Cuba 1899 - MILITARY STATION. No. 10 - HAVANA unpaid cover to Richmond, Virginia.
Soldier's Letter on beautiful illustrated cover from Capt. Clarence Wyatt Comd, Co. "H" 4th Va. Inf'y Vols. to J. H. Knotts, No. 1111 E Cary St., Richmond, VA, USA. Illustrated envelope with "Recuerdos de La Habana" legend and views of "Estatua de la India", "Catedral de La Habana" and of the entrance to the Havana Harbor. MILITARY STA. No. 10 - HAVANA - FEB. 18 (18)99 - CUBA - N.Y.P.O. duplex cds applied to cover at upper right corner. This cover was sent unpaid. Manuscript Due 2 cts written to the left of the postmark. Upon arrival, a 2 cent USA Postage Due stamp was applied and cancelled twice with indistinct but identifiable RICHMOND - RECD. cds. the same cds was also applied to the back of the cover. The original letter datelined Camp Columbia, Havana Cuba, Feb17th 1899 is included. Captain Wyatt was sending stamps to a friend (presumably the new US overprints) and telling him that he had been unable to find any Spanish stamps, but will send some if found. According to EDIFIL, this MILITARY STA. 10 postmark was supposed to have been used only until the day before this cover was postmarked (17th of February) and on the 18th, (the date in which this letter was postmarked) the new COLUMBIA BARRACKS - HAV. CUBA duplex cds was supposed to have been used. There is a light stain at the upper left corner of the envelope, that as it is always the case, is greatly exaggerated by the scanned picture, but very close to invisible when looking at this envelope.