To His Excellency Beriah Magoffin Govenor of Kentucky

Your Petitioner Nancy Collins States that at the May Term 1861 of the Johnson Circuit Court she was fined Twenty Dollars under an indictment charging her with the offense of Adultery she says most positively she was not guilty of said offence she says that she is a widow & has 54 children dependent on her for support and she was in destitute circumstances & she prevailed on a neighbor to permit her to take shelter in his house & from some cause some one became suspicious of her because of her destitute condition & caused her to be indicted & find for the commission of an offence of which she is intirely innocent she says positively no witness pretended to prove the fact but the testimoney introduced by the commonwealth was entirely circumstantial She states she is poor and has no property on earth not even a change of clothing for herself & destitute children she says unless your excellency will remit said Fine she will be compelled to be confined in the county Jail in order to satisfy the penalties of the law because she says she has not any means whereby to obtain the money to pay said fine wherefore she prays your excellency to remit said fine & permit her to continue to endeavor to sustain herself & destitute children & will ever pray

Nancy Collins

We The undersigned citizens of Johnson & Floyd counties are [acquainted] with Nancy Collins & believe her statements true & pray your excellency to remit said fine as we believe in Justice & mercy it ought to be done