Sarahann Tomlinson to Beriah Magoffin

Accession Number

KYR-0001-020-1559

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

MG22-179 to MG22-180

Date of Creation

10 January 1860

Dates Mentioned

1860-01-10

To his excellency Beriah Magoffin
Governor of the commonwealth of Kentucky

I would respectfully say to your excellency that, last summer I entertained great hopes that your excellency would act on the petition, for, the release of my unfortunate husband from his present painful confinement, in the state prison, I was told that Governor Morehead would do nothing for him and to wait until M^r Mcgoffin was elected a petition was presented, and I received a note from him stating, that he regretted it came too late for his action, and that, he would file it for his sucessor my hopes was strengthened by the affidavit of my sister who was intimidated from testifying in court in his behalf, and the affidavits of other persons would have been material witnesses for him my uncle Mr Hockingsmith had knowledge of facts, which would have been sufficient to have cleared him but friend as he pretended to be was intimidated from going to court

That unfortunate event fell with a too fold weight upon me, while it deprived a Brother of life, it deprived my husband of his liberty, and myself and two little children of his society, his protection and support all to say the least a great act of my Brothers folly for I know my husband was a past friend to Tom although warned by others that he was an enemy he would not believe it, and never did believe it until he made the fatal attack

After my poor Brothers death, persons and those too, who had never shewn him any friendship, in order to injure Charles began to extol C Tom as one of the most worthy and estimable men in the County and some of ^his^ eulagists the worst enemies he had It is no benefit to him to praise him, nor injury, to censure him now, for he is beyond the reach of harm But there is one fact that is known to all our family the Tom was overbearing and revengeful and that his Brothers was all afraid of him They know the were afraid to let him know a certain thing they had done themselves lest it would expose them to his threatened vengeance They also know he would do private injuries to persons through revenge they know that when our Brother in law and sister moved to the state of Missouri that poor Tom in order to revenge himself for a supposed wrong, with his knife cut their beds and bed clothes and their clothing full of holes This is a fact known to all the family, and they dare not deny for I have conversed with my Mother about it and other things since my Brothers death But never would have named it had it not been for the unjust causes they have pursued toward my husband for they know well while low charcters, are telling lies in favor of my Brother They are propagating falsehoods to the prejudice and injury of my husband

They affect to fear that if your excellency Should pardon him that he would deprive them all of their precious lives I could not possibly see any reason for any such fears, unless it be the result of cowardice, or the fact that they know they have treated him so badly that they ought to be killed But I do not think he ought to be held responsible, for their mordtal fears, or sense of their own injustice and guilt for some of them in swearing in court against him, mad themselves the vilest of felons so delicate the nerves that one of my Brothers fainted while making a statement But not until after he had convicted himself If any characters on earth deserve the penitentiary it is those who would swear to lies to deprive others of life or liberty But their oaths done no harm to any but themselves

One cause of the excitement against him my Brother Wm went immediately to the Stampinground and told Tom was shot down in cold blood and that account of it went abroad and was exaggerated Thousands of lies were told by the tallers, that abound round here and believed by some and two or three enemies Mr Yates one of them a welthy ignorant overbearing political partesan, and a great enemy to Sanford Tomlinson exerted his mighty
to its utmost capacity and prevailed on the people to do all they could against him It is generally believed that he is the cause of bully Baker acting with Sanford Tomlinson in the manner he did our family is no doubt activated by motives of enfidity, with the exception of them and two or three enemies the feeling is a great deal better, most every lady is anxious for my husbands pardon, but those who signed their remonstrance will not make a move, through the fear of a charge o inconsistency But the rejoicning would be almost general Therefore may ^I^ ask your excellency to remember the forlorn condition of our of the most afflicted and distressed of of woman, in addition to the evidences of my unfortunate husbands innocence and restore him to his family so that he can assest me in raising our two little children I am sure after that act of clemency was performed the tongues of the gossips and tattlers will cease and I am sure your excellency would never have cause to regret the act

Verry Respectfully
Sarahann Tomlinson

Jan 10th 1860

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