<title type="main">R. S. Ratcliffe 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, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862 KYR-0001-020-0508 MG18-287 to MG18-288

Smithland, Livingston County, Kentucky Smithland, Livingston County, Kentucky 1861-01-19 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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Smithland Jany 19th 1861 His Excellency B Magoffin Governor of Ky

Der Sir at the last Term of the Livingston Circuit Court Mr H C Murry a citizen and steam Boat Builder at Paducah McCrackin County was fined One Hundred Dollars for Permiting a fence to Remain a Cross the Public Road

The circumstances are these Mr Murry Living at Paducah Bough a saw Mill on the Ohio River in Livingston County that in fencing up a lot or a small field they had Run it a cross where and old Road had been established for propabily fifty years but the old Ferry had been Discontinued for a number years and the Road was Onely used for those going to the River or mill and the hands at the Mill seemed to knot know there was any County Road there the proof showed there was plenty of Room and Just as near to go along by the side of the fence and that no invonveinance was intended

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or done any One

yet they Jury seeme to feel they had no Discretion and found him guilty of obstructing the Road One Hundred Days Now we would say that Mr Murry is a very Industrious mecanick and would not knowingly violate the Law- and further that the County Court amediately made an Order changing the Road where it had been turned by the building of the fence. Under these circumstancees We beleive this to be a case calling for executive interference and Do hope you will at Once Remit the fine as the sheriff is pressing him for the Money which is verry dificul Rare under the present state of affairs

Your OBT servt R S Ratcliffe

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I have reviewed the statements made in the foregoing letter and find them to be corrct I defended the case for Mr Murry There is one additional fact to consideration. The fence had been built across the road before Murry purchased the land and there was no proof he had knowledge of the road being there until long after he had purchased the land

W. P. Fowler

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Livingston Cir. Ct $100. } H. C. Murry

Remission Issd Jany 30. 1861