Postmark on New Orleans cover is April 15, 1865, prior to the end of the Civil War. The city had been under Union occupation since April 25, 1862. Old Point Comfort played a significant role in the Civil War. The area remained in Union hands throughout the war. Much of the Union soldiers’ mail passed through Old Point Comfort, also the main transfer point for Flag of Truce mail between North and South.

The New Orleans cover is addressed to Monticello, Minnesota; the Old Point Comfort cover is addressed to Leominster, Massachusetts.