1863 Civil War Southern Express Company Receipt—Charlottesville to Columbia, S.C.—“War Risk Excepted”
An original Southern Express Company shipping receipt from Charlottesville, Virginia, dated apparently January 14, 1863, recording a box valued at $150 consigned to a lieutenant named Lewis in Columbia, South Carolina.
The printed form is completed in bold manuscript and bears a prominent handwritten endorsement, “War Risk Excepted.” Its printed conditions likewise exclude risks arising from war, seizure, and civil or military authorities—an evocative reminder of the dangers facing commercial transportation during the Civil War.
The receipt records a shipment from a firm whose name appears to read “J. M. Haas & Bro.” The recipient’s initials appear to be L. S.; his military unit has not been identified. The contents of the box are not stated.
A tangible example of wartime Southern commerce, express transportation, and the shipment of personal or commercial property to a military recipient.
Condition: Folded, with age toning, scattered foxing, edge tears, short fold separations, and localized holes and paper losses associated with ink deterioration. Most printed and handwritten content remains readable. Reverse shows ink penetration from the face.
An original Southern Express Company shipping receipt from Charlottesville, Virginia, dated apparently January 14, 1863, recording a box valued at $150 consigned to a lieutenant named Lewis in Columbia, South Carolina.
The printed form is completed in bold manuscript and bears a prominent handwritten endorsement, “War Risk Excepted.” Its printed conditions likewise exclude risks arising from war, seizure, and civil or military authorities—an evocative reminder of the dangers facing commercial transportation during the Civil War.
The receipt records a shipment from a firm whose name appears to read “J. M. Haas & Bro.” The recipient’s initials appear to be L. S.; his military unit has not been identified. The contents of the box are not stated.
A tangible example of wartime Southern commerce, express transportation, and the shipment of personal or commercial property to a military recipient.
Condition: Folded, with age toning, scattered foxing, edge tears, short fold separations, and localized holes and paper losses associated with ink deterioration. Most printed and handwritten content remains readable. Reverse shows ink penetration from the face.
