Seddon, James Alexander (1815-1880), served as the Confederacy’s secretary of war during most of the American Civil War (1861-1865). He was appointed to the post in November 1862 by Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Before Seddon, four other men had served briefly in the position. Seddon held the post so long because he could work with and support Davis more than any of the four earlier secretaries could. Seddon resigned in February 1865, shortly before the war ended.
Seddon was born on July 13, 1815, in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1845 to 1847 and from 1849 to 1851. He served in the Confederate Congress from 1861 to 1862. He died on Aug. 19, 1880.
