Civil War-dated free franked mailing envelope, 4.25 x 2.5, franked in the upper right, “J. Tyler,” addressed in another hand to “Miss Rebecca Jones,” in Richmond, Virginia, and enclosing a partly cross-written ALS from his daughter-in-law, Nannie Bridges Tyler, two pages on both sides, 4.5 x 7, dated April 9, 1861. Nannie writes to a friend, Rebecca Jones, in Richmond. In part: “Three of the children here have measles and two of the colored people, so that I am daily dreading Martha’s breaking out with it, before I can get away…. That is going on more now in Richmond. The legislature has adjourned, and it is thought the Convention will, soon; and what will Virginia do? I wonder! We are in a terrible fix I think. One thing that has caused me to think of you, in a few days past is that I have been reading work on Spiritualism. Don’t you remember my alarm at your communications. Certainly there are wonderful things told—wonderful revelations made, but I am skeptical. God’s word is sufficient.” In fine condition, with a few tiny opening tears, early ink annotation, and a subtle touch of soiling to envelope, none of the above affecting the clear, dark signature. The envelope bears a steamship postmark of April 13, one day following Beauregard’s attack against Fort Sumter—the opening salvo of what would prove to be the bloodiest war in American history.