John L. Reynolds to James F. Robinson

Accession Number

KYR-0001-029-0116

Document Genre

Correspondence

Repository

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Collection

Office of the Governor, James F. Robinson: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons, Remissions, and Respites, 1862-1863

Item Location

R3-179 to R3-181

Place of Creation

York, York County, Pennsylvania

Date of Creation

15 November 1862

Dates Mentioned

1862-11-15

York Penn. Nov 15^th 1862
Gov Robinson
Dear Sir,

Without any introduction to you, or past acquaintance. I am going to address myself directly to you, and present for your consideration, a matter of humanity, one in which you are just as much interested as I am, only with this difference, you have the power to do ^a^ good deed, and make two persons happy, while I could only rejoice in the blessing you had confered on them. I will try to tell you briefly what it is. Eleven years ago — a citizen of Kentucky named Shotwell I think, living near
Louisville, went with his family on a visit east, taking with them a female servant, who left at home a small babe, while the family were visiting this mulato woman formed the acquaintance of some of the abolitionists of the place, who told her, if she ever wanted to get away from Ky, she must write to them, and they would help her. Accordingly, on her return to Ky, she found that her little child through carelessness, had been neglected and had sickened & died. In her rage and grief she wrote to those sympathizing friends, who went to Mr. Calvin Fairbanks, and laid the matter before him, asking him to assist in getting her away. He foolishly agreed to do so, conscientiously I have no doubt, believing it to be
his duty. He assisted the woman to her liberty, but was caught in Indiana afterwards, by a party from Ky, in the employ of Mr. Shotwell, who conveyed him to Ky, where on trial he was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment, at hard labor, in the State prison at Frankfort. That is the whole story, Governor, I do not say the sentence was not just, nor does Mr Fairbank, he sees how foolishly he acted, and has undergone a perfect and complete change of mind as to his duty towards his fellow-citizens who see fit to hold slaves. He says most emphatically hise will never interfere again between master & slave, and his word can be relied on, for he is one of the most exemplary of christians — being a Methodist minister, and only
troubled like many other eastern men with fanaticism on the negro question. But, Governor, has he not suffered enough for his crime? Don't you think eleven years dreadful confinement among the vicious and degraded criminals of a penitentiary is sufficient? So the Hon. Mr Crittenden thinks, I laid the matter before him last winter through a friend, a member of Congress from Indiana who wrote me after seeing Mr Crittenden, that they both agreed in one thing, "That Fairbanks had suffered enough," and Mr C. promised to use all his influence with Gov. McGoffinMcGoffin, to have Fairbanks released. He however did not think that that was just the time to do it. He (Mr C.) is perfectly acquainted with the whole case.

The only interest I have in this affair, as I said before, is that of humanity. He was to have been married in two weeks when arrested. His loving, faithful christian wife, as she soon would have been, has gone to Oxford Ohio, where she has toiled for these weary years, to be able to send him such comforts as could not be gotten in a prison. She is a noble, pure, christian woman and if you were to make her happy by releasing him she loves, I verily believe you would be the happier, for having made others happy, when it is so eminently in your power to do so. Governor, I leave the matter with you. I feel from what I hear of you that it is
in safe hands, I ask as a friend of Miss Tileston, that you give the matter a little attention. I only know Mr Fairbank by character. I am no Abolitionist, but am an Indianian. My relatives are side by side with yours in the war for the union, and if I were not disabled by ill health, I would be with them. May God bless you and help you discharge the high duties of your position. If you should discharge Mr F, a note to J. H. Shuey, or Miss M, Tileston at Oxford Ohio, will bring money or any-thing Mr F. may need.

Very respectfully yours
John L. Reynolds

P. S. The M. C. above refered to is Hon D. W. Voorhees.

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