CSA 1, 5¢ green tied by large balloon MANCHESTER Va. circular datestamp with manuscript Dec 3 1861 date; slightly reduced at top with part of top flap missing; made out of thin paper with intricate floral design which isn’t wallpaper but appears to be high-quality stationery fashioned into a small envelope; addressed to Alexander Donnan, Petersburg, Va.; a few minor edge tears but an exceptional use. Ex Tate, Powell, and Burton. $750. 

Alexander Donnan (1818-1892) was born in Scotland but brought to America the year he was born. The family settled in Petersburg where he graduated from the University of Virginia and became a lawyer, commencing practice in 1840. During the war, he was a member of the Petersburg City Council. He was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. He was Vice President of Petersburg Savings and Insurance and President of Matoaca Cotton Manufacturing Company. He married Anna E. Willson in Williamsburg on December 4, 1850; they had nine children.