Pony Express, St. Joseph, Jun. 3 (1860). Full clear strike of Running Pony oval datestamp on cover with free frank "Milton S. Latham U.S.S." and addressed in his hand to General James W. Denver, care of Frank Denver in Sacramento, Latham's directive "Per Pony Express" along left edge, blue crayon "Free" above oval and pencil "Free F.A.M." at right, lightened stain and minor cosmetic improvements

VERY FINE. ONE OF FOUR RECORDED WESTBOUND PONY EXPRESS COVERS DELAYED DUE TO THE PAIUTE INDIAN WAR IN 1860, OF WHICH TWO HAVE FREE FRANKS.

As documented in The Impact of Indian Attacks on the Pony Express in 1860 (published by our firm and available at http://siegelauctions.com/enc/Pony_Indians.pdf), even when service in California and Nevada was suspended from June 1 to July 6, 1860, the Pony Express continued to run in both directions on a shortened route between St. Joseph and Ruby Valley. The westbound mails addressed to California that left St. Joseph on May 20, May 27, June 3 and June 10 (Sunday departures) were carried as far west as possible and held until a military escort could accompany the riders beyond the dangerous part of the route. 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. 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 opposite). This report confirms that the four delayed Pony mails arrived in San Francisco on June 25.

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.

Senator Milton S. Latham, who franked the cover, went to California in 1850 and was elected to Congress on the 1852 Democratic ticket. After his term expired, he declined to run for re-election and served as collector for the port of San Francisco. In 1859 he was elected governor, but he resigned five days after taking office to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant when Senator David C. Broderick was killed in a duel. It was during his term as a U.S. senator that Latham franked this cover addressed to his friend and fellow Democrat, General James W. Denver, who was the former territorial governor of Kansas, state senator and U.S. congressman, and who would be commissioned as a general in the Union army at the start of the Civil War.

Senator Latham was a friend of William H. Russell, the COC&PP president, and a strong supporter of their effort to secure the contract for the Central Route. He was among the few individuals later permitted to send Pony Express letters free of charge. In this case Senator Latham's free frank applied to the $5.00 Pony Express rate and U.S. postage. Six of the 16 recorded Pony Express covers with any form of free frank are signed by Latham (FKW E94, W3, W5, W7, W48 and W62). The eastbound cover (E94) has the San Francisco Running Pony oval. Three of the westbound Latham covers have the St. Joseph Running Pony oval (W3, W5 and W7), and two have the oval within circle datestamp (W48 and W62). The cover offered here is one of two Latham free-franked covers delayed by the Paiute Indian War (the other is dated May 27, FKW W5).

FKW Census W7. Ex Salzer, Vogel, Walske, Stach and "New Helvetia"

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