Going Postal - The NAPR Part II

The military connection to the delivery of the US mails was evident from the creation of our country. The next step in the evolution was the introduction of arms to those who handled, sorted and delivered the mail.

During the civil war armed guards were used to secure the transport of mail. Mail transports were often the target of the southern infiltrating guerillas from occupying territories in the south to Maryland and Pennsylvania. There were several well dosumented forays into New York and Massachusetts. Confederates were looking to intercept not only important military documents but another important cargo in desparate need by the Confederate States....money. Although attacks of the mail system especially within the northern states went largely unreported as not to alarm the public into panic, journal entries of several prominent wartime northern generals suggest it was a widespread problem. One nondescript document discovered in the National Archives dated to 1864 eludes to a communique between Vice President Hannibal Hamlin (1861-1865)to Brig General James Wolfe Ripley who was Inspector of Armaments of Forts on New England referencing a letter between the former and Secretary of the Interior John P. Usher, 1863 as to the mounting losses of some 1.27 million dollars in Postal Currency to these "pillagers of the postal public".

Thus began, in mid 1863 the practice of arming those who transported and delivered the mail of the United States. In all but the smallest of towns and other jurisdictions post offices were built with the intent of not only securing the mail but to serve as armories for the local militias. Within the cities of the east the mail transports and those who accompanied them carried 1863 Remington Pocket Pistol Small size .31 cal. 5 shot revolver. In the countryside and in the west the armament of choice was the Spencer Repeating Rifle which shot a .52 caliber round housed in a seven round magazine.

More to come...