John H. Reagan to James A. Seddon, January 28, 1864

Hon. JAMES A. SEDDON, Secretary of War:

On the 19th of October last I addressed you a letter, inclosing a copy of a circular from Lieut. Col. G. W. Lay, acting chief of the Bureau of Conscription, in which I objected to the order as unlawful, and in support of my objection I inclosed you a copy of the opinion of Judge Halyburton, of the Confederate district court, in the case ex parte Lane. ‘To this letter you made no answer.

On the 17th of November last I addressed you another letter, inclosing a copy of a letter from the Hon. Waller R. Staples to this Department, and a copy of a letter from sundry other persons to him, presenting a case of gross violation of the law and contempt of the decision of a court of the State of Virginia in two cases in which persons were arrested and put into the military service, after having been released from such service on writs of habeas corpus, and calling your attention to the fact that I had received no answer to my letter above referred to of the 19th of October. To this letter I have received no answer.

And on the 7th of January instant I wrote to you again, inclosing a copy of a letter from the postmaster at Ivor, Va., complaining of the rude and unlawful conduct of a Captain Green in unceremoniously turning him out of the post-office and using it as a dancingsaloon and as a store-house for forage, and calling your attention to the fact that you had not answered my letters of the 19th of October and 17th of November, and asking an answer tothat. I have received no answer to this.

The necessities of the public service require frequent correspondence between the Post-Office and War Departments. As your course in these cases precludes any further communication between us, without a surrender of self-respect and the rights of this Department by me, I have no course left but to submit the matter to the President.

Your obedient servant,