To his Excellency the Governor of Kentucky

Your petitioner Mary A Smyth respectfully shews that her son Joseph Smyth was lately arrested charged with the larseny of a sow & pigs and held to bail for his appearance at the next term of the Jefferson Circuit court in the penalty of $300.00 and that your petitioner became his bail for that amount.

Her said son is not yet seventeen years of age, and has in consequence of his assosation with bad boys in Louisville been a source of great trouble & sorrow to your petitioner. Your petitioner soon after he was discharged for the purpose of removing him from his assosiations in Louisville took him with her to Cincinnati and there [presurd] him to be enlisted upon a U. S. gunboat for the term of two years. It was the only possible course open to her, to sav him from ruin.

In consequence of such enlistment he will not be able to appear in discharge of his bond, and without the interposition of executive clemency your petitioner will be compelled to pay said bond — Your petitioner has no estate other than her household furniture worth some five or six hundred dollars, and if required to pay the bond she will be completely ruined and broken up — Your petitioner is a dressmaker by occupation and depends upon the labor of her hands for her daily bread & that of her family — she prays that her liability upon said bond may be remitted —

Mrs M A Smythe

over

The undersigned are acquainted by reputation with Mrs Smyth and are satisfied that her statements in her petition are true and would respectfully recommend in view of all the circumstances that she be relieved from the payment of said bond — We are satisfied that she has done the best thing for the boy that she could have done in placing him on board a gunboat

Mar, 29, 1865

Tho^s W. Gibson
Geo W. Johnston. Judge
City Court Louisville
R O Priest
Chief of Police
Isaac Caldwell
Geo A Caldwell
W B Caldwell
Will, P, Thomasson