Many of the reported covers to and from Indian Territory during this period were addressed to him. He did not surrender until June 23, 1865 the last confederate general to do so.

Presented below are the covers of which I have been able to obtain scans.  I would welcome any additional scans or cover descriptions bearing on this period of Indian Nation Postal History.

Updated 2023-04-07



    
 Covers from Indian Nations in the Confederate System Minimize
 Post OfficeSorted By Post Office In Ascending OrderDate if knownDescriptionCover Scan & Source
Boggy Depot Ms Boggy Depot CN mailed to Stand Watie Cmdr of Confederate ForcesBoggy Depot CN to Stand Watie robert_kaufmann_sale64_lot603.jpg
Camp LeFlore186x-11-21 (prob after July 1 1862 based on rate)Ms military address mailed to Texas ms due 10 Letter Head has Camp LefloreCamp LeFlore CN 186x-11-21 George Kramer Coll.jpg
Choctaw Agency1864-09-27Ms town name,ms Paid to Mississippi, forwarded with CSA Scott #11 addedchoctaw nation CSA 11 rkaufmann_sale47_lot560.jpg
Doaksville CN1861-05-09Ms Town Name, US Scott #26, mailed after Arkansas secession while independent state to NYDoaksville CN 1861-05-09 SRumsey_Sale43_Lot14.jpg
Doaksville CN1863-07-17Ms town name, pair of Scott CSA #7 to TexasDoaksville CN 1863-07-17 CSA 7 pair JMilgram 20131225.jpg
Fort Washita Ark1864-04-07Black CDS FORT WASHITA/APR/7/ARK. with ms Paid 10 written within the CDSFort Washita Ark 186x-04-17 Paid 10-robert_kaufmann_sale64_lot599.jpg
Fort Washita CN1864-03-19Ms town name and date, Scott CSA #11 to Clarksville TXFort Washita 1862-03-19 CSA11 JCrosby Collection 20131215.jpg
Luk Fa Tah CN1862-04-04Ms town name, date, and Paid 5 to Eagletown CNLuk Fah Tah 1862-04-04 Paid 5 JMilgram 20131215.jpg
Talequahafter August 1861US Scott #65 tied by black target and black CDS. #65 not issued until August 1861Talequah 186x US #65 SRumsey Sale108 Lot2558.jpg

    
 Covers to Indian Nations in the Confederate System Minimize
 Post OfficeSorted By Post Office In Ascending OrderDate if KnownDescriptionCover Scan and Source
Bowling Green Kentucky to Fort Gibson186x-01-23Black CDS BOWLING GREEN/JAN/23/KY ties pair Scott CSA#1 to Capt Fayette Hewett Genl Pike's staffBowling Green KY 186x-01-23 to Capt Hewett in Fort Gibson IN Emerald Ventures Auction 20230311.jpeg
Centre Point Arkansas to Eagletown CN186x-08-18 (after July 1 1862 based on rate and CSA #4)Rimless CDS CENTRE POINT/ms Aug 18/Ark. pen cancelled pair Scott CSA #4Centre Point AR 186x-08-18 pair CSA4 to Eagletown Dean Briggs Coll.jpg
Elmwood Arkansas to Webbers Falls Cherokee Nation186x-11-22Ms town name and date, pen cancelled CSA Scott #5elmwood csa #5 nutmeg_sale162_lot3552.jpg
Paris Texas to Boggy Depot CN Black CDS PARIS/(indestinct date)/TEXAS ties bisect of CSA Scott #13 to Stand WatieParis TX CSA #20 bisect to BoggyDepot APS Richmond 2010.jpg
Unknown to Boggy Depot CN Pen Cancelled CSA Scott #2 address from Auction DescriptionCSA 2 To Boggy Depot robert_kaufmann_sale64_lot602 CSA2.jpg
Unknown to Camp Brown Cherokee Nation1861-10-06 (docketting)Ms Official Business to Militray AddresseeTo Camp Brown CN RSiegel_Sale_845_Lot_852.jpg
Unknown to Camp Porter CN1861-10-21 (docketing)Ms Official DH Cooper to Militray AddresseeTo Camp Porter CN RSiegel_Sale_845_Lot_849.jpg
Unknown to Fort Gibson1861-x-05 (docketing)CSA Genl Post Office Dept Auditors Office Black CDS ties Scott CSA#1 sent to Captn Fayette Hewett Fort GibsonTo Fort Gibson robert_kaufmann_sale64_lot601.jpg
Unknown to Fort Gibson ms Official ms Express to Military Addressee Fort Gibson CNTo Fort Gibson robert_kaufmann_sale64_lot604.jpg
Unknown to Fort Towson ms SS Scott Cmd Indian Affairs to Brig Gen Maxey Fort Towson Indian TerrTo Ft Towson out of the mails hrharmer_sale2914_lot586.jpg
Unknown to Talhlequah CN1861-10-7 (docketing)Ms Official to Military Addressee Tahlequah CNTo Tahlequah RSiegel_Sale_845_Lot_850.jpg
Unknown to Webbers Falls Cherokee Nation1862-04-14 (docketing)Pen Cancelled CSA Scott #1 to military addressee Webbers Falls Cherokee NationTo Webbers Falls CN robert_kaufmann_sale64_lot600.jpg
Washington DC to Stand Watie in Texas via Little Rock and Washington Ark1865-04-08Balck Washington DC CDS to Stand Watie in Bonham Texas. Watie did not surrender until June 23 1865Washington DC 4-8-65 via LR & Washington AR to Stand Watie in TX APS Richmond 2010.jpg