The following short letter was written by James Alexander Seddon (1815-1880), an 1835 law school graduate of the University of Virginia who set up his practice in Richmond and then served in the 29th and 31st US Congresses. During the Civil War, he was selected as Secretary of War by Jefferson Davis on 20 November 1862 and served until his resignation in January 1865 but not before penning the following letter to Gen. Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard. Beauregard was then in command of the Department of the West—a prestigious title in name only as it was really only an advisory role.

Seddon’s response to Beauregard was prompted by Gen. John B. Hood’s request on 3 January 1865 to Beauregard for a furlough of 100 days for the Trans-Mississippi troops to allow them time to rest and resupply. Beauregard thought the request unthinkable given the present state of affairs following Hood’s defeats at Franklin and Nashville, and he was no doubt pleased to hear that Seddon shared his opinion.

I am not an expert in signatures but I can find no signature by Secy. Seddon from the 1860s that appears as it was hand-written on this document leading me to believe it is likely a period copy of the Secretary’s correspondence written by a clerk.

Transcription

C. S. A. War Department
Richmond, Va.
January 8th 1865

To General Beauregard
Selma,

Repress by all means the proposition to furlough the Trans-Mississippi troops. The suggestion merely is dangerous. Compliance would probably be fatal. Extinguish if possible the idea.

— J. A. Sedden, Secy. of War