Letter
William H. Seward to Charles Francis Adams, January 9, 1860
Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams No. 1223.] Department of State, Washington, January 9, 1860. Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 22d of December, No.…
Author
Letters from William H. Seward
B. 1801 · D. 1872
William Henry Seward was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869 and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States senator. A determined opponent of the spread of slavery in the years leading up to the American Civil War, he was prominent in the Republican Party in its formative years and was praised for his work on behalf of the Union as Secretary of State during the Civil War. He also negotiated the treaty for the United States to purchase the Alaska Territory.
Source: Wikipedia
2,324 letters
Letter
William H. Seward to William Preston, March 9, 1861
Mr. Seward (Secretary of State) to all the ministers of the United States. Department of State,Washington, March 9, 1861. CIRCULAR. Sir: My predecessor, in his despatch, number 10, addressed to…
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William H. Seward to Norman B. Judd, March 22, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Judd. No. 1.] Department of State,Washington, March 22, 1861. Sir: Contrary to what usually happens in giving instructions to a minister going abroad, I am directed…
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William H. Seward to Henry S. Sanford, March 26, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Sanford. No. 2.] Department of State,Washington, March 26, 1861. Sir: Having spent the winter in Washington, you need not be informed of the attempts of a…
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William H. Seward to Thomas Corwin, April 6, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Corwin. No. 2.] Department of State,Washington, April 6, 1861. Sir: The actual condition of affairs in Mexico is so imperfectly understood here that the President finds…
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William H. Seward to Charles Francis Adams, April 10, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams. No. 2.] Department of State,Washington, April 10, 1861. Sir: Although Great Britain and the United States possess adjacent dominions of large extent, and although they…
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William H. Seward to Anson Burlingame, April 13, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Burlingame. No. 2.] Department of State,Washington, April 13, 1861. Sir: It seems to me that our mission to Austria has not been made as useful hitherto…
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William H. Seward to William L. Dayton, April 22, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Dayton. No. 3.] Department of State,Washington, April 22, 1861. Sir: You enter a very important foreign mission at a moment when our domestic affairs have reached…
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William H. Seward to Charles Francis Adams, April 24, 1861
Mr. Seward to ministers of the United States in Great Britain, France, Russia, Prussia, Austria, Belgium, Italy, and Denmark. Department of State,Washington, April 24, 1861. CIRCULAR. Sir: The advocates of…
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William H. Seward to Charles Francis Adams, April 27, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams. No. 4.] Department of State,Washington, April 27, 1861. Sir: A despatch has just been received from Mr. Dallas, dated the 9th of April instant, the…
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William H. Seward to Carl Schurz, April 27, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Schurz. No. 2.] Department of State,Washington, April 27, 1861. Sir: You receive the President’s instructions for the discharge of your very important mission at a moment…
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William H. Seward to Rufus King, April 29, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. King. No. 2.] Department of State,Washington, April 29, 1861. Sir: I am to instruct you what to do, and of course what not to do, as…
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William H. Seward to John P. Stockton, April 30, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Stockton. No. 13.] Department of State,Washington, April 30, 1861. Sir: An instruction, numbered 2, and dated the 29th instant, has been addressed to your successor, Mr.…
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William H. Seward to Bradford R. Wood, May 1, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Wood. No. 2.] Department of State,Washington, May 1, 1861. Sir: The one subject in all our foreign relations which most anxiously engages the President’s attention is…
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William H. Seward to William L. Dayton, May 4, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Dayton. No. 7.] Department of State,Washington, May 4, 1861. Sir: The despatches of your predecessor, Nos. 117, 119, and 120, have been received; the latter acknowledging…
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William H. Seward to Henry S. Sanford, May 6, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Sanford. No. 4.] Department of State,Washington, May 6, 1861. Sir: Herewith I transmit a copy of a despatch of the 24th ultimo, which has been addressed…
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William H. Seward to Cassius M. Clay, May 6, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Clay. No. 3.] Department of State,Washington, May 6, 1861. Sir: Nations, like individuals, have three prominent wants; first, freedom; secondly, prosperity; thirdly, friends. The United States…
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William H. Seward to Bradford R. Wood, May 6, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Wood. No. 3.] Department of State,Washington, May 6, 1861. Sir: Herewith I transmit a copy of a despatch of the 24th ultimo, which has been addressed…
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William H. Seward to George P. Marsh, May 9, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Marsh. No. 3.] Department of State,Washington, May 9, 1861. Sir: I know that you will be welcome at Turin. Count Cavour, a true exponent of the…
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William H. Seward to George G. Fogg, May 15, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Fogg. No. 2.] Department of State,Washington, May 15, 1861. Sir: I have delayed giving you the President’s instructions so long because I was preoccupied. For the…
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William H. Seward to James S. Pike, May 16, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Pike. No. 4.] Department of State,Washington, May 16, 1861. Sir: The government is preoccupied with the civil war which has been inaugurated with the reckless purpose…
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William H. Seward to Charles F. Adams, May 18, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams. No. 950.] Department of State, Washington, May 18, 1861. Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 27th of…
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William H. Seward to Charles Francis Adams, May 21, 1861
Mr. Seward to Mr. Adams. No. 10.] Department of State,Washington, May 21, 1861. Sir: This government considers that our relations in Europe have reached a crisis, in which it is…
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William H. Seward to Cassius M. Clay, May 21, 1861
Mr. Seward to C. M. Clay. No. 4.] Department of State,Washington, May 21, 1861. Sir: We have received Mr. Appleton’s despatch of the 8th of April, (No. 16.) The manner…