CSA 8, 2¢ brown red on back flaps of cover franked with CSA 11, 10¢ blue tied by OKOLONA MISS. JUN 23 circular datestamp and addressed to Lieut. Thomas F. Hooper, 29th Reg. Ga. Vol. Stevens Brigade, Walker Division, Marietta Geo.; Charge box note at top, the CSA 8 block of five has one stamp mostly removed when the cover was roughly opened as well as small faults; it is tied by one of many strikes of a grid cancel to the back of the cover attributed to Chapel Hill; the block was used as FORWARDING POSTAGE to send the cover back to Okolona, Mississippi, (not spelled Okalona) because it could not be delivered due to Hooper's humiliating capture by the Confederates, Fine appearing and incredible cover, ex-Knapp (according to accompanying 1941 letter from August Dietz to Raymond H. Weill); Dietz notes that he is reasonably sure the pencil note "Chapel Hill N.C. Grid" is Knapp's handwriting but is not sure the grids are from Chapel Hill, signed Dietz on front and above block, and RH (Richard Hall) on back, with 1981 PF certificate. Extraordinary forwarded cover. $3,250.

Lieut. Thomas F. Hooper was captured on June 19, 1864 at Marietta, GA. Details of Hooper's capture were documented when a letter addressed to him reached the Berry Infantry days after he became a prisoner of war. The letter, imaged online, is similar to this cover -- addressed in the same hand as this cover to Lieut. Thomas F. Hooper, 29th Reg Ga Vol, Stevens Brigade, Walkers Division, Dalton, Georgia, was initially marked to be forwarded to the Army of Tennessee Hospital in Griffin, Georgia. But when it was discovered that the addressee had been captured, it was forwarded a second time back to Okolona, Miss., with ‘for'd 10' added on the envelope for the forwarding fee. Lt. Thomas J. Perry added a lengthy notation on the back of the envelope with the details of the capture, "Marietta, Ga June 22, 1864. The Lt was captured on the 19th inst out on skirmish. He mistook the enemy for our folks and walked right up to them and did not discover the mistake until it was too late. As soon as they saw him, they motioned him to come to them and professed to be our men…The Lt was well when captured. Thos J. Perry." Hooper was taken to Johnson Island prison camp. https://raycityhistory.wordpress.com/2020/09/07/captain-edwin-b-carroll-and-the-atlanta-campaign/