Pony Express, St. Joseph, May 20 (1860). Full clear strike of Running Pony oval datestamp on 10¢ Green on Buff Nesbitt entire (U16) addressed to Herman Wohler in San Francisco, sender's directive "By Pony Express", no government postmark and no indication of origin or $5.00 rate, small sealed tear

EXTREMELY FINE. THE EARLIEST OF THE FOUR RECORDED WESTBOUND PONY EXPRESS COVERS DELAYED DUE TO THE PAIUTE INDIAN WAR IN 1860. THE CONDITION OF THIS EARLY AND HISTORIC PONY EXPRESS COVER IS OUTSTANDING. NO OTHER MAY 20 COVER IS RECORDED.

The attacks on Pony Express stations and riders occurred during the Paiute Indian War, which started with the May 7 raid on Williams Station in Nevada by a party of Paiute and Bannock warriors seeking revenge for the kidnapping and rape of two young Paiute girls by the three Williams brothers. On May 12 a 105-man militia led by Major William Ormsby was ambushed and destroyed at Pyramid Lake by Indian warriors under the command of Chief Numaga. On May 20 and 21 Indians attacked stations at Cold Springs, Smith's Creek and Simpson's Park. The second battle of Pyramid Lake occurred on June 2-4 between Chief Numaga's warriors and a large army under the command of a veteran Indian fighter, Colonel John Coffee Hays. The battle ended in a stalemate, and Indians continued to conduct raids on stations and harass riders through the summer. The presence of U.S. troops guarding the route helped keep the stage and Pony Express running during July and August 1860, but several mails were delayed and combined as they waited for an escort.

This May 20, 1860, cover was included in the first of the westbound Pony Express mails delayed due to the war. The previous westbound mail which departed St. Joseph one week earlier, on Sunday, May 13, was carried through the war zone on Robert "Pony Bob" Haslam's historic 380-mile round trip on May 19-21. The mail datestamped May 20 was carried as far west as possible and held until a military escort could accompany the riders beyond the dangerous part of the route. Mail from three subsequent trips--May 27, June 3 and June 10--eventually caught up with the May 20 mail, somewhere near Ruby Valley, and was carried to California. The Daily Alta California 6/24/1860 contains a report from Carson City dated June 23, which states, "The long missing Pony Express arrived at Carson City last evening, bringing dates from St. Louis to June 10th." The San Francisco Bulletin 6/25/1860 reported "The Pony Express will arrive here to-night about 10 o'clock, on board the Sacramento steamer. The Express will bring four several letter-bags--the number now due--and will have altogether 300 letters, at least" (boldface added for emphasis, original article shown on page 16). This report confirms that the four delayed Pony mails arrived in San Francisco on June 25.

Five covers are recorded with these departure dates (FKW census W4, W5, W6, W7 and W10). One of these left St. Joseph on June 3, but was delivered to a military officer at Camp Floyd near Salt Lake City (W6), so it is technically not a cover delayed by the war. The westbound trip departing from St. Joseph on Sunday, June 10, was the last scheduled Sunday departure, and it made it through to California after catching up with the three earlier mails. The Mountaineer 6/16/1860 reports the arrival of an express from the East in Salt Lake City at 8 p.m. on June 15, which fits with the June 10 departure.

How did the express with the four mails, including this cover, travel westward to Carson City? A soldier named Charles A. Scott reported in his journal that the military escort of "20 picked men, well armed and mounted," which guarded the May 25 eastbound mail through hostile territory after they left Carson City on June 9, passed through Roberts' Creek on June 15. The convoy moved at a rate of approximately 40 miles per day, obviously a much slower pace than an individual Pony rider could achieve. The timing strongly indicates that the westbound mail, which had accumulated in the safe zone for weeks, was carried to Carson City with the same military escort on its return trip. The westbound express reached Carson City during the evening of June 22 (Daily Alta California 6/24/1860). Six days of travel points to a June 16 or 17 departure from somewhere near Ruby Valley, where the 4th Artillery had set up their base of operations.

FKW Census W4. Ex Elliott N. Evans (pencil source notation on back with 1969 acquisition year), Dr. Polland and Haas. With 1969 P.F. certificate.

Image Magnifier / Download

Power Search for Comparables