Morganfield Oct 13^th 1865
Hon W. P. Fowler
Dear Sir

At your request to give you a statement of the condition of affairs in my county (Crittenden) I will make a short statement of the facts as I understand them.

For the last six months the citizens of our county have been subjected to murders & robberies of the most revolting character and of such frequent occurrence as to endanger the personal security of the entire community. It has been generally understood that certain desperate characters who have been in the armies on one side or the other, have been the leader in those outrages Some six weeks since some of the citizens of Crittenden feeling the necessity of protection from

these lawless desperadoes, made application to the state authorities for permission to raise a compnay of men to be mustered into the State service, & to act as a kind of patrol for the counties infested and also as a possee to the sheriffs in the execution of civil process, in bringing these parties to Justice. I understand permission was given by the state authorities to raise such a company and Lieut. James Cooper formerly of the Federal Army, was, an account of his prudence & honorable reputation as a citizen & officer, was selected to raise said company — He went to work and enlisted some forty odd men, composed of both the political parties in the Country It was soon made manifest that every great dissatisfaction was being created in the minds of returned federal soldiers by some of the parties who have been implicated in these robberies, by

representations made to them that Lieutenant Cooper was organizing a band of rebel guerillas for the purpose of driving out of the Country all returned Federal soldiers and especially those of the 20^th & 17^th Ky Regiments Under this state of affairs, some ten days or two weeks since, Lieut James Guess formerly of the 20^th Ky went to Louisville to have the order permitting Cooper to raise a company countermanded. & to obtain authority himself to raise a company to protect the returned soldiers, & ostensible to put down those robber bands — He returned to the County on last week & on Tuesday last (the 10^th he organised a company of some thirty five or forty men, and it is currently reported that he claims to have authority both from Gov Bramlette & Genl Palmer for raising said company. About the same time that Lieut Guess went

to Louisville. Lieut William Wilson went to Frankfort to see about the mustering in of Coopers men & to draw arms for them. I learned from him, that he was informed by the Adj Genl of the state that they could not be mustered in for a less period than five years & in consequence of the length of time for which they would be held to service, Cooper & his men refused to be mustered & the company was disbanded leaving the company under Lieut Guess as the only organisation now in the county. I understand your honor has a list of the names of those who have been implicated in these robberies & consequently it is unnecessary for me to state who are suspicioned. I will only add that the Lieut Guess who has organised the company above refered to is the same person whose name has been given (by the parties who have turned states evidence) as the leader of the robber band

Very Respectfully
J W Blue

P. S. I have to request of you not to make this communication public, as it would perhaps endanger my own safety You can ^however^ if you see proper submit this to the state authorities under the said restriction

Yours &c
J W Blue