A Tale of Two Postmasters: The Winchester, VA Post Office During the Civil War

We've all heard the staggering numbers associated with Winchester changing hands during the Civil War, but what happened to the post office during those tumultuous years? Kevin Dudley, author of "A Tale of Two Postmasters: The Winchester, Va., Post Office During the Civil War 1861-64," is here to tell us. Join us to learn about the Civil War through the lenses of George B. Graves, postmaster for the Confederacy, and Charles Chase, postmaster for the United States.

The discussion will focus on postal operations in Winchester from the perspective of the Confederate and Federal Winchester Postmasters during the Civil War. Kevin Dudley will discuss their backgrounds and how they came to be Winchester's Postmasters. He'll also exhibit Winchester postal artifacts from the period such as "flag-of-Truce" mail, General Bank's Field Post Office mail, soldier's mail, and Confederate mail using Federal postage after secession. 

Kevin Dudley is a retired engineer, professional musician, and postal historian. "A Tale of Two Postmasters..." was recently published in the Civil War Philatelist. Dudley's article also received the 2025 August Dietz Award for distinguished research and writing in the field of Civil War philately.