To His Excellency T E Bramlett
Govenor of Kentucky

your Petitioners James Edwards Joe Brock Skaggs & William S Warren would respectfully state to your Excellency that at the March term 1864 of the Taylor Circuit Court your Petitioners were indicted for arresting Henry Hush & William Sprowls your Petitioners then being home Guards and acting under orders from Gen E H Hobson to arrest all deserters & suspicious person in the County and also to arrest all persons in their County who were in any way aiding the Rebellion your Petitioners State that they were arrested by the Sheriff and entered into bond in the penalty of $3,00,00 for their appearance at September term of said Court Your Petitioners State that Said Skaggs was sick and Confined at home and was wholly unable to attend Said Court and that Said Edwards was compelled to leave his home in order to Keep the Guerillas from taking his life and that said Edwards went to the State of Indiana where he remained till May 1865 Your Petitioners would respectfully state that the various bands of Guerillas which frequented Brush Creek where your Petitioners had had on divers occasions proclaimed their intention to Kill your Petitioner Edwards Curly Bill Thompson & other home Guards Your Petitioner States that the Guerillas were frequently at the house of Edwards & observed his family took his property &^c

Your Petitioners State that the Guerillas did Kill Curly Bill Thompson and were at the house of Edwards for the avowed purpose of Killing him on the same morning that said Thompson was Killed & that his friends and family advised him to leave the state which he did as before stated & was therefore unable to attend said Court Your Petitioners State that said Warren did attend said court, but was not present at the court house at the time that said cause was called & that Said bond of Skaggs Edwards & Warren was taken as forfeited & Summons issued against each of your Petitioners to Show cause why said Bond should not be forfeited At the September term 1865 of said court your Petitioners voluntarily appeared and rendered themselves into the Custody of the Court to answer the indictment as well as the Summons on the Bond aforesaid The Case under the Indictment was tried & your Petitioners were each fined the Sum of $20.00 The Cases in the forfeited Bond were also tried and the Petitioners Skaggs & Edwards filed their answers Setting up the facts herein Stated & the Court remitted all of said bond but $25 for which Sum a Judgement was rendered against Edward & Skaggs (each)

Your Petitioners State that this whole prosecution against them was set on foot to gratify a malicious hatred towards them on account of their efforts to aid the Union Cause They State that they acted in good faith in arresting Said Hush & Sprowls and that so soon as said Hush &c Satisfied them of their innocence of the charges against them that they were released and that at no time were said Hush & Sprowls mistreated or misused by them your Petitioners State that they were acting under orders from Gen Hobson and that they were acting in good faith, they State that they endangered their lives & property continually in trying to aid the Union cause as is shown by the Statement of Gen Hobson herewith filed your Petitioners state that they served as home guards for nearly two years on Brush Creek and that for said Service they have been hunted down by Guerillas their property has been destroyed & some of them have been Compelled to leave thier homes & families to seek a place of safety They state that they never have at any time or in any way received one cent for their services but that they have been pillaged until they are now almost destitute of property They state to your excellency that they were honest in all their efforts to Serve the Union cause

and they defy their most malignant enemies to sustain a charge of any Kind which will in the slightest degree reflect upon their Patriotism or honesty Your Petitioners State that they were unavoidably prevented from attending the Court at the time their Separate bonds were forfeited & that they feel that the Judgement of $20,00 against them is unjust and wrong Wherefore they would most respectfully request your excellency to remit the fine of $20.00 against each of Your Petitioners and also to remit the Judgment of $25 against Skaggs & $25 against Edwards on said forfeited Bond and as in duty bound they will ever pray &C

James Edwards
Joe B Skaggs
William S Warren

Please Send Answer to
D T Towles Greensburg Ky

Sworn to before me by James Edwards J B Skaggs & William S Warren this 27^th day of December 1865

John Bloyd J P G C