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Rh in the latter year was chosen again for another full term. He was chairman of the committee on In- dian affairs, and a nu'inl.ier of the committee on territories. Mr. Sebastian was expelled for disloy- alty on 11 July, 1801. but it was afterward claimed that he was loyal, and the senate revoked the reso- lution of expulsion and paid his full salary to his children. He remained quietly at Helena until the National troops occupied that place, and in 1804 removed to Memphis, Tenn.

SECCOMB, Joseph, clergyman, b. in Medford, Mass., in 1700 ; d. in 1700. He was descended from Richard Seccomb, who, coming from England, settled in Lynn, Mass., in 1000. He was gradu- ated at Harvard in 1731, and became minister of Kingston. N. H., in 1737. He published " Plain and Brief Rehearsal of the Operations of Christ as God " (Boston, 1740) ; " Business and Diversion In- offensive to God," a discourse (1743) ; and " The Ways of Pleasure and the Paths of Peace," a dis- course. His brother, John, clergyman, b. in Med- ford, Mass., 25 April, 1708; d. in Chester, Nova Scotia, in January, 1793, was graduated at Har- vard in 1728, and was minister of the Congrega- tional church at Harvard, Mass., from 10 Oct., 1733, till September, 1757. In 1763 he became minister of a dissenting congregation in Chester, Nova Scotia, where he remained till his death. He gained great notoriety as a humorous poet by " Father Abbey's Will," which was published in both the " Gentleman's " and " European " maga- zines in May, 1732. It was reprinted in the " Mas- sachusetts Magazine " in November, 1794, and in 1854 by John Langdon Sibley, with historical and biographical notes. The subject of the poem, Mat- thew Abdy, held a menial position in connection with Harvard college. He also published an ordi- nation sermon (Halifax, 1770), and a "Sermon on the Death of Abigail Belcher, with an Epistle by Mather Bayles, D. D." (Boston, 1772).

SEDUON, James Alexander, lawyer, b. in Pal- mouth, Stafford co., Va.. 13 July, 1815 ; d. in Gooch- land county, Va., 19 Aug., 1880. Thomas Seddon, his father, who was first a merchant and then a banker, was descend- ed from John Seddon, of Lancashire, Eng- land, who settled in Stafford county, Va., in colonial days. Su- san Alexander, his mother, was a lineal descendant of the Earl of Sterling. Through- out his life Mr. Sed- don was of a frail con- stitution, and, owing to his delicate health, his early education was much neglected. The knowledge of the ancient classics and literature, for which he was noted in after-life, was mainly self-acquired. At the age of twenty-one he entered the law-school of the Uni- versity of Virginia, where he was graduated with the degree of B. L. He settled in Richmond in the practice of the law, and almost immediate- ly advanced to the front rank of the bar. In 1845 lie was nominated by the Democratic party for congress, and, though the district was a doubt- ful one, he was elected by a handsome majority. In 1847 he was renominated, but, not being in ac- cord with the resolutions of the nominating con- vention, he declined, and the Whig candidate was rlivied. hi 1S4!) he was re-elected, serving from
 * > !(<>., 1S49, till 3 March, 1851. Owing to his

health, he declined another nomination at the end of his term, and retired to Sabot Hill, his estate on James river above Richmond. While in con- gress he took part in most of the important debates of the period, and was recognized as a leader of his party. In 1846 he participated actively in the de- bates upon the reform revenue bill, advocating the principles of free-trade. In 1860 the excitement of impending war brought him again into politics. On 19 Jan., 1801, he was appointed by the legis- lature of Virginia a commissioner with John Tyler and others to the Peace convention, which met at. the call of Virginia in Washington on 4 Feb. He represented Virginia in the committee upon resolutions, and, in accordance with the instruc- tions of his state, made a minority report recom- mending that the constitution should be amended according to the resolutions that had been intro- duced in the senate by John J. Crittenden and by a further article expressly recognizing the right of any state peaceably to withdraw from the Union. He became a member of the first Confederate con- gress, and in November, 1802, having been chosen by Jefferson Davis as secretary of war, became a member of his cabinet. He devoted himself to the duties of his office until 1 Jan., 1865, when he re- tired finally from public life to his country estate.

SEDENO, Antonio (say-dayn'-yo), Spanish sol- dier, b. in Spain about the end of the loth cen- tury; d. in Cubagua, Venezuela, in March, 1538. He went to Santo Domingo with Diego Columbus in June, 1509, where he served till 1512, when lie was appointed by King Ferdinand first treasurer of Porto Rico. In 1515 he became alderman of Saint John. Several years afterward, being ac- cused of peculation in the treasury, he was impris- oned, but escaped to Santo Domingo, where he served until 1528. On his return, an expedition to the Windward islands, especially Trinidad, the headquarters of the Carib Indians, who devastated Porto Rico repeatedly, was suggested by the gov- ernor, and Sedefio sailed to Spain, where he ob- tained a royal permit for the conquest of the island of Trinidad. He returned to Porto Rico, where he recruited 150 men, and sailed early in 1530, landing on the southwest coast of the island in the territory of Cacique C'hacomar, by whom he was received in a friendly manner. Soon the abuses of his followers caused a general revolt, but, aided by Chacomar, Sedeno defeated the natives in many encounters, and built a fortress, which he called Paria. Leaving a garrison, he returned in 1531 to Porto Rico, carrying many Carib prisoners ; but on his arrival he was forced to release them. Although meanwhile Geronimo Ortal had been appointed adelantado of Trinidad and taken possession of Fort Paria, and Sedefio's claim had been declared void by the audiencia of Santo Domingo, the lat- ter gathered some troops in Porto Rico, to whom he promised the fabulous wealth of the river Meta, which was included in his original grant. He landed in Trinidad during Ortal's absence, cap- tured Fort Paria by surprise, and, entering by the river Pedernales, invaded the mainland, where he had serious disputes with Ortal about the bound- aries of his province. He was finally poisoned by his native cook in the island of Cubagua.

SEDGWICK, John, soldier, b. in Cornwall, Conn., 13 Sept., 1813; d. near Spottsylvania Court-House, Va., 9 May, 1864. He was graduated at. the U. S. military academy in 1837, 24th in a class of fifty members, among whom were Gen. Joseph Hooker,