Autograph letter signed by William H. Seward, one page, 4.75" x 6.25", dated January 30, 1858, from Auburn, New York. Addressed to J. Apoleon Cheney, Esq., Seward writes: “Your kind letter was received not at Washington but at this place on my return from that city. I can assure you having your letter Mr. Professor Henry to that gentleman may solicit his attention to it.” He closes politely, signing “Will. H. Seward.” Light toning and expected folds, otherwise well preserved
William H. Seward (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) 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 a prominent figure 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. In 1867, he oversaw the acquisition of Alaska from Russia—initially derided as “Seward’s Folly,” but now recognized as a masterstroke of American expansion.
With One of a Kind Collectibles LOA