W. H. Calvert to Beriah Magoffin

Accession Number

KYR-0001-020-0438

Document Genre

Correspondence

Repository

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Collection

Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862

Item Location

MG18-181 to MG18-182

Place of Creation

Princeton, Caldwell County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

14 January 1861

Dates Mentioned

1860-07

1859-10

1859-11

1861-01-14

1860-11

1861-01-01

<< [...]
one in July 1860 the other Oct or Nov. 1859. >

Princeton Jan 14^th1861
To his Excellency Bariah M^cgoffin
Govornor of the commonwealth of Kentucky
Dear sir

When I last saw you which was in the month of July last, you informed me that if I should become embarrased in reguard to the payment of those fines and forfeitures in favor of the Commonwealth and against James and John Williams to inform you of the fact, and that you would assist me by prolonging the time of payment of the same. I have paid in all to the attorneys for the common wealth their 30 percent on fines and forfeitures $2084.⁰⁰ I have paid to the clerk $247.53. The first Judgments which you respited for me amounts to about $1500.00 upwards and the time of the respite is out and has been from Nov last, The second Judgements you respited for me in July last for one year was for $4500 00, I am doing all that is in my power to make collections to meet said claims of the commonwealth. I have Judgements sufficient to meet the debts sufficent to meet the debts upon which the respite has run out, and upon some of them a second Execution has been issued upon a replevin Bonds and in the hands of the sheriff, But the truth is there is no money in the country and where and when I am to get the money to meet those debts I know not; I am using all the means known to
the law to collect money for the payment of said debts, since I saw you I have had a division of the slaves of the Estate of Jesse Williams and petitioned for a division of the lands and fore a sale of the lands and slaves of James & John Williams for the payment of their debts to the commonwealth and will obtain a judgment therefor as quick as practicable, As yet none of the securities on said forfeited recognisances has paid one cent, I have paid out all that have been paid to the officers of the court out of the effects of the Estate of Jesse Williams in my hands, as his Admr, and permit ^me^ here to acknowledge my the abligations I am under to you for the indulgence you have extended to me, for had it not been for the time you have given me on said debts the lands and Slaves of said Estate would have been brought under the hammer and would not have sold for half their real value these hard Times, I have already greatly Exhausted the effects of the Estate of said Jesse Williams which have come to my hands, I have paid out $75⁰⁰, much the greater part of which has ~~been~~ been paid to the Lawyers sheriffs clerks and attornys for the Commonwealth, I now have Judgements and evidences of debts of said Estate for about the sum of $2500.00 which I think in time I will be able to Collect But at the present stringency forbids the hope of collecting them soon, I therefore beg your Excellency to give me further indulgence on the debts first respited by you until times grow better and
money can be come at or until I can get a judgement to sell the land and slaves of James & John Williams for the payment of their debts. There was a division of the slaves of the Estate of Jesse Williams among his children on the 1^st of January 1861 and five slaves were alloted to James & John Williams which are in my possession except a man who is in Jail under an indictment for Murder, worth $900.00 a Boy aged 16 worth $900.00 a woman aged 40 years worth $700.00 A Boy aged 10 years worth $700.00 a girl aged 14 years worth $700.00 There will be about 160 acres of land coming from said Estate to James & John which will be worth $8.00 an acre all of which will be sold for their debts to the commonwealth & others — the above is all the property that will be coming to James and John from their Fathers Estate, and I have already as above stated paid out for them nearly five thousand dollars, and am still indebted for them to the Commonwealth nearly four thousand dollars as the representative of their father who was their surety —, I thought when I last saw your Excellency from what you then said, that perhaps you would remit a portion of said fines. If you could do so, consistant with your feelings and the position you occupy I feel that it would be an act of clemency for which the family, Friends and community would receve with thanks and gratitude and I do hope from a survey of the whole matter that you will see fit to remit a part of said forfeitures
The securities to said forfeted recognisances and the creditors of James & John Williams have attached all the property of James & John in my hands, ~~its~~ in its unsettled and undivided condtion and they have got me so badly tied up that it is with great difficulty that I can proceed to settlement of said Estate I feel anxious to wind up the whole thing as speedily as possible consistent with Justice and the rights of all the parties interested I have in this given you a fair and unvornished statement of the whole matter and appreciate the condition of things as they exist I Know if the whole Estate is taken to pay those fine, it is nothing out of my Pocket if I do my duty, But it is not my nature when a trust is committed to my charge to disregard the interests of those who Know not their rights, and look to me for protection I think I know you to be a man of feeling and sympathy and will do all you can consistant with your position in favor of those infants who have been guilty of no wrong. For the truth is it will take more than Three Thousand dollars of the money of said ^Estate^ belonging of right to other Heirs of Jesse Williams to pay the debts of James & John for which their Father stood the surety of James & John, after a sale of their whole interest in their fathers Estate to say nothing of the money they took away with them the amount of which is set forth in the petitions on file in the office of the secretary of state Please if you can remit a portion of said fines and give me the indulgence herein asked and I will in the meen time do all in my power to discharge the indebtedness

very respectfully your obedient
W. H. Calvert

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