<title type="main">B. M. Cunningham 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-0001-020-0804 MG19-264 to MG19-265

Harrodsburg, Mercer County, Kentucky Harrodsburg, Mercer County, Kentucky 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 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.
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To his Excellency the Governor of Kentucky

Your petitioner B M Cunningham respectfully states to your Excellency that on the day of February 1861 a judgment was rendered against him in the Police Court of Harrodsburg for $10 as a fine for an alledged Breach of the peace. He states that ^at the time^ upon the trial had of him upon said charge he was sick in bed and unable to attend to his defense, which he has no doubt he could have done successfully had he been able to attend at the trial. He states here the facts upon which said charge was made against him as they really occurred. He was in company with one James Patterson who had a fight with one John Chinn at the house of said Chinn he had gone there with said Patterson without any intention or expectation of a difficulty, and so far as he knew Patterson himself was friendly with Chinn and on his part had no thoughts of any between himself and sd Chinn. He states that while there an altercation of words took place growing out of occurrences ^and causes^ which which then and there first had a beginning, and ended in a fight between them ^Patterson & Chinn^ he your petitioner had no part nor hand in it struck no blows nor attempted nor threatened to strike, neither was he struck. After he was out of the house, seeing the violence of Chinn, and the fight at intervals still kept up between them, he did take up an axe but never used nor attempted to use it nor did he intend in any event to use it in hostilely toward sd Chinn nor any other person unless it should become necessary to do so in self

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defence but happily no such necessity arose. ^And this and none other is your petitioner's case in which sd Judgment was rendered^

Your petitioner states that he is a young person in his twenty first year averse to fighting and publick disturbances and feels equally averse to paying a fine for an offense of which he is not guilty and very respectfully prays for the interposition of your executive clemency and to be released from paying said fine

B M Cunningham

State of Kentucky Mercer County.

Personally came before me J P Haggin Examiner for Mercer County the above B M Cunningham whose name is subscribed to the above petition and made oath that he believes the statements thein contained are true.

Jno P Haggin Examiner

To his Excellency the Governor

The undersigned was counsel and attorney for James Patterson at the trials of him and B M Cunningham and present and heard the evidence on the day of February 1861 before the Police Court of Harrodsburg charged with breaking the Publick Peace on the day of 1861 and the evidence there adduced disclosed substantially the state of case and facts so far as sd Cunningham was concerned which he has stated in his petition. And believing his petition one of merit and strong claims to your clemency most respectfully unites in the prayer made as above by him the

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said Cunningham

Jno P Haggin

To his Excellency the Governor

The undersigned unite in the prayer of the foregoing petition of B M Cunningham

James Harlan Jr O S Poston

I was present at the trials of Jas Patterson and B M Cunningham alluded to in the foregoing petition of sd Cunningham and heard the evidence there adduced and the case circumstances and facts there disclosed by the evidence was substantially the same which sd Cunningham has stated as above.

I consider his case one meriting the clemency of the Governor and very willingly unite in the prayer of the petition of sd Cunningham

John Slavens

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Harrodsburg Po. Ct B M Cunningham to } Petition The Governor

Respite 12 months

$10 } Breach IssdMar 14. 1861