I came across this letter in the mid 1980s. The cover itself is of low quality: it bears a 1/2 Real 1855 on white paper, and has considerable tropical toning. The contents of the letter, however, as shown below, are very interesting. Here are quick links to the article dedicated to the lowest denomination of the 1855 printing, the 1/2 Real, a brief introduction to the series, which is now an issue section, the three sections of this article: Covers with the 1855 and 1856 Baeza postmarks, Covers with smaller postmarks of varying design, Covers from the 1860s with the small, and final postmarks, and a family letter from 1856 with a poignant and interesting tale.

In English, as best I could translate it:

In Spanish, as written (notice the faulty spelling common at the time):

Don Manuel Vicente de Urriola Veitia, Sir

Matanzas

Trinidad November 7, 1856.

My dear and appreciated friend: I am looking at your letter dated November 6, and after I acquainted myself of its content I have to tell you; that I left immediately in the afternoon of the other day with the objective of obtaining news about what you want to know, and I went to the store that until recently was owned by Ulpiano to speak with its current owner; he confided that Ulpiano left from this city to the village of Cienfuegos [trans. note: Port in the central Southern coast of Cuba] in July, and there boarded a ship to San Sebastian [trans. note: Spanish port]; and during which voyage it is said that two of the three children traveling with him died. [trans. note: this is a reminder to us of how perilous oceanic travel was in the 1850s] The current owner emphasized that poor Miguel did not leave behind a testament, and when he feared his death was near, called on Ulpiano to tell him that when this moment arrived, Ulpiano was to gather everything that was Miguel's property and to leave with it for Spain. This is what Ulpiano did. The current owner is not certain how much money Ulpiano left with, and estimates the amount at 12,000 pesos [trans. note: a very large amount of money, equivalent to $12,000 US 1856 dollars], and, in addition, there is the rumor that there was a spirit of "better fishing in muddy waters," and that upon Miguel's death because he was so good and trusting it is said that he had some money lent without documents and of course this money could not be claimed; and this is all I could find out. I celebrate that you are better about your health troubles and I hope you make progress in recovering of your gout: please receive good wishes from my wife and girls; you have me as your dear friend

Andres de Uria

Señor Don Manuel Vicente de Urriola Veitia
Matanzas

Trinidad Noviembre 7 de 1856.

Mi estimado y apreciable amigo: Tengo a la vista tu favorecida fechada 6 del que cursa y enterado de su contenido debo decirte; que immediatamente sali por la tarde del otro dia con el objetivo de tomar una noticia de lo que deseas saber, y me dirigi a la tienda que ultimamente tubo Ulpiano para hablar
con el que es su dueño hoy; de modo que habiendole interrogado en atencion a Ulpiano; me manifesto que este habia salido de esta ciudad para la villa de cinfuegos por el mes de julio, y que alli se embarco para San Sebastian; en cuyo transito se corre que murieron dos niños de los tres que llebava. En atencion a que si el desgraciado Miguel hizo una otra disposicion, te digo que ninguna, pues solamente cuando temio morirse; llamo a Ulpiano a decirle, que llegado que fuere, ese momento terrible, recogiera todo lo que conocia ser de su propiedad y marcharse para España; de manera que asi lo hizo Ulpiano. Por lo que hace ha cuanto llevo no puede decir con certeza; por que unos dicen que como 12,000 pesos, ademas que segun voz del pueblo, hubo aquello de rio rebuelto, ganancia de pescadores en el fallecimiento de Miguel por que el fue tan bueno y confiado que segun se dice tenia algun dinero dado sin documentos y esto por supuesto se perdio; es cuanto puedo enterarme en el particular.
Celebro mucho que estes bueno de tus males y que lo consigas tambien de esda maldita gorra: Recibes finas espreciones de mi esposa y niñas; disponiendo del buen afecto de tu verdadero amigo

Andres de Uria

Here is a small section of the letter for those who can read Spanish.

Here is the entire letter.

Information about the stamps in this issue may be found in the following articles (including the present one):

1: The Color Varieties of the Cuba 1855 1/2 Real: A brief look at the bluish and white paper color varieties.

36 (Postal History Part 1): Some of these stamps were also used in other Spanish Colonies; only the Cuban usages are discussed here, with the exception of one cover used in Puerto Rico. This article is divided into three major sections:
1. Covers with the 1855 and 1856 Baeza postmarks.
2. Covers with smaller postmarks of varying design.
3. Covers from the 1860s with the small, and final postmarks.
A very interesting characteristic of postal history before the invention of the envelope is that the letter is almost always preserved with the cover. I find no better way to place these stamps in their times than to include a family letter from 1856 with a poignant and interesting tale.

46 (Postal History Part 2): In yet another installment of the postal history of this issue, I show the basic cancellers, and focus on some covers from the ramirez y oro correspondence, including a postal forgery on cover, bayamo Baeza postmarks, and cauto region modified Baeza postmarks.

51 (Cuba "I Griega" or the first Havana local issue): Quick links here are for a page showing side-by-side the three carmine red specimens and the single orange specimen I have that I consider genuine. Each of the specimens also has its own page that enables to show the overprint under higher magnification: carmine red specimen 1, pictured below, bears a Habana circular postmark, and there are also carmine red specimen 2, and carmine red specimen 3, as well as a dedicated page for the orange specimen pictured here. I also include a filtered image of the overprint, and a page dedicated to forgeries, one dangerous, and one crude.

64 (The 2 Reales Values): Here are quick links to this article: the main page / 1855 First Printing: bluish paper, watermark loops / 1855 First Printing Blocks ( 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 ) / 1855 First Printing with forged postmark / 1855 Second Printing: white paper, watermark loops / 1855 Second Printing blocks ( 1 / 2 ) / 1855 Second Printing paper and watermark / 1856, watermark crossed lines / 1857 First Printing Orange, clean plate / 1857 Second Printing Rust Red, worn plate / 1857 Third Printing Rust Red, bleached plate / 1857 Third Plinting block of eight

136: Cuba 1855-1863 Half Real I have previously shown the color varieties of the 1855 half real. I expand here by adding some larger images for the 1855 printings, and many more from the later printings, including many plate varieties. Quick links: main page / 1855 Blue Paper / 1855 White Paper / 1856 / 1857-61 Dirty Plate / Postal Forgeries / Plate Varieties main page : CORRFOS / CORRFOS detailed image / Early line breaks / Late line breaks / Plate Wear / 1862 Cleaned Plate

193: Cuba First Issue 1 Real Value This is the last article in this round of Cuba First Issue articles. Quick links: 1855 on blue paper / 1855 on white paper / 1856 dirty printing (lemon) / 1856 clean printing (emerald) / 1857 early and worn impression / 1862 cleaned plates / blocks with pen cancel / postal forgery