James Seddon
James Seddon | |
---|---|
4th Confederate States Secretary of War | |
In office November 21, 1862 – February 5, 1865 | |
President | Jefferson Davis |
Preceded by | George Randolph |
Succeeded by | John Breckinridge |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 6th district | |
In office March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851 | |
Preceded by | John Botts |
Succeeded by | John Caskie |
In office March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1847 | |
Preceded by | John Jones |
Succeeded by | John Botts |
Personal details | |
Born | James Alexander Seddon July 13, 1815 Falmouth, Virginia |
Died | August 19, 1880 Goochland County, Virginia | (aged 65)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Sarah Bruce |
Alma mater | University of Virginia |
James Alexander Seddon (July 13, 1815 – August 19, 1880) was an American lawyer and politician who served two terms as a Representative in the U.S. Congress, as a member of the Democratic Party. He was appointed Confederate States Secretary of War by Jefferson Davis during the American Civil War.
Biography
Due to frail health, Seddon was educated primarily at home and became self-taught as a youth. At the age of twenty-one, he entered the law school of the University of Virginia. After graduation, Seddon settled in Richmond, where he established a successful law practice.
In 1845, he was nominated by the Democratic Party for Congress and was easily elected. Two years later, he was renominated, but declined due to platform differences with the party. In 1849, Seddon was reelected to Congress, serving from December 1849 until March 1851. Owing to poor health, he declined another nomination at the end of his term and retired to "Sabot Hill," his plantation located along the James River above Richmond.
Seddon attended the peace convention held in Washington, D.C., in 1861, which attempted to devise a means of preventing the impending civil war. Later in the same year, he attended the Provisional Confederate Congress. President Davis named him as his fourth Secretary of War, succeeding George W. Randolph. He held this post until January 1, 1865, when he retired from public life to his plantation and was succeeded by John C. Breckinridge. His service of more than twenty-four months as Secretary made him the most durable of the five Confederate Secretaries of War.
Electoral history
- 1845; Seddon was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives with 52.28% of the vote, defeating Whig John Minor Botts.
- 1849; Seddon was re-elected with 53.64% of the vote, defeating Whig challenger Botts.
External links
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- United States Congress. "James Seddon (id: S000220)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- "James Seddon". Find a Grave. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
- James Seddon biography at Spartacus Educational
- James Seddon biography at the Confederate States War Department
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- 1815 births
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- Executive members of the Cabinet of the Confederate States of America
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- People of Virginia in the American Civil War
- University of Virginia School of Law alumni
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- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia
- 19th-century American politicians
- People from Falmouth, Cornwall
- 19th-century American lawyers