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Hardinsburg. l 12th
Gov Bramlette
Dr Sir --
Just now I confessed Judgment for $50 in favour of the Comlth against Thomas C South on an Indictment for shooting at (but not hitting) a man named Hoskins -- The facts are that in the beginning of the rebellion a home guard was organised in upper end of this County for which the Defendant was a sworn member -- A contraband trade was carried on from Meade County with the rebels at Bowling green & many recruits went thence from that county- The outlet was directly through the neighborhood in which this home guard was organised and they were ^kept^ pretty constantly on the alert -- This home guard procured their guns from A M D McCook Brig Gen l Com Central Division at Camp Nevin -- The Gen l issued an order at the same time directed to the officers & men of the Home guard of Breckinridge & adjoining counties to stop all contraband goods &c & to stop all persons having such goods &c- The order winding up in these words "This authority is absolute and must be carried out even to the taking of life -- Also all suspicious persons must be arrested" -- On the day the shooting took place there was a considerable crowd home guards & others assembled in the village of Hudsonville to witness the examination of some persons who had been arrested as rebel
sympathisers & a good deal of excitement had been gotten up by the discharge of some known to be disloyal and the home guards had some talk of rearresting those discharged The County Judge was present & he gave orders to Def t to watch the highway & let no one pass unless known by him to be right -- In obedience to these orders Def t took his position on the Big Road in the ouskirts of the Town -- Shortly after Hoskins came along and was ordered by Deft to halt who but would not stop & after hailing him as many as three times Def t fired -- This fact altho denied by Hoskins is fully proved by M rs Simons a most estimable lady of undoubted truth -- We had proof also by one or two of the home guards that they had received even more stringent verbal orders not only from McCook but Gen l Rousseau -- The Deft says that he did not know Hoskins at the time he fired on him -- Under all the circumstances I thought altho I felt pretty well satisfied that the Def t would be acquitted I thought it safest to confess judgt for $50 rather than risk a worse punishment and fully believing that you would remit as much of the judgmt as the law would permit -- This is to urge that remission
Very Resplty &c
Alf Allen
I dont send copy of Judgt as it is not yet entered & we dont wish to wait this petition -- Judg -- entered