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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-0001-020-2380 MG25-169 to MG25-172

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To his Excellency the Govorner of the commonwealth of Kentucky, Your Petitioners would respectfully, represent unto Your Excellency. That the Commonwealth of Kentucky ^at^ the present June Term of the Caldwell circuit court recovered a Judgement ^James Williams^ against W H Calvert Administrator of Jesse Williams & others for the sum of four thousand dollars, upon a forfeited recognizance which decedent Jesse Williams & others entered into to the Commonwealth for the appearance of James Williams, at the september term of the Caldwell Circuit ^court^ 1859 to answer an indictment against him for murder in said court, Now Your Petitioners state, that they verily believe from their knowledge of the circumstances under the killing took place, for which the said indictment for murder was found, that said James would have made his personal appearance in said court at said September Term and would have surrendered himself into the custody of said court in discharge of said recognisance, Had it not been, That in the forepart of the month of August 1859 A. company of men formed themselves together in the county of Caldwell, which company was called Regulaters, that said company or other persons went to the Residence of Jesse Williams one of the surities in said recognizance, and took him into their custody, and that the said Jesse Williams about the 16th day of August 1859 was in the night time taken away, and when next found, he was hanging by the neck suspended by a rope to the

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limb of a tree dead, Your Petitioners further state that whilst the said Jesse Williams was so in custody and before he was found hanging dead, a company of men armed with guns and deadly weapons, went in hot haste in pursuit of James Williams, and persued him from the County of Caldwell into the County of Union to a place called Clay Village, and from thence to the Town of Morganfield in said county, and that the said James through fear that said company of armed men called regulaters would hang him or commit a felony upon his person, fled from the state of Kentucky and has not been back since, and your Petitioners state that they have not heard from the said James, since he was compelled to leave, from any reliable source, Your Petitioners State that they verily believe, that if said company of regulators had caught said James they would have hung him until he was dead or committed a felony upon his person. Your Petitioners further state that they verily believe it was not through contempt or disregard to the authority or the laws of the commonwealth that said James did not make his personal appearance and surrender himself in discharge of his recognizance ^as he had done at two previous Terms of this court^ But that it was through fear that he would be hung on that great bodily harm would be done him by said company of regulators if he had made his appearance in discharge of his recognizance Your

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Petitioners state that they verily believe that if said James was to make his appearance in said county that said company of Regulators would now hang him, or do him some great bodily harm, and that the said james through fear of said company is kept from said county, and from said court Your Petitioners state that they verily believe that this case with all the circumstances by which it is attended, presents strong claims to Executive clemency, and in consideration of the premises they pray your Excellency, to remit that portion of said Judgment, going to the commonwealth of Kentucky. against James & Jesse Williams Your Petitioners would further state that Your Excellency on the Eleventh day of Nov last Respited for twelve months, three Judgements against Jesse Williams recovered by the commonwealth against him as surety on the forfeited recognisances, two of which Judgements was recovered against him on the recognisances of Thomas J and James P Morse, who have since surrendered themselves into court, and have been tried and convicted and are now in the Penitentiary of Kentucky. Also a Judgement of the Commonwealth against James Williams for $185.00, and two Judgements of the Commonwealth against John Williams for $500.00 each all of which will more fully appear in a former Petition now on file in the office of the secretary of state, which the last Judgements were also

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respited by your Excellency for the time aforesaid Your Petitioners state that W H Calvert the Administrator of Jesse Williams has since said respite has paid all costs, and the Commonwealths attorney his portion of said Judgements That there are yet forfeitures against James Williams & W H Calvert Adm of Jesse Williams as surety for about $500.00 on which Judgement has been rendered. That W H Calvert has already paid for James Williams attorneys fees for over one thousand dollars for which his intestate was bound and that there are yet large outstanding debts against said estate besides large amounts of costs and clerk fees yet unpaid Your Petitioners further state that Jesse Williams left nine children five of whom are infants of quite tender age who have yet to be raised and educated That if the estate of Jesse Williams is compelled to pay off and discharge said Judgements fines and forfeitures -- to the commonwealth and the other demands against said Estate it will greatly embarrass said estate and will take the property of said estate which would otherwise belong to said infants and will oppropriate the money of the inocent to liquidate the forfeitures and failures of the guilty -- Your petitioners ^therefore^ Humbly pray your Excellency to remit thsoe fines and forfeitures and those here before respited by your Excellency for your petitioners feel that under all the cir

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cumstances by which this whole ^transaction^ has been attended and the heavy calamities by which this family has been visited, and the severe penalties that some of them have suffered we feel this case presents strong claims to Executive interposition and humbly recommend the whole matter to your Executive clemency Hoping that it may seem mete to your Excellency to remit said fines & forfeitures to the comth

For evidence of the truth of this Petitioner reference is here made to the Petition of James M Harper & others of the inhibits refused theren the said Harper of others bieng Co Sureties in Same Recognizance

James R Howlett W. H. Calvert W. H. Mott Jr D. C. Mitchusson Jr L Pepper G. W. Barbour Will H Miller J. P McGoodwin L. Linsday John Wyler P D Yeiser A H Dudley R. W. Wake F A Wilson Wm H Edmunds -- Jas M Pearce John M, Higgins J. P. Roscoe W W Williams Wm Gash Robert Garrett H McGoodwine W H Revil A,, Dennys Joseph A mott Jas A Cook B. D. Terry A C Black A Reynolds M C, Perryman John Courter James. H. Calvert J R Hayes T. D. Pinner E N Owen

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W. H. Baley C T, Dabney J. J. Wylee J. P. Gracey W E Mitchersson E. P. Watkins S M Miller B J mason W. S Talbott Wm McRobertson Kit Barbour B, N, Dawson J. S. Curry James S. Wylie H M Wetherspoon Jas C. Leech D B Glenn E R Farrow John Spence D C, Witherspoon Robt Lowry George Jenkins Thos Jackson Wil Williamson James M Morse Z. Williamson R W Pickering T A Lowry J B Buckner William Simpson W. F, Trible Mark Scott Thomas Hunter Railous Phelps B F Brown D,, Copeland A C Mayes L McGriger Bob McGoodwin Thomas. S. Johnson Lucus Jenkins William, R Nichels J P Moore B J Spratt J G. Chambers F W C John. M. Crow Walter Pemberton J D martin G G George W, S, George J M Harper R. M. Calvert U. S. Mitchesson E. P. George O M Pool D. M. Kevil James Lester B. J. Grubbs Moses Crow

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G.. W, Tribble J,, W,, Davis A J Moran A Y Crisp R. S. Morn E. N. Blackburn James Cantrell Samuel Dellon Littleton Perry Jim Creekmur William C Landers James. A Greer P,, Conway Jeptha Griffith George. M. Fox Simeon Smith John Wheatly David Leech R. M. Stow