Correspondence

C. C. Smidley to Beriah Magoffin

Document Genre
Correspondence
Repository
Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives
Collection
Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862
Box / Folder
MG25-35 to MG25-36
CWGK Accession Number
KYR-0001-020-2287
Rights
This image and its transcription are freely available to the public. Images appear courtesy of Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Transcriptions and annotations were created by Kentucky Historical Society staff, volunteers, and interns. When referencing this document, please use our preferred citation.; The use of transcriptions, images, or annotations from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce any material on CWGK is required.
FTP Identifier
32210687

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Citation

C. C. Smidley to Beriah Magoffin, Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, https://discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-020-2287 (November 12, 2026).

[Page 1]

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
Frankfort, Ky [...], 186[...]
Dear Sir

Hon Beriah Magoffin
Governor of Kentucky,

I acted as as counsel of James V Shackelford who is now in the state prison upon a charge of Murdering George [Diorin]. both in the examining Court and the Circuit before which he was convicted and heard all the testimoney given in the case. I give it sincerely as my opinion that the verdict of "guilty" brought in by the Jury was based upon the statement of a certain Jacob Claunche. who professed to detail all the facts & circumstances of the difficulty in which Diorin was killed, A number of witnesses were examined in both trials & no one of them so far as I can reccolect after being examined and cross-examined would state that

[Page 2]

they saw Jacob Claunch upon the ground at the time of the difficulty. I will further say from all the evidence in the case I sincerely believe that Shackelford in all that he did acted in self defence and that the unfortunate difficulty was forced upon him

Very respectfully
C. C. Smidley