House of Representatives, 37th Congress, 2nd Session, Ex. Doc. No. 55. Postal Service in Seceded States. Letter from the Postmaster General regarding the discontinuance of postal service on mail routes in seceded states. Dated 17 February 1862.
" Sir: On the 12th July last I had the honor to submit to Congress a report of the action of the department under the law of February 28, 1861, which authorizes the Postmaster General to discontinue the postal service on routes where, in his opinion, it cannot be safely continued, or the postal revenues collected, or the postal laws maintained, by reason of any cause whatever, till the same can be safely restored. That report stated the discontinuance of the mail service in all of the so-called seceded States, with the exception of that on routes in the western counties of Virginia, where the inhabitants remained loyal to the Union.
I now submit a tabular statement of routes in the Sates of Kentucky and Missouri on which the service has been discontinued since the date of the former report for the reasons named in the act, and which remain suspended, excepting two routes in Kentucky where service has been ordered to be restored.
One additional discontinued route in Texas is also included in this table.
The total annual cost of the service on these routes, deducting the two restored routes in Kentucky, was $214,391.86.
On the route from Snow Hill, Maryland, to Eastville, Virginia, discontinued May 31, 1861, the service was restored December 2, 1861, on the occupation of the Eastern Shore of Virginia by the government forces.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
M. Blair, Postmaster General
The Speaker of the House of Representatives."
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