Washington County Ky May 15^th 1866

To his Excellency the Govenor ^of Ky^

Dear Sir we received yours of the 3,d inst instructing what to do we Sent to Springfield and got a copy of the Indictment it was not the indictment we Supposed tho it was all done the Same time we was on our way to our Commands and there ^was^ two Soldiers on foot and we went to John Rogers and asked him to loan us the horse which he refused then I pressed the horse and took the Soldiers to Lebanon and Sent him the horse Back the next day by my Brother who went to take Back the rest of the horses indeed the horse was not his legally for his Son took the horse from a widow of Anderson County and paid her nothing and gave the horse to his mother Mrs Rogers all Rogerses grown Son was in the rebel Service and took horses in this Neigborh^ood^ and Keep them at their fathers John Rogerses we can Send you a Volume of Testimony, that I was captured on the 20^th of october 1863 out of the Eleventh Ky Cav,, and Rodrick Hamilton was then with his Reg,, in the South Dear Sir I was in the fight at Chickamaugawith the fourth Ky inft., on the 19 and 20th of Sept. and/63 allso in the missionary Ridge fight on the 25 day of Novm,,/63 and had not Been at home Since sixty two it was in Sixty two as we went to our commands that mason goatly tol,d us of those pistols and threat the Said Rogers ^horse^ was in company at that time But as he got the horse the next day that ^we thought^ nothing was done in that case as allso the men got their pistols allso Brother Micajah Ridgon was with me in the Battle when I was captures went withe me to the Regiment in /62, and had not Been in Kentucky till /64 Sir to Show Mr John Rogers has Sworn falsly I send you a certificat from a highly Respectable

Gentleman as much so any man in Kentucky that I advised Tho,s Rigdon to let the horse alone But he tol,d John Rogers he would take, the horse and send him Back as soon as he got to Lebanon which he did and here the Indictment Shows the Testimony to Be Maliciously false let me Show you what the grand Jury did, their was man well a rebel who Stole a watch from a Union man the Jury pass By the indictment and Said it was a wild Irish Trick and of cours found him not guilty of any crime tho it was proved By good Testamony, But no Union Soldier Escaped a True Bill no difference how Trivial the crime if you wish any Testamony as to our Being at our Reg,, at the time specified in the indictment that we took the hors we can send you any amount of it Except Thos, Ridgon who was prisoner from the 20^th of Oct,, 63

Please Drop us a few lines if Your clemency sees, fit to relieve us as a Safe guard that if the officer Should distress us we can have Your Voucher with which to defend our selves Diret to Antioch washington Ky County Ky and we Shall Ever feel gratfull

Yours Obtly
Rodrick Hamilton
Thomas Rigdon

[B] E D Askinwas ^not^ their at the time and was one of the Bigest rebel in this county and Brother in law to John Rogers and was a commissioned Doct,, in Braxton Braggs army