By Vicky House

Correspondent

AFTON – On June 13, the Afton Post Office held a Pictorial Postmark and it is still ongoing. Since the Civil War Commemoration Project Committee started this event on April 12, each postmark has gained in popularity and numbers. All post offices, that have participated thus far, have reported mail coming in from all over this country and even international requests for the postmarks. This county-wide event will continue through August 2013 with all twenty Chenango County Post Offices participating.

If you haven’t stopped by the Afton Post Office to get your Pictorial Postmark, you still have time to take in or mail in your envelopes or post cards to be stamped. Don’t forget, if you mail in your items to be stamped, you must include a postage paid return envelope.

To make the commemoration even more special, images of soldiers from their hometown are printed on the envelopes and then postmarked. Afton has two soldiers already depicted on the envelopes – Presson Peck and Lyons Wakeman. Presson Peck served with Co. E. of the 114th Reg. N.Y. Volunteers. He was wounded at the Battle of Port Hudson, presumed dead and left on the battlefield. However, Presson did recover and after the war, he was in partnership in the Peck Mills at Middlebridge. Now, Lyons Wakeman was a different story. He was really a woman, Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, who signed up as a male soldier, Private Lyons Wakeman. She enlisted in the 153rd Reg. N.Y.S. Volunteers. She fought in the Red River Campaign in Louisiana and this is where she became ill. Sarah died in a hospital in New Orleans on June 19, 1864 and is buried in Chalmette National Cemetery in New Orleans. A book, “An Uncommon Soldier” by Lauren Cook Burgess not only tells Sarah’s story, but shares the many letters Sarah (as Lyons) wrote home to her family.

The next Pictorial Postmark will be held at Bainbridge on July 18. Storyboards telling about the Post Office During the Civil War will be on display from July 11-25. If you don’t already have envelopes or postcards to get postmarked, envelopes with images of local soldiers, monuments and events will be available to purchase.