JAMES A. SEDDON

JAMES A. SEDDON
(1815-1880) U.S. congressman from Virginia who served as Confederate Secretary of War until just before the end of the Civil War. Excellent content manuscript L.S. as Secretary of War on Confederate War Department letterhead, 1p. 4to., Richmond, Jan. 2, 1863, addressed to the mother of an injured Confederate soldier, W. R. Falconer, denying her request for his discharge. In part: '...The Exemption Act did not apply to discharge persons from the army for the purpose indicated, it only exonerated from conscription...the Department, having no power to go beyond the law, is constrained to decline granting the discharge...' The letter was sent to the care of 'W.R. Falconer', adding his location as a hospital in Richmond. Uneven left edge and some insect holes, light foxing throughout, still good to very good. Mounted above the original 'War Department' transmittal envelope and framed.