GIDEON WELLES and EDGAR T. WELLES. Partly Printed DS: "G. Welles" as Secretary of the Navy, 1p, 7¾x9¾. City of Washington, 1868 December 16. On sheet headed U.S. Navy Department. Certification of a letter sent by Commodore James Alden. In part: "I hereby certify that the annexed is a true copy of an official letter from Commodore James Alden, U.S. Navy, to the Department, dated 2d November 1868, the original of which is on file in the Navy Department. Be it known, That Edgar T. Welles, whose name is signed to the above certificate, is now, and was at the time of so signing, Chief Clerk in the Navy Department, and that full faith and credit are due to his official attestations as such...." Also signed: "Edgar T. Welles" as Chief Clerk. GIDEON WELLES (1802-1878) served as Secretary of the Navy during the entire Lincoln and Johnson administrations (1861-1869). EDGAR T. WELLES was Welles' oldest son. Edgar excerpted and edited his father's Civil War diaries, publishing them in three volumes in 1911. Blue paper seal, 3-inches in diameter, affixed at lower left portion over faded lavender ribbon that once bound the two documents together (the letter mentioned in this document is not present). Lightly creased with folds, not at signatures. ½-inch separation at blank right margin and horizontal fold, ¾-inch hole at blank left margin where ribbon is affixed. Light transference of ink at blank area. Mounting stains and tape remnants at blank margins and corners, shaded at right blank edge. Overall, fine condition.