Here's another postally used regimental imprint with the George Washington silhouette motif. It's a slightly different style than the 2nd Connecticut cover also listed for sale. This one has just one patriotic declaration beneath the image of President Washington. The Connecticut cover has three. Sometimes, it seems there is no end to the variations in these envelopes...making collecting that much more fun and rewarding.

 

This cover is in VG condition, was opened from the top and is complete.  The back flap has separated slightly, but this likely happened when the envelope was opened by the original recipient. The flap is 100% complete. A very minor reinforcement tab is visible on the back. These are quite commonly encountered as people during and after the Civil War were enthusiastic collectors of these envelopes. It is a very old reinforcement.

 

There is no stamp, and it does not appear there ever was one. There is a name written right under the regimental imprint, but it is somewhat obscured by the cancellation mark. I particularly like that the sender crossed out the imprinted word "FOR" and wrote in "FROM"...the Second Maine Regiment. A cute little notation.

 

The Second Maine Infantry (also known as the Bangor regiment) was a particularly gritty, historic unit...famous for being the last Union regiment to leave the Manassas battlefield in 1861. The regiment also fought at Antietam and sustained massive casuaties at Fredericksburg. The Second Maine was  a two-year regiment, but a number of the enlistees had signed up for three years. When the regiment's service ended, these men were transferred to the famous 20th Maine Infantry under Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. A number of these men protested the transfer, taking place just prior to the bloody fight at Little Round Top in Gettysburg. I remember reading somewhere that about a dozen members of the Second Maine were executed for desertion during the course of the war, but I cannot recall if any of them suffered this fate specifically because they deserted in protest over the transfer. Perhaps some of you know?

 

If you're serious about collecting patriotic covers or regimental imprints, this is one you should not let go of. There's also some good potential for a research project here. Cover is priced almost at what I paid...and well under what any other dealer would charge for this piece.