To His Excellency
Thos E Bramlett
Govenor of the Commonwealth
of Kentucky
Your Petitioners

Feel it their Duty to themselves Their neighbors and those For whome they Petition To lay before Your Excellency The case of of the Men Citizens of the State of West V^a & Our Own State who were Engaged in the Hanging of W^m Wright James and John Lyons the murders of George Arthur.

On the night of the ²7^th of April last in Our County of Lawrence Our Fellow Citizens George P Arthur a Good man beloved and Esteemed by all that knew him was in the Hours of the Night Called from his Bed in his own House and Foully Wantonly and Cruelly Murdered Murdered by a Band of Outlaws and Assassins whose Boast after the Deed was that he was but one of their victims that had and would fall by their Hands

We know of

Of no cause of Offense to these Desperodoes that made them thirst for the Blood of Poor Archer Save it was that he was a Firm and unyielding Union Man

The men who murdered him (during the War belonged to Cooks Guerillas who never Joined the Regular Confederate Army but who Preyed upon the unprotected Portions of the Country making their names Terrible by their Lawless acts and Vandalism

They Committed Murder Higway Robery Arson and Other Crimes that Decency Forbids us to Mention

The Terror of the Country the Peacable Citizens could not stay at home when they knew of the Presence of these Villians

But Actually Sought the Caves and woods Braving and Enduring the Cold of Mid Winter women and children deprived of the Comfort and Cheer of the Home beside the men through Fear of their Life the homes of

that that is Dearer then Life their Honor

Nor were we Relieved of these Desperadoes by the Close of the war they Refused to Surrender They [...] the Authority and Public Officers They by their own acts made themselves Outlaws Their Hands were against Evry Man and Every Mans Hand against them They forfeited that Right To Protection that the Good Citizen Has a right to claim from the Law

It is a fact that Shows the wanton Cruelty of these men that in the Winter of 1864 They Captured a Discharged Union Soldier and Made him climb a tree and then shot him until he fell out and then Bayonetted him

Upon the news of the death of Wright & the Lyones The whole community Felt Relief then left their Families and went to their work with Some Sense of Security For Life and Property nor it is too much to say that a General Feeling

of Gratitude and Thankfullnes to those who Rid the Community of these Monsters Pervaded the People

In getting Rid of them People Did not think that the act was unlawful & might get those Engaged in it in Trouble They only felt that Each man woman and child in our Valley was safer than before

Not Your Excellency that we would countenance Mob Law or any violation of the Civil Law of the Land We do not Pretend to say that the men Engaged in this Transaction did not violate the Law we admit the Violation and that it was a Dangerous Exercise of the will of the People

But we beg that You will Permit us to Pleed that there was great Provocation for violence and that to Some Extent They the actors in this Matter were Excusable that there are very many and very Strong and Remarkable Palliating Circumstances that will address themselves To the

strong Judgment and mercy of Your Excellency

Many of the men Engaged in the Hanging of Wright and his Co Murders were the Relatives of the deceased not by the Ties of Blood but by Marriage

They Saw that Young Widdow (To Some a Sister To Others a niece cousin or Aunt To all a Neighbor

Just Bursting into womanhood Just Entering on the Journey of Life who but a few days before was Happy in the Smiles of Her Husband now mourning over the Bloody Corse of him who to her was all in all the one most dear the most nesesary for Her Happiness and Welfare

They saw the Bloody corse of Archer His Form Rose up before them Pleeding for Vengence They Rembered Old Man Cooksly Milton Cneda and Coburn and others who had been shot down at their Homes by these men and their associates in Crime

These men Wright and the Lyons acknowledged that they had Committed the Murder

The Jail was not Secure The Angry Passions of these men were Arroused Their Fears For They Had threated if they Escaped they would not leave one who had Hunted and Endeavored to arrest them worked upon them and they Gathered together 140 Citizens men who have always stood High in the Estimation of Community not a lawless lot of Desperadoes but Men who many of them Knelt at the Family Alter and Invoke the Blessings and Protection of Deity upon themselves their neighbors & Country

They counselled the Question was as said who next will Fall by the Hands of Such men Or if they Escape what Security have we for Life and Property

There was no one to Counsell Moderation and

They at Last determined it was their Duty to Rid Themselves of the Impending Danger or chances of Harm from these men

The Deed is Done and although Many or all of those who Participated would not do so again and Regret it Yet it is as yesterday Past and can not be Recalled

And we as the Humble Citizens of the Sandy Valley Feel it our Sollem Duty To Earnestly Appeal To and Pray Your Excellency To Interpose (in behalf of these our neighbors and Friends and that we know to be good men)

And Grant them a Pardon For the offense (charged in the Severall Indictments Herwith Filed) of Hanging Three the most Desperate Desperadoes that Ever Cursed our Country

We humbly Submit the Forgoing Facts to Your Excellency and if You can Grant our Prayer we will Ever Rember You worthy the Profoundest and Most HeartFelt Gratitude

Lawrence County Kentucky

John Lockwood

Carter County Kentucky
To his Excellency
Thos E Bramlett
Govenor of Kentucky

We Petitioners would Respectfuly and Earnestly Join in the Prayer of the Petitioner Lindsey Smith Joseph F Hatten and others Indicted for the Hanging of W^m Wright and the two Lyons the murders of Geo P Archer ) For there Pardon We know many of the men and know that they hav always stood as good citines and quiet and Peaceable men

Your Humble servents

Henry Dunkel
Louis C Queen
Burwell Newman
G. J. P. Carroll
E P Burks
Benjamin R. Haley
John P Ruley
Morgan Garrett
David Bartram
Jacob Marcum
Eldridge Smith
[...] Thompson
William M Skaggs
William J. Dixon
Burwell Ferguson
J. M. Ferguson

Boyd County Catletsburg Kentucky

Peter Sparks
Jonathan M^cClend
Reuben D. Wolfe
E G Chapman
John Travis Sec L E [...] Late
Alfred Workman
Graham Wilson
Asbury Haws
Jeremiah Willman
A R. Frazier
R. H.. Kilgore
J. D. Wellman
William Gray
A. C. Hutchison
Samuel Mchenry
W^m Vinson
H. J. Conley
K S Bootan
J H OBrien
Thos Young
Perry Young
J M Berry
R. K. Oroark
John Marshall
Benj Castle
Henry A. Scanes
Thomas Osburn
Pardon Morris

John Griffith
E M Smith
Stewart Hevin
Harmon Conley
John C Miller
G. W. Dixon
H. C. Eastham