Sir — You are hereby instructed, as the postal service of the
Government of the
United States within the
Confederate States will be suspended, under the authority of the
Confederate States, on and after the 1st day of June next, to retain in your possession, subject to the further orders of this department, for the benefit of the
Confederate States, all mail bags, locks and keys, marking and other stamps, blanks for quarterly returns of postmasters, and all other property belonging to or connected with the postal service, and to return forthwith to the chief of the appointment bureau of this department a full inventory of the same.
You will also report to the chief of the finance bureau of this department, on the 1st day of June proximo, your journal or ledger account with the
United States for the service of the Post-Office Department, up to and including the 31st day of the present month of May, in accordance with the general regulations embraced in Chapter 24 of the edition of Laws and Regulations of the Post-Office Department, issued May 15, 1859, page 106, exhibiting the final balance in your possession.
I am very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
John H. Reagan,
Postmaster General. To------,
Esq., Postmaster at------.