history’s stories: fredericksburg postal history what’s in A card? susie c. huffman

Keith Littlefield recently published a book entitled FROM NEW POST to PRINCESS ANNE STREET. The book is based on the history of Fredericksburg and its involvement in the establishment of the Postal Service that we have today. Keith and I have enjoyed our friendship for over fifty years. He is very modest when he gives me credit for his success in having one of the finest collections of Fredericksburg items from early currency, stoneware, books, documents, and other related material. Keith always wants to praise the staff at CRRL especially Nancy Moore in the Virginiana Room for their help. A copy of the book will be available for your research there. We must remember that in Colonial America there was no established system to communicate. It was not until the Act X in 1657-1658 that the Virginia Legislation tried to regulate public letters. In those days, the letter would travel from Plantation to Plantation or Coffee House to Coffee House until it reached it final destination which could take weeks or even months before it reached the addressee. The Queen Anne Act in 1711 gave the British control of the colonial mail with Virginia objected to the system. Alexander Spotswood was Governor during this period from 1710-1722. In 1730, Spotswood was sworn in as Deputy Postmaster General of the colonies and he established his headquarters at NEW POST just south of Fredericksburg. By 1727 the mails took twenty-four days for a round trip. In 1776, Ben Franklin was appointed the first Postmaster General. Spotswood had developed a fondness for Fredericksburg and the surrounding area long before he became Deputy Postmaster Gerner or even Governor of Virginia. He had established a Tubal Furnace for iron at Germanna and built a road that ended on the bank of the Rappahannock river at New Post, where he had a wharf for shipping his ore to Europe. This is a vital link showing the importance of Fredericksburg in the establishment of the early mail in America. The Postmaster had many duties one of which was placing a notice with names in the local newspaper

history’s stories of individuals with letters waiting to be picked up. This advertising of letters would continue until 1919. The author goes into detail about how the postmaster would use Postal marking to cancel the letters. I believe that one major clarification the author was able to make was that for years it was believed that the Rising Sun Tavern FXBGPostal History By Ralph “Tuffy” Hicks housed the Fredericksburg post office, this is not true. The location of the post office was in Gordon ' s/Weedon ' s Tavern, located on the corner of William and Caroline Streets. Chapter three has extensive information on the Fredericksburg Postmasters. A few of which I will discuss. Joseph Timberlake was appointed postmaster in February 1815. It was in 1819 when the stage lost the mail between Fredericksburg and Washington. It is written that two slaves found the bag and took the $2800 in cash and burned the mail and by the time they were arrested they had spent $800. Timberlake the Postmaster had been in debt to the Post Office Department. Timberlake was one of 375 postmasters in Virginia who owed money to the Postal Department. Timberlake owed well over three thousand dollars when he suddenly died in 1823. In 1923 Gunyon Harrison was appointed Postmaster by President Warren Harding. Gunyon was a WW I decorated hero that was a leader of the local National Guard. He took over the largest Post Office staff in Virginia with thirty-three employees. The most popular Postmasters in Fredericksburg, Lemuel (Lem) Houston was officially appointed in 1949. Houston was a Marine veteran of Iwo Jima and was called up again during the Korean conflict. His starting salary was $4,500.00 per year. Houston implemented the Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP CODES) in 1963. He retired along with his deputy postmaster Tom Morrison (52 years) in 1972 having served Fredericksburg longer than any other Postmaster. Dedicated to: Glenn Hyatt, Edith Withers, Larry Sullivan, and Hal Cooper This limited edition hardbound book is profusely illustrated in color available at kelittlefield@gmail.com Tuffy is Front Porch’s Resident Historian

susie c. huffman

By jon gerlach

This is a story about a mysterious artifact, and its place in local history. Some years ago, a copper printing plate for a calling card was found on ground occupied by Confederate troops during the battle of Fredericksburg.

Also known as "visiting cards", calling cards were important in the structured etiquette of 19th Century society. They were used to announce a visitor, and a corner could be folded to convey a message. For example, folding the upper left corner meant it was a congratulatory visit, whereas folding the lower left corner indicated a condolence visit.

This printing plate bears the name

"Susie C. Huffman " (pictured, with reconstructed letters). Susie (1845-1892) was a Fredericksburg resident with famous connections. Her father, Landon J. Huffman (1820-1873), was a City Councilman who, among other things, voted to build the Renwick Courthouse. In the spring of 1862, Landon was one of 16 Fredericksburg citizens arrested by Union forces and held in captivity at the Old Capitol Prison (where the U.S. Supreme Court Building stands today). He returned home that September in a negotiated prisoner exchange. The "Hostages " historical marker across the street from Fredericksburg Baptist Church (where Susie was married) tells a more complete story of his arrest.

In 1866, just after the war, Susie married Andrew Benjamin Bowering (1843-1923) and had five children. Beyond that, we know very little of her. We do know a lot about Andrew. He led the band of the 30th Virginia Infantry and composed the dirge for "Stonewall" Jackson's funeral in 1863. Andrew also bugled the final "military recall" of the Civil War at Lee's surrender at Appomattox, just one year before marrying Susie. Later, among other pursuits, he was President of the City School Board and Fredericksburg ' s Commissioner of the Revenue. He worked in his sons' businesses (Hope Foundry and the Progress Engine and Machine Works) and directed the Fredericksburg (aka Bowering's) Band.

Susie had grown up at 600 Princess Anne Street (today's site of the U.S. Post Office). In 1883, Susie and Andrew built their house at 700 Prince Edward Street, just a block away. Susie lived in this, the Bowering house, until her death nine years later, and Andrew lived there for the next 31 years until his death. Today it's the site of the Heflin Apartments, erected in 1925 by designer and contractor "Peck" Heflin.

In an early example of historic preservation in Fredericksburg, Andrew's friend and band mate "Peck" Heflin moved the Bowering House to 505 Charlotte Street before building the Heflin Apartments, where it still stands today as a wonderful example of Italianate architecture (pictured).

Now comes the mystery. We know that Susie Huffman's calling cards pre-dated her marriage in 1866 (when she took Bowering's last name). But we don't know how the printing plate ended up on the Fredericksburg battlefield, behind Confederate lines. Was Susie's childhood home at 600 Prince Edward Street ransacked by Federal troops during their debauchery of December 12, 1862, and the printing plate taken as a souvenir by a Union soldier? If so, was he killed the next day in the assaults against the Stone Wall? We do know that some Confederate soldiers relieved the Union dead of their clothing and personal effects. If this "chain of custody" holds any water, then we have a double larceny: once by a Union soldier, and soon afterwards by a Confederate soldier. We'll never know, but if artifacts could talk, this one would have a story to tell.

So … what's in a Card? Here … a window into Fredericksburg's 19th Century society, and a curious mystery.

An attorney and retired archaeologist, Jon Gerlach serves on Fredericksburg's City Council, Ward Two. Photos by Jon Gerlach