Stagecoach Mailbag

Lore & Background

The security of this bag is paramount; a stolen mailbag represents more than lost letters—it signifies a severed connection to civilization and a potential loss of fortune. The contents are often scrutinized by those with influence, leading to clandestine deals and betrayals before the bags even reach their intended recipients. It symbolizes the fragile tether between the wild frontier and the encroaching order of the United States government.

In Their Own Story

The dust of the trail still clung to the leather as the driver tossed the heavy sack onto the wooden counter at the post office. The room fell silent, a hush that only the sound of cracking leather could break. Bullock watched with narrowed eyes as the clerk sliced the rope, his hand hovering near his revolver. Inside lay not just paper, but the fate of the camp: a letter from the Governor, a telegram from Boston, and perhaps, a warning that would change everything before sunset.

Reader's Guide

The Stagecoach Mailbag functions as the primary conduit for all external communication entering Deadwood. It is secured with heavy ropes or iron locks to prevent theft during transit over rough terrain. In-world, it operates on a strict schedule determined by the stagecoach lines. Once arrived, the bag is immediately taken into custody by the local postmaster or law enforcement for inspection and sorting, ensuring no contraband enters the camp. While technically wielded by the stagecoach drivers who transport it, its true masters are the recipients of its contents. Powerful figures like Hearst or Bullock often exert influence to ensure specific items within the bag reach them first, turning a simple delivery into a strategic maneuver.

Did You Know?

• The Overland Mail Company carried passengers and U.S. Mail from two eastern termini, Memphis, Tennessee, and St. Louis, Missouri, to San Francisco, California.
• The route from each eastern terminus met at Fort Smith, Arkansas, and then continued through Indian Territory (Oklahoma), Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Mexico, and California ending in San Francisco.
• On March 3, 1857, Congress authorized the U.S. postmaster general, at that time Aaron V. Brown, to contract for delivery of the U.S. mail from St. Louis to San Francisco.
• Mail Contract No. 12,578 for $600,000 per annum for a semi-weekly service was assigned to John Butterfield of Utica, New York, who was president for the contract that was named the Overland Mail Company.
• The route, known as the Oxbow Route because of its long curving route through the Southwest, was 600 miles (970 km) longer than the Central Overland Trail, but had the advantage of being snow free.