To his Excellency
Thos. E. Bramblette
Gov of the State of Ky.

We the undersigned respectfully state and petition (viz) on the [...] day of March 1865 we were Indicted by the grand Jury of the Barren Co. Circuit court. at its March term for the year 1865 of the crime of Larceny or Robery. viz. taking forcably feloniously &c from one Woodford Bradshaw ^a pistol^ which charge we deny emphatically The history of the case is as follows on the 8" day of February 1865. — Jones (late Federal soldiers.) was under arrest (for some petty offence) and killed by Esqr. Dorsey & Esqr. J. P. Taylor, for trial, and guarded by four Rebel Soldiers and one Union man. we (being not willing to see one of our comrads arrested and guarded by men that we and himself, had been fighting as enemies of our govt) went to the party and run the four Rebels off. and told the Justices of the Peace Taylor & Dorsey. that we would guard our friend untill he was tried for his offence and if they were proposed, to try him then, they seen cause to release said Jones But in the retreat of the four Rebel guards one of them states and claims to have lost a pistol worth $15.00 Woodford Bradshaw one of the Rebel guards is the man who states

an oath that we took his pistol from him this we deny, we never said we had in our possession the pistol. we know nothing about it now nor did we then said pistol may have been lost by the rebel party, but it never came to our possession we were upon these grounds Indicted for Robery and 23 of the grand jury men were rebels who have have no conscientious scruples for a federal soldiers Justice we think we ought not to be indicted for this alleged offence further more we are all poor men and not able to pay Lawyers fees and other expenses in defense of lawsuits we furthermore state that we are not afraid of conviction under the truth but dont believe we can have justice by a Jury on trial owing to the great element of rebel feeling existing in this county we do not confess the alleged crime in the Indictment aforesaid but have made in this a correct statement of the facts and appeal to your Executive Clemency for our full & free pardon for the causes above named

W^m N Todd late of the 9th ^vol^
H C Steenberger
the other is [...]

To Gov. Thos. E. Bramblett of Ky we Loyal citizens and late soldiers to the to the Govt of the U. S. respectfully state and petition for the release of the party named as being Indicted in the foreoing statement we think it is rebel anamosity and believe the party should not be punished for the aforesaid alleged offences

I am personally acquainted with Geo. W. Anderson and William Todd who are Indicted for depriving Woodford Bradshaw of a pistol I am also acquainted with John Carrier & H. C. Stermburger ^from character^ and believe they are innocent of the charges in the aforesaid Indictmint Mr. Anderson was a private and good soldier of the 37" Ky Mtd Inft Vols. Co A and Mr. Todd was a private soldier Co. K. 9" Ky. I. Vols and I believe their high sense of honor and right would [...] them to discountenance and not incourage such an offence as they are accused of and hope that the Gov of Ky. will pardon them of the charges as stated in the Indictment