Surratt Courier

[L Verge]

(06-18-2019 10:41 AM)mike86002000 Wrote:  

(06-18-2019 09:07 AM)L Verge Wrote:  Thanks once again, Steve. Any indication where in PG County Adams was living at the time of the 1860 Census? Wonder if he moved south to Allen's Fresh to assist in the blockade running? Any idea if there was a post office in his store/tavern/abode in Allen's Fresh? Becoming postmasters in Southern Maryland seemed to be a great way to assist the flow of Southern mail during the war...

I've read Port Tobacco newspapers from the mid 1800's. I remember a notice that the post office for "Allen's Fresh" wasn't actually located in Allen's Fresh, at one time. I assume it was at Newport, just over the hill. There was a P.O. at Allen's Fresh at other times.
Harbin had been post master at Bryantown, early in the Civil War. He was replaced for disloyalty. Indeed post masters with Southern sympathies were of great service to the Confederacy. They could insert letters from the South into the Northern postal system; and also divert newspaper subscriptions to Richmond. Post offices are indicated on the maps I mentioned earlier.
Mike

Thanks, Mike. That's how the Surratt family lost the postmaster position at Surrattsville. Even though Senior Surratt was listed at the top of most secessionists' lists, he managed to keep the position until his death in 1862. However, when Junior took over, his disloyalty came into question and out he went in favor of a Unionist.

My great-grandfather moved up to T.B. in 1861 and became postmaster there in 1863. My grandmother always swore that he was a Lincoln supporter, but I have my doubts - and so did Richard Mitchell Smoot.