Center portion of front side of envelope with badge-shaped blue stamp in upper left corner ("Public Document. Report of the Committee on the Conduct of the War. Fort Pillow. 1864. Senate U.S. "). Addressed to Rev. Geo Hale DD Pennington Mercer Co. N. J B. (?) Ohio. Faint vertical crease in center. Hale, 1812-1888,, who graduated from Williams College in 1831 and later from Princeton Theological Seminary

Thin brown paper somewhat unevenly trimmed on sides but generally about 10 x 14 cm. It appears to have been franked in upper right corner by J. C. Ten Eyck, a Republican Senator from New Jersey. The name "B. F. Wade Ohio. is written along bottom edge. Neither Senatorial frank seems exactly like the signatures for those Senators found online. The recip[ient. Rev. Hale, who graduated from Williams College in 1831 and later from Princeton Theological Seminary was pastor of a Presbyterian Church in Pennington, N.J. The Fort Pillow Massacre, so-called in the North, which occurred in 1864 involved the death of almost 300 Union soldiers, about two thirds of whom were African American. Many of the dead were shot after they had surrendered. The Confederate forces were led by General Nathan Bedford Forrest. The report was published in quantity by the U.S Government. We do not think that we have seen this partial stamped envelope or wrapping before.