Secretary of State Seward recounts to the United States Minister to Colombia, Allan A. Burton, the details of an incident in Panama regarding the burial of the United States Consul Alexander McKee. Embarkation of U.S. naval troops for the funeral without prior permission by the president of the state of Panama raised questions of the rights of the U.S. in the region. On review of the facts, Seward concluded that no explanation or guarantees regarding future conduct was warranted by the U.S. government.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1866-04-30

Creator(s)

Seward, William Henry, 1801-1872

Recipient

Burton, Allan A., 1820-1878

Language

English

Period

Youth (October 27, 1858-1881)

Repository

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Page Count

18

Production Method

Typed

Record Type

Multi-image

Resource Type

Letter

Rights

These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.

Citation

Cite this Record

Chicago:

Letter from William Henry Seward to Allan A. Burton. [April 30, 1866]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o25511. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.

MLA:

Seward, William Henry, 1801-1872. Letter from William Henry Seward to Allan A. Burton. [30 Apr. 1866]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 29, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o25511.

APA:

Seward, William Henry, 1801-1872., [1866, April 30]. Letter from William Henry Seward to Allan A. Burton.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o25511.

Cite this Collection

Chicago:

Library of Congress Manuscript Division. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.

MLA:

Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 29, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.

APA:

Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.