To his Excellency B Magoffin Governor of Kentucky

Your petitioners citizens of Christian County respectfully represent to your excellency that at the present March term of the Christian Circuit Court Johnathan Greer was tried on an indictment against him for murder that Jury acquitted him for murder but found him guilty of manslaughter & fixed his punishment by confinement in the penetentiary for a period of five years.

Now your petitioners will state that said Greer is an old man being about Sixty years of age having a large family of children that he was involved in the fight or affray in which Addison Ferrill (for killing of whom he was tried) was killed but the proof on the trial, established the fact that Stephen Shelton who was also killed in the same affray by Abner Greer a son of said Johnathan Greer and said Ander who was very dangerously wounded by Shelton were engaged firing with pistols at each other that they both fell that Ferrill after they fell was in pursuit of William Greer who was unarmed and firing at said William (who was also a son of Johnathan Greer) that Johnathan Greer the father having his rifle gun in his hands & being himself severly wounded by a pistol shot his son Abner shot down & Ferrill pursuing & firing at his son William who was unarmed & retreating fired upon said Ferrill & killed him which ended the affray.

Now your petitioners taking into consideration all the circumstances in the case the relation of father & child that existed between Johnathon Greer & his sons Abner & William & fully appreciating the parental feelings of said Johnathan Greer at the time of the killing cannot but think that it is a case addressing itself with frontier force & favor to the consideration of your Excellency owe the more readily urge his cause before your Excellency for the reason that Johnathan Greer has lived in our midst from early youth to old age & has ever bourne the character of a peaceable quiet sober & industrious citizen a good neighbour a firm friend & a kind & affectional husband & father.

Taking all things into consideration we respectfully present his case to the favourable consideration of your excellency & earnestly ask for him a full & free pardon believing as we do that such an act of clemency would meet with the hearty approval of any overwhelming majority of the best Citizens of the County.