<title type="main">Samuel Landrum 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, 1859-1862 KYR-0001-023-0155 MG1-309 to MG1-310

Hickman, Fulton County, Kentucky Hickman, Fulton County, Kentucky 1862-05-06 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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Hickman Kentucky May 6 1862 To His Excelency Beriah Magoffin Govr of Ky Dear Sir

By the Request of Several Citizens of this County I avail myself of the presant opertunity of addressing you in regard to the Condition of the Civil authorities of our County.

During the Existence of the provisional Government at Bowling Green the officers of this County were Compelld to be sworn in under their Regulation;. Our County judge Sheriff Magistrates Clerks &c

They are now in consequence of that none of them acting. Are their offices vacated by reason of their having taken the oath to support the provisional Government of Ky. being forced to do so when they were Reguarly & Constitutionally elected by the legal voters of the County.

If their offices are vacated will you make appointments to fill the Vacancies untill August next at which time our regular Election Comes on. If so the Citizens of our County desire to Suggest to Your Excelency the names of Such as would meet the approbation of the people as they are desirous of Complying with and Carrying out the Constitution and Laws of

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the Commonwealth of Kentucky

Please let us heare from you at your earliest Convienance upon the Subject mentioned within and much oblige

Very truley your friend Saml Landrum

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County officers compelled by force ^threatenig life^ against their will to take an oath to support an unlawful Provisional Government of Kentucky and who return to their allegiance as soon as the force or danger to life is removed -- may proceed with the exercise of their lawful functions as officers of Ky. But in cases where the incumbents were not so compelled against their will, or where they refuse to act, ^in performance of official duty^ the remedy is to institute such proceedings as will remove the incumbent from office. The Governor has not the power of removal of County officers. The courts have this power. When there is a vacancy by removal from office by the proper authority, death, resignation &c and such vacancy is regularly made known to the Governor, then, where he has the power of appointment or to order Elections he can act in the premises

The August Election will soon transpire -- see Act of Decr 23 1861 as to elections in insurrectionary districts -- with a county Judge a Circuit Court Judge and Commonwealth attorney to start the holding of courts the machinery of civil government may be put in motion.

James Atto Genl

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Saml Landrum

Letter to Gov. Magoffin Atto Genl James' Response May 30th 1862

Refer to Atto General -- B. M.