Baltimore circle town marking "BALT'E MD" - 1832

Stampless letter with a fine circle town marking reading "BALTE (high E) MD (high D) in red. Content is a short note about a transfer of money ($10,000), possibly from Baltimore to Hagerstown.

A journey such as that was possible entirely by stage in 1834. Travelers used the network of privately owned turnpikes—including the Baltimore-Fredericktown Turnpike—which connected seamlessly into the eastern portion of the historic National Road. This highway was the premier engineering marvel of the era, paved with compacted stone (macadam) to handle heavy traffic. Passengers boarded commercial stagecoaches in Baltimore. These heavy wooden coaches carried about 9 to 12 passengers inside, with luggage strapped to the roof or rear.

Those coaches carried mail as well as passengers.