William H. Seward, Jr.

This article is about the Civil War Brigadier General. For his father who served as Secretary of State, see William H. Seward, Sr..

William Henry Seward, Jr. (June 18, 1839 – April 29, 1920) was born in Auburn, New York, the son of United States Secretary of State William Henry Seward, Sr. and Frances Adeline Seward; and younger brother of United States Assistant Secretary of State Frederick William Seward.

Educated at home, Seward became interested in finance and later started a partnership with Clinton McDougall and opened a private bank in Auburn, New York in 1861. He left banking in 1862 to command New York's 9th Heavy Artillery in the U.S. Civil War, which joined the Army of the Potomac in 1864 and was present at Appomattox Court House. After being wounded in battle,[1] he eventually rose to the brevet rank of Brigadier General. He was thereafter known within his family as "The General".

After the war, Seward returned to banking and lived with his wife, Janet MacNeil Watson Seward (1839-1913), in the family homestead in Auburn, New York. He had three children: Cornelia Margaret Seward Allen (1862-1921), William Henry Seward III (1864-1951) and Frances Janet Seward Messanger (1880-1957).

He was targeted as a victim of the Lincoln assination conspiracy but was spared.

He died at the age of 80. Today, he is buried in Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn, New York next to his father William H. Seward, Sr..