<title type="main">John R. Brown et al. 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 3 edits between June 22, 2025 and June 22, 2025. Dynamic TEI export from FromThePage (version 22.10)

This image and transcription is publicly accessible. The image appears courtesy of the repository named in the Source Description. The transcription and annotation were undertaken by Kentucky Historical Society staff, volunteers, and interns. If referencing this document title, accession number, and permanent URL.

 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-0001-020-0788 MG19-227 to MG19-228

Petition English Version 1 of page "3": Changes to page transcript. Version 0 of page "3": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile. Version 1 of page "2": Changes to page transcript. Version 1 of page "1": Changes to page transcript. Version 0 of page "2": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile. Version 0 of page "1": Empty transcript -- probably initial upload of page facsimile.
1

To his Excellency B Magoffin Governor of Kentucky

Your petitioners citizens of Chrstian County would respectfully represent to your excellency that the present March term of the Christian Circuit Court Johnathon Greer was tried on an indictment agst him for murder that the Jury acquitted him for murder but found him guilty of manslaughter and fixed his punishment by confinement in the penetentiary for a period of five years.

Now your petitioners will state that said Greer is an Old man being about Sixty years of age having a large family of children that he was involved in the fight or affray in which Adison Ferrill (for killing of whom he was tried was killed that the proof on the trial established the fact that Stephen Shelton who was also killed in the same affray by Abner Greer a son of said Johnathon Greer and said Abner who was very dangerously wounded by Shelton were engaged firing with pistols at each other that they both fell that Ferrill after they fell was in pursuit of William Greer who was unarmed and firing at said William (who was also a Son of Johnathan Greer) that Johnathan Greer the father having his rifle gun in his hands & being himself severely wounded by a pistol shot his Son Abner shot down & Ferrill pursuing & firing at his son William who was unarmed & retreating fired upon said Ferrill & killed him which ended the affray

Now your petitioners taking into consideration all the circumstances in the case the relation of father & child that existed between Johnathan Greer & his sons Abner & William fully appreciating the parental feelings of said Johnathan Greer at the time of the killing cannot but think that it is a case addressing itself with peculiar force and favor to the consideration of your Excellency and the more readily urge his cause before your Excellency for the reason that Johnathon Greer has lived in our midst from early youth to old age & has ever borne the character of a peaceable quiet sober & industrious citizen a good neighbour a fine friend and a kind & affectionate husband & father

Taking all things into consideration we respectfully

2

present his case to the favourable consideration of your excellency & earnestly ask for him a full & free pardon believing as we do that such an act of clemency would meet with the hearty approval of an overwhelming majority of the best citizens of the Country.

John R. Brown H. L. Tohmlinson Thos H Long John. E. Mccord R. W. Henry Henry Ladd R. Jones Y. G. Cravens A. J. Trainer Will. J. Dickinson P. L. Torian James M. Overbey George Lewis Robt Walles John. H. Mason Charles A. Duff Wm Tayler J C Hargraves R Dale T H Corbin A. C. Erirshiner R. K. McKae James S Shaw James harmon G. M. key John. R. Maddutt Plesant. Blankinship G. W. fleming J. B. Boyd B T Wood R. W. Smart Craddock Eliot B. T. Wood Jr. N Y Owen James Anderson W. H. Anderson C J Hennly D. McCalester J D Morrse D A. Torian A G Bronn A W. M. E. Hartman Wesley Reed George Golay James Covington Robt. Covington Aron Morgan James B S Dane W. H. Rickman Richard Witty Thos Warren J E Summers E H Hopson R C. Thurmond

3

C Tonson jr O T Torian J. F. Casky Edmund Casky Thomas Hofer S. F Yancey W W Daniel