States Prison Frankfort
October the 12 1863

Mr. Thomas E Bramlette your Honor sir as you are our Honorable governor of the state of Kentucky it has allways ben my Request to have the opportunity of speaking A few words with you in Regards to my Case and i hope that you will not Be anny ways offended By my doing so as i feel it my duty to try and let you know the Conditions of affairs as far as i have Ben told By my Dear Heart Broken Mother Governor- in the first place i am here in states prison on A Charge of murder for shooting my Dear Devoted wife A thing that God knows i am as inocent of in my own mind as an unBorn Babe A thing i never would of thought if my Dear Mother had not of told me that she was dead and Buried and it like to Broke my poor heart to think of sutch A thing as that to loose my nearest and dearest friend whitch those that knowed us has often said they never seen A more happyer Couple in there life than we were we never had anny Malice towards each other- in our lives and that is well known by all who knew us governor- it was verry well known before i was tried at Court that i was subject of incanity and have ben pronouced A Real Maniac by a good phisians as there is in ohio or Kentucky and have ben under their treatment for the last three years there is Hundreds of others that know the same thing

Governor it is well known that i was under the treatment of Doctor Owenand Doctor ewin up to the present day of my wifes death so i am told by my Dear weeping Mother- there is men in here that took notice of me when i Come here and say that i am not like the same person now as i was when i Come here governor if i was to be killed this minute i Could not Realize of my Comeing here govenor if I had of ben A Rathinol man when i was in Jail as i am now i do not think that they would of sent me to states prison for i think i Could of satisfied the Court by good Responisble persons that knew me that they would not of held me for anny sutch A deed as they did governor i am satisfied in my own mind that there was prejudice shown by the Jurymen in this Case governor there was five of the Jurymen old Respectable Citizines of Louisville Against sending me here i think they were for sending me to the insane asilum at Lexingtonand the Reason was i supose they payed attention to the Case for if they had of done so i would of not thought hard at the Court i would of taken it as a favor for i would of Rather Ben sent there for life time as here for one year on the acount of my Poor Heart Broken Mother sisters and Brother governor there is no one knows there feelings onily those that have experienced the thing my dear mother would of Rather followed me to my grave as to see me Come here for she knows her Child does not deserve this punishment whitch is put uppon me govenor when A man is once sent here it is A hard thing for him to have anny simpathy shown him

it seems as if all of his friends for sake him in the time of trouble but there is one Consolation i Can look up to god and say with A Clear Conscience and say that he does not hold me acountable for anny sutch deed as man does and i thank god for the Knowledge he gives me to think so as i do and i thank him for my health as i have had it since i have ben here allmost one fourth of my time that i am sent for and if it is my misfotune to stay the Balance of it i hope that my health will Remain with me my aim is to serve god and do my duty to man as Long as i live to the best of my knowledge i never was Considered A wicked man i allways tried to do right by every boddy i allways tried to keep good society and now for society here i have

none for i know them not in here the best way here is to have none at all at the same time i have ben treated well i have ben treated more like A child than anny thing else the Reason i think so is because i feel so i Can discover Childish ways of my self wheather it is immagination or not i do not know governor hope that you will study on what i have said and Please look at the [...]Petition that is i believe is at your house and see if there is the least favor you can bestow uppon me it will be received with A thousand thanks from me and my Dear grieveing Mother and sisters and Brother governor i feel satisfied that if you understood all a bout this Case you Could not help but sympithizeing for me by granting my Dear mother her will of that petision Please excuse the few Lines for i hope i do not intrude your Humble servant

Thomas Edrington