<title type="main">S. M. Berniss to Beriah Magoffin Edition created from new transcripts of this manuscript. Initial upload of this work's facsimile images and metadata to FromThePage for editing Kentucky Historical Society Digital Collections Administrator of the CWGK Migration transcription project on FromThePage Kentucky Historical Society Digital Collections Kentucky Historical Society Digital Collections made 4 edits between June 22, 2025 and June 22, 2025. Dynamic TEI export from FromThePage (version 22.10)

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 November 11, 2025 Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Civil Appointments, 1859-1862 KYR-0001-017-0516 MG4-536 to MG4-537

Clarksville, Montgomery County, Tennessee Clarksville, Montgomery County, Tennessee 1862-08-16 Correspondence English Version 1 of page "4": Changes to page transcript. Version 0 of page "4": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile. Version 1 of page "3": Changes to page transcript. Version 1 of page "2": Changes to page transcript. Version 0 of page "3": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile. 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.
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Clarksville Tenn. August 16th 1862 Hon. B. Magoffin Gov. Ky -- Sir.

Two years ago Your Excellency was pleased to bestow upon me the office of Registrar of the State of Kentucky -- an appointment to me the most grateful within your bestowal: and one in the discharge of whose duties I felt unusual interest and pride, The returns for 1859 were made up in conformity with custom and submitted to your Excellency within the usual period, and I have now to report to you the cause of so great much delay in making up those for 1860. First the excited political condition of the state and derangement of the mails occasioned delay in forwarding the returns to Frankfort; next the tabulated portions of the work were completed and I only awaited the arrivals of the similar works ordered from other states and from Europe, that I might by aid of comparison

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with their results, elicit in the most advantageous manner the questions of political economy or sanitary science involved in the returns, At this time however I received information from a prominent member of the "Union" party that an order for my arrest had been issued by the Military Governor, and that I was in momentary danger of imprisonment, Feeling that I could not Conscientiously take the form of oath which the party now in power prescribes to their political opponents. I have fled the state for I saw no other mode of escape from the only alternative offered me of incarceration or degrading submission to sworn obligations which to my belief positively controvert the leading principles of our Government,

Your Excellency will permit me to state here that the only charge upon which the Military Governor sought my arrest was that of "Talking," and to further aver that the only language I can call to mind calculated to provoke this act of tryranny was

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a declaration of my belief that the Government would not be administered with a national spirit so as to ensure security and tranquility, until the present administration was removed from power and the abolition, Republican or So styled "Union" party was overthrown and the Democratic party reinstated,

Your Excellency will please accept this report as containing the causes for my delay in the discharge of an important duty and as further showing that I am not able to place a limit upon this delay, since upon correspondence thro, a third person, with the military authorities at Louisville they deny me the right to return to my home and usual pursuits unless I agree to take an objectionable oath and give bond like a felon for future conduct,

I pray Your Excellency to bestow upon this report such consideration and action as your high sense of justice and true "rigors of the times" may indicate,

Respectfully Your Excellency's Most obedient servant S. M. Berniss State Registrar

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Dr. Berniss

Report
Filed Aug 25. 1862