State of Kentucky
Webster County Sct
{Revenue Stamp}[...] Decr 1865 [...]
N^o23

On this 29^th day of December 1865 personally appeared before me C W Cook Judge of the Webster County Court Bassel Watson of lawful age and a resident citizen of said County who being by me duely sworn says that on the 13of^th day of August last (The day on which Sam Dial was killed) he was Captain of Company (A) 1^st Ky State Forces and that his Company was at that time stationed at Clayville in the County of Webster & State of Ky. That at that time many of the late Rebel soldiers and guerrillas were returning to their homes in Webster & Union Counties and that he acting under the instructions of his superior officers had given orders to all his men to arrest all returned guerrillas & bring them to his Headquarters at Clayville and that E N Jones and Gabriel Nall who belonged to his company were acting

under his instructions & orders when they went on the said 13^th day of August last to arrest the said Sam Dial and he has no doubt that the circumstances attending the killing of said Dial are correctly set forth in the petition herewith sent & which I have examined & signed. He further states that he knows the statements contained in said petition in regard to the character of said Dial are true and that he believes the said Jones & Nall ought to be pardoned

Basill,, Watson

Subscribed & sworn to before me by Bassel Watson this 29^th of Dec^r 1865 —

C W Cook, P, J, W, C, C