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 November 11, 2025 Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives Office of the Governor, Thomas E. Bramlette: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Apprehension of Fugitives from Justice Papers, 1863-1867 KYR-0001-005-0130 BR7-202

Mercer County, Kentucky Thomas Elliott Bramlette (KY governor 1863-67, atty, D.A., col 3rd KY Inf) N001000 1817-01-03 1875-01-12 Categories: People

Twenty-third governor of Kentucky, attorney and soldier. Cumberland County, Kentucky, native. Married to Sallie Travis Bramlette in September 1837. Father of James T. Bramlette, William L. Bramlette, Eugene Bramlette, and Corrina Bell Bramlette. Practiced law in Clinton County, Kentucky, and Columbia, Kentucky. Represented Cumberland and Clinton counties in the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Kentucky from 1841 to 1843. Commonwealth's attorney of the 8th Judicial District of Kentucky from 1848 to 1850. Owned two enslaved persons in 1850. Circuit judge of the 6th Judicial District of Kentucky from 1856 to 1861. Owned nine enslaved persons in 1860. Served as colonel of the 3rd Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiment (U.S.A.) from 1861 to 1862. District attorney of the United States District Court for Kentucky in 1863. Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky from September 1, 1863, to September 3, 1867. Owned law firm of Bramlette & Van Winkle in partnership with Ephraim L. Van Winkle.

Seventh Manuscript Census of the United States (1850), Population Schedules, Kentucky, Clinton County, District No. 1, p. 181A. Seventh Manuscript Census of the United States (1850), Slave Schedules, Kentucky, Clinton County, District No. 1, p. 335 (p. 2 of 2 on microfilm). Eighth Manuscript Census of the United States (1860), Slave Schedules, Kentucky, Adair County, The Town of Columbia 1st Division, p. 13 (p. 2 of 3 on microfilm). Ninth Manuscript Census of the United States (1870), Population Schedules, Kentucky, Jefferson County, Louisville Ward 8, p. 83B. Ross A. Webb, “Thomas E. Bramlette (1863-1867)” in Lowell H. Harrison, ed., Kentucky’s Governors (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2004), 93-97 Lowell H. Harrison, "Bramlette, Thomas Elliott" in The Kentucky Encyclopedia, John E. Kleber, ed. (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1992), 112-13. Thomas Edwards (Mercer County, Kentucky, druggist & judge) N00003674 1806-09-29 1882-01-31 Categories: People

Mercer County, Kentucky, druggist and judge. Kentucky native. Married to Nancy E. Edwards. Father of William W. Edwards, Mary Y. Edwards, William H. H. Edwards, Alice Edwards, James Edwards, and Ann E. Edwards. Druggist in Mercer County in 1860. Presiding judge of the Mercer County Court in Harrodsburg from 1860 to 1865.

Relationships Legal: Mercer County Court Economic: Mercer Circuit Court Legal: Mercer Circuit Court Legal: Leticia Gray (Mercer County) Economic: Mercer County Court Political: Mercer County Court Social: Elison H. Carter (Mercer County, KY, blacksmith and private 9th KY Cav USA) Legal: George D. McKinney (Mercer County, Ky, student & pvt 9th Ky Cav USA) Legal: John J. Gritton (Mercer County, Kentucky, farmer & murder victim)

Eighth Manuscript Census of the United States (1860), Population Schedules, Kentucky, Mercer County, Salvisa, p. 803-04. Annual Report of the Auditor of Public Accounts of the State of Kentucky, for the Fiscal Year Ending October 10, 1862, Legislative Document Series, No. 24 (Frankfort, KY: Wm. E. Hughes, State Printer, 1863), 298-306. Annual Report of the Auditor of Public Accounts of the State of Kentucky, for the Fiscal Year Ending October 10, 1863, Legislative Document Series, No. 10 (Frankfort, Ky.: Wm. E. Hughes, State Printer, 1864), 301-06. "Judge Thomas Edwards (1806-1882)," Find A Grave, Memorial #99947897, accessed August 30, 2017, http://www.findagrave.com/memorial/99947897. KYR-0001-004-0156. KYR-0001-005-0021. KYR-0001-005-0130. KYR-0001-029-0552. James Lawson (Garrard County, Kentucky, painter) N00005437 1817? Categories: People

Garrard County, Kentucky, painter. Kentucky native. Painter in Garrard County in 1860.

Relationships Legal: "Bud" Bosley (Mercer County, Kentucky, murdered) Legal: Mercer Circuit Court

Eighth Manuscript Census of the United States (1860), Population Schedules, Kentucky, Garrard, not stated, p. 51. "Bud" Bosley (Mercer County, Kentucky, murdered) N00005438 1865? Categories: People

Murdered in 1865 in Mercer County, with James Lawson as the accused.

KYR-0001-005-0130. Mercer County, Kentucky P00000556 Categories: Places

County in central Kentucky. Seat at Harrodsburg. Located on the Kentucky River.

Relationships Political: Ephraim J. Polk (Mercer County, Kentucky, attorney and examiner for Mercer County)

37.7623, -84.8433 "Harrodsburg, Kentucky," USGS: Earth Explorer, accessed September 25, 2019, https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/. Ron D. Bryant, “Mercer County,” in The Kentucky Encyclopedia, ed. John E. Kleber (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1992), 627. Mercer Circuit Court O00000424 Categories: Organizations

Located in the 5th Judicial District of Kentucky. Judge(s): George Kavanaugh and John E. Newman. Commonwealth’s Attorney(s): Andy Barnett and L. H. Noble. Clerk(s): Benjamin C. Allin and Richard Board.

Relationships Legal: John Murphy (Garrard County, Kentucky, farmer) Legal: Richard Board (Mercer County KY Circuit Court Clerk) Legal: John Glover Kyle (Mercer County, Kentucky, attorney, judge, & col Mercer Co militia) Legal: Martin B. Debaun (Mercer County, Kentucky, hotel keeper and soldier.) Legal: John W. Debaun (Mercer County, Kentucky, resident) Legal: Thomas Jenkins (Duncansville, Kentucky, resident) Legal: John Bishop (Duncansville, Kentucky, resident) Legal: Anthony Smith (Cornishville, Kentucky, resident) Legal: Leticia Gray (Mercer County) Legal: John Patterson (Mercer County, KY, resident) Legal: Moses D. Hall (Harrodsburg, Kentucky, grocer) Legal: William Daviess (Harrodsburg, Kentucky, farmer) Legal: Robert P. McGrath (Mercer County Merchant) Legal: Sidney S. McFatridge (Mercer County, KY, farmer & sheriff) Legal: John "Isaac" C. Vanarsdall (Mercer County, Kentucky, sheriff. ) Legal: William Payne (Mercer County, merchant and farmer) Legal: George W. Tompkins (Mercer County, sheriff) Legal: Benjamin Casey Allin (Mercer County, Kentucky, circuit clerk) Legal: O. S. Poston (Mercer County, Kentucky, attorney) Legal: Nimrod Harris (Mercer County, Kentucky, farmer) Legal: Thomas H. Buckner (Mercer County, KY, planter) Legal: John W. Cardwell (Mercer County, Kentucky, bank cashier and merchant) Legal: Thomas Allin (Mercer County, county clerk) Legal: Philip Burton Thompson, Sr. (KY prov govt, attorney ) Legal: Theodore H. Daviess (Mercer County, Kentucky, farmer) Legal: Charles Westerfield (Mercer County, Kentucky, laborer and farmer) Legal: J. Harvey Vanderipe (Mercer County, Kentucky, farmer and grocer) Legal: Charles Catlett (Mercer County, Kentucky, farmer) Legal: Holman R. Crow (Jessamine County, Kentucky, carpenter and livery keeper) Legal: Milton Crow (Grundy County, Missouri, saddler) Legal: Eli Crow (Jessamine County, Kentucky, farmer and merchant) Legal: Elison H. Carter (Mercer County, KY, blacksmith and private 9th KY Cav USA)

“Annual Report of the Auditor of Public Accounts of the State of Kentucky, for the Fiscal Year Ending October 10, 1861,” in 1862 Kentucky Documents, Legislative Document No. 1 (Frankfort, Ky.: Jno. B. Major, State Printer, 1862), 303-08. “Annual Report of the Auditor of Public Accounts of the State of Kentucky, for the Fiscal Year Ending October 10, 1862,” in 1863 Kentucky Documents, Legislative Document No. 24 (Frankfort, Ky.: Wm. E. Hughes, State Printer, 1863), 298-306. “Annual Report of the Auditor of Public Accounts of the State of Kentucky, for the Fiscal Year Ending October 10, 1863,” in 1864 Kentucky Documents, Legislative Document No. 10 (Frankfort, Ky.: Wm. E. Hughes, State Printer, 1864), 301-06. “Annual Report of the Auditor of Public Accounts of the State of Kentucky, for the Fiscal Year Ending October 10, 1864,” in 1865 Kentucky Documents, Legislative Document No. 1 (Frankfort, Ky.: George D. Prentice, State Printer, 1865), 9-12. “Annual Report of the Auditor of Public Accounts of the State of Kentucky, for the Fiscal Year Ending October 10, 1865,” in 1865/66 Kentucky Documents, Legislative Document No. 1 (Frankfort, Ky.: George D. Prentice, State Printer, 1866), 9-12. “Annual Report of the Auditor of Public Accounts of the State of Kentucky, for the Fiscal Year Ending October 10, 1866,” in 1866 Kentucky Documents, Legislative Document No. 1 (Frankfort, Ky.: John H. Harney, Public Printer, 1866), 347-50. Commonwealth of Kentucky O001025 1792 Categories: Organizations

Administrative body of the state of Kentucky. Capital at Frankfort, Kentucky. Governor(s): Beriah Magoffin (1859-1862), James F. Robinson (1862-1863), and Thomas E. Bramlette (1863-1867).

Paul Blanchard, "Office of Governor" in The Kentucky Encyclopedia, John E. Kleber, ed. (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1992), 380. Malcolm E. Jewell, "General Assembly" in The Kentucky Encyclopedia, John E. Kleber, ed. (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1992), 366. Paul J. Weber, "Court System" in The Kentucky Encyclopedia, John E. Kleber, ed. (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1992), 233. Mercer County, Kentucky Petition English Version 2 of page "1": Changes to page transcript. Version 1 of page "2": Changes to page transcript. Version 0 of page "2": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile. Version 1 of page "1": Changes to page transcript. Version 0 of page "1": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile.
1

Mercer County Sct To the Governor of Kentucky

Your Petitioner Thos Edwards states he is County Judge of Mercer County that James Lawson is indicted in the Mercer Circuit Court for feloniously murdering one Bud" Bosley & has fled from justice & is now running at large to the great terror of the good citizens of this Commonwealth

The killing of Bosly by Lawson was without any provocation whatever & was in law & fact a most outrageous murder -- Lawson is a desperado who defies all law civil & military

The ends of justice cannot be satisfied without his arrest which cannot be accomplished without a reward of at least the full amount authorized by law being offered- Peace has come but order cannot be restored till those who are lawbreakers are made to feel the penalties of the Law, I most humbly but most earnestly petition

2

Your Excellency to offer a reward of Five Hundred Dollars for the apprehension of this despeate outlaw & his delivery to the Jailer of Mercer County to answer this most flagrant Murder -- & as in duty bound will ever pray &c

Thos Edwards Presiding Judge of Mercer County

Reward of $300. Jas Lawson for murder of Bud Bosley Mercer Co 23d Nov/65