Petition in favor of Thomas J. Oxley —

To his Excellency Thos. E. Bramlette, Governor of the State of Ky. Your Petitioners Citizens of the Country of Rowan & Fleminig, humbly & respectfully represent, That Thos. J. Oxley of the County of Rowan now stands charged in the Fleming Circuit court; and is now on bail for his appearance at the December Special Term of said Court in the Sum of $400, to answer a Charge of Larceny, Committed in 1862, Your Petitioners now humbly pray Your Excellency, to remit, not only the bail penalty four hundred Dollars, but also to grant a full & legal pardon for commission of said offence as charged in the Indictment — It is perhaps under all circumstances, better to pardon & remit minor & doubtful charges as this is, than to prosecute them; more Especially as his mother is a poor widow woman; — and further Your Petitioners believe said T. J. Oxley if pardoned will Conduct, himself as an honest and law abiding Citizen; he is yet quite a youth & if he did err, the undersigned believe he was led on by old & perhaps bad advisers —

In Tender Consideration of the premises as above Stated, your petiterioners humbly & respectfully Pray — 16^th. Nov. 1865.

Flemingsburg Ky
Nov 24^th 1865
Gov Bramlette:

Having been requested by the widowed mother of Tho^s Oxley to sign the above petition to your excellency I have thought that it would not be improper for me to state that I believe young Oxley to have been misled by others, and that while he was with a party who committed the offence for which he stands indicted he took no active part in the robbery and his offence like that of poor Tray was being caught in bad company. I am satisfied that the clemency of your excellency if exercised in his behalf will do more to reclaim him from "the error of his ways" and make him a good and useful citizen than any punishment that might be in-

-flicted. Oxley was at the time the Offence was committed a soldier in the Confederate army and while as I have said above he took no active part in the robbery=still it was done by other soldiers with whom he at the time happened to be in company. I have been in the Federal service — served four years — and when discharged was a Captain in the 16^th Ky Vet. Vol. Infty.

I hope your Excellency may see fit to grant the request of the petitioners — not only for the sake of the widowed mother — but for the young man himself — believing that he may thereby be reclaimed and made a good and useful man

Very Respectfully
Your Obt Svt
Charles E Johnson

He stands charged with Robbery —

Flemingsburg — Nov 25 — 1865
Gov Bramlett

I concur in the opinion of Capt C E Johnson — that the offence of young Oxly was more in being caught in bad company than in the one Charged against him — I have understood from his mother that soon after the robbery with which he stands charged was committed — he was arrested by the Military Authoriites of the Confederates — under Genl Marshall — and tried for the same offence & acquitted — I do not know that this is true — but if it is — while it should not be Entertained by the Civil Authorities of Kentucky in trying him for the Crime alledged — it would seem to me to go somewhat in Mitigation of the offence — I believe he can be reclaimed and become a useful citizen if clemency is shown him —

Your obt Srvt —
D K Weis