Harrodsburg Ky
January 16^th 1862,
Dear Friend

Little Charley Petty comes to you asking a smallfavor which in my opinion, under all the circumstances I think it will be well enough for you to grant. The offense that Charley is charged is his first and from the evidence in the case I think the verdict was not only unjust but even cruel. Charley is quite young & very sentitive & confinement in Jail would most probably have the effect to degade him in his own [instruction] & thus have a bad instead of a salutary effect, besides it occurs to my mind that the severe penalties of the law were only intended to reach men who were continually engagings in [rough] & breaches

of the peace. Charley's father and mother are very much mortified over the affair and he has promised them to sin no more and ^I^ hope it will agree with your notions of offical duty to interfere in his behalf.

We never whatever here since you left

Very sincerely
Your Friend
C. C. Smedley

Harrodsburg Po. Ct
10 days impt.
Cha^s C. Petty
Remission Iss^dJany 16 1862