Louisville Ky
July 24^th 1863
Hon Jas F Robinson
Dear Sir

I have been asked to write & request you to pardon M^r Calvin Fairbanks. I do not know M^r Fairbanks nor any thing touching his crime except what I hear from others —

From all that I hear I think he has suffered sufficiently for his offence. though it was & is heinous —

There is great sensitiveness in the public mind here as well as elsewhere touching persons convicted of this crime alleged against Fairbanks. But surely in the mind of no man can the crime be compared to that of Treason — & I have just condemned a man

clearly guilty of Treason to confinement in the County Jail for only ten years —

In my opinion & [...] I think in the opinion of all descent persons here. the law and the punishment, of Fairbanks has already been sufficiently vindicated

Respectfully
Your Ob Ser
Bland Ballard