Civil War Governors of Kentucky · Civil War Governors of Kentucky

Petition

L. S. Lee to James F. Robinson

Download (XML) Download (PDF)

Citation

L. S. Lee to James F. Robinson, Office of the Governor, James F. Robinson: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons, Remissions, and Respites, 1862-1863, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, https://discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-029-0560 (February 13, 2026).

[Page 1]

To his Excellency James F. Robinson Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, —

Your petitioner L. S. Lee late sheriff of Ballard County, will respectfully represent that owing to the state of the country during the year 1861 and the early part of the year 1862, ~~That~~ the revenue for 1861 was not collected during that time and of course not paid into the treasury of the State as required by law, in consequence of which failure, ^at the [...] term of the Franklin circt ct^ a judgment was rendered against your petitioner and his sureties for the amount of revenue unpaid, and damages thereon, the amages amounting to $[...]. Since the rendition of said judgment your petitioner has paid the revenue due from Ballard County for the year 1861 in full— The damages still remaining unpaid. Your petitioner will briefly recur to the condition of affairs in Ballard County during the year 1861. The people of the county during the whole year were intensely excited, a large majority of them southern in their feelings, about the 1^st of September the Rebel army took possession Columbus, about 4 miles from the southern boundary line of Ballard County, and 16 or 18 miles from the County seat. From that time during the whole of the Fall and winter scouting parties of cavalry

[Page 2]

traversed, continually the length and breath of Ballard County — Then had been set up a provisional Government of Kentucky which claimed the revenue collectted from the people from the State — Your petitioner had been notified to report himself at Columbus, and refused to do so, and expected every day to be arrested and taken there by force. The people too as your petitioner believed were in a poor condition to pay the revenue or have it forced from them. They had been cut off from their usual markets, what products they had sold had been principally to the Rebel army for which they had been paid in the depreciated currency of the South. Under these circumstances your petitioner believed that prudence required him not to collect the revenue from the people, that it would be safer in their hands than in his. He did not collect it, and consequently the judgment for damages as above stated. He states, that he has paid off the whole of the revenue proper for that year He respectfully asks your Excellency to remit the damages ajudged against him as aforesaid

L S Lee Late S B C