Soldiers (Due) 10 with the Augusta, Ga. C.D.S. Dietz Type B all in violet, 2 APR. (1864). The envelope has been boldly endorsed by a Confederate Georgia officer at the top left, "R.H. Atkinson, Capt. 1st Ga. Regulars." Very nicely addressed to "Mrs. E.A. Atkinson, Macon, Georgia." Coarse paper cover which is probably homemade. Very fine war period Confederate Georgia cover.

Robert Holt Atkinson was commissioned second lieutenant in Company G, 1st Georgia Regulars, on February 1, 1861. He was promoted to first lieutenant in Company A, on September 3, 1861. He served as the regimental adjutant for a period and then was promoted to captain of Company C, at the Battle of Olustee, Florida, on February 20, 1864. He survived the war and surrendered with General Joseph E. Johnston's Army, on April 26, 1865, at Greensboro, North Carolina.

In the book, "Footprints of a Regiment; A Recollection of the 1st Georgia Regulars, 1861-1865," by W.H. Andrews, Andrews described Lieutenant Atkinson at the Battle of Second Manassas, Virginia, "To the right of me and walking down the line was our Adjutant Lieutenant R.H. Atkinson, with our flag in one hand and his sword in the other. Our colors had fallen for the fourth time. Our gallant color bearer Sergeant Baldwin had lost his life, besides two others who were killed who had lifted the colors up by the time they had struck the ground, the fourth man being wounded. Then Lieutenant Atkinson raised them up. He was certainly making a conspicuous target of himself, but fear was a stranger to him."

This cover originated from Confederate philatelic expert John L. Kimbrough, and it has been in an advanced private Confederate collection for the last almost ten years before I was fortunate enough to acquire it. Mr. Kimbrough has signed and dated the cover in pencil on the reverse.

WBTS Trivia: The 1st Georgia Regulars Infantry Regiment completed its organization at Macon, Georgia, in April 1861, and soon moved to Virginia. The men were from Atlanta and Brunswick, and Glynn and Montgomery counties. It was brigaded under General Robert Toombs and in April, 1862, contained 367 effectives. Transferred to G.T. Anderson's Brigade, the unit fought gallantly with the Army of Northern Virginia from the Seven Days' Battles to Fredericksburg. It was then ordered to Florida, assigned to G.P. Harrison's Brigade, Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and fought at the battle of Olustee, Florida, the only major battle to be fought in Florida during the War Between the States. During the summer of 1864, it was stationed in the Charleston area and later saw action at Savannah and in North Carolina. The regiment reported 3 killed and 19 wounded at Savage's Station, had 27 killed and 77 wounded at Second Manassas, and lost 3 killed and 25 wounded at Olustee. Only 45 officers and men surrendered with the Army of Tennessee, on April 26, 1865, at Greensboro, North Carolina. [Source: Units of the Confederate Armies by Joseph H. Crute, Jr].