To his excellency Thome E Bramlett
Govenor of Kentucky

The undersigned petitioners would respectfully represent That on 8 day of March 1864 H M Bruce was arrested on a charge of Larceny and held in the sum of Five Hundred Dollars for his appearance in the Boone Circuit Court on the first day of its April term 1864 To answer the said charge Whereupon James H Bruce became the surety to ^the^ commonwealth in the bond for said sum for the appearance of H. M Bruce at the time & place above stated Your petitioners further represent that Said H M Bruce was indicted by the Grand jury of Boone county at theAprile term of the Boone Circuit ^1864^ upon the charge for which he had been held (the specific charge Horse stealing a horse) when Said H M Bruce being called failed to appear according to the covenants of said bond when the commonwealth took a forfeiture upon the same and earned a summon to issue thereon which was duly executed on said James H Bruce and on the last day of the last Aprile term of Said court a judgment was

given in behalf of the Commonwealth on Said forfeitur against James H Bruce for the Sum of Five Hundred Dollars with costs &^c for which execution ^(capias profine)^ has issued

Your petitioners State that James H Bruce entered into Said bond in good faith intending and believing that it would secure the appearance of H M Bruce at the proper time to answer said charge; but they State that contrary to ^the^ wish of James H Bruce & without his knowledge H M Bruce Shortly after the execution of the Said bond enlisted into the Military Service of the United States and was Carried beyond the jurisdiction of the court & without the limits of the State. as to the precise period for which said Bruce So enlisted And to what points he was taken in the service James H Bruce nor your petitioners are not positively advised; But they state ^that^ Since H M Bruce went into Said ^military^ Service, he has not been in the State except for a very few days ^immediately^ after said enlistment, Your petitioners Say that it has was uterly impossible for James H Bruce to have H M Bruce in attendance as specified in Said ^bond^ [...]because of ^his^ Said ^enlistment^ in the

in the said Service Your petitioners Say that H M Bruce has not been in the state to their knowledge since he left as before stated They say they know that James H Bruce was anxious to have Stand his trial in the circuit court, And that H M Bruce did did absent himself in the manner befor stated contrary to the wish of James H Bruce You petitioners Say that James H Bruce ^is^ a poor honest & hard working man And is now near fifty-five years of age has a wife and a large family of children mostly Small depending upon his labor for support, That the only property he has is a house and a small pece of land not [...] Six hundred Dollars, Your petitioners Say that to enforce the payment of Said forfeiture in full woul break up & probably ruin James H Bruce And as they are now informed the atty's fee for the Commonwealth ^costs^ will be about One Hundred & Fifty-Dollars which sum ^must be paid &^ will greatly embarrass Bruce to pay. They therefore present this case which under all the circumstances They believe is one that will justify the interposition of executive clemency And therefore pray ^your^ excellency to remit So much of the fine

& costs as does not go ^to^ the Commonwealth's Atty [...]and officers of the court

August 18^th 1864

All the list are Bruces Neighbors