C. D. Shean to H. G. V. Wintersmith

KYR-0001-005-0009.xml

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Accession Number

KYR-0001-005-0009

Document Genre

Correspondence

Repository

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Collection

Office of the Governor, Thomas E. Bramlette: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Apprehension of Fugitives from Justice Papers, 1863-1867

Item Location

BR7-12

Place of Creation

West Point, Hardin County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

3 November 1863

Dates Mentioned

1863-11-03

--09-30

C. D. Shean to H. G. V. Wintersmith, 3 November 1863, Office of the Governor, Thomas E. Bramlette: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Apprehension of Fugitives from Justice Papers, 1863-1867, BR7-12, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, KY. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-005-0009, (accessed November 4, 2025).

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<< I expect to continue my efforts to arrest the miscreants reward or no reward
C. D. Shean >

West Point Nov. 3^rd 1863
Hon. H. G. V. Wintersmith
Dear Sir,

On the night of the 30^th sept last in Pleasant View Baptist Church on the turnpike road leading from West Point to Elizabeth Town in Hardin County four and a half miles from West Point three men strangers in the neighborhood entered ^into said church^ to stay all night and one of them supposed from writings found with him to be by the name of David A. Hamilton of Glasgow Ky, was foully and dastardly murdered in said church on said night by the other two men whose names are unknown -- The two men who are supposed committed the murder were travelling together in one direction and the murdered man in another who met on the turnpike road about one mile north of the church, when all three ~~returne~~ turned and travelled South on said road to a mans house in about two hundred yards of Said church and tryed to get to stay all night and were not taken in, and then left his house ~~together~~ and went to the church together, where said Hamilton was found seventeen days after.

The two men who were with Hamilton were both young men, one about eighteen or twenty years old and the other twenty or twenty two years old, The youngest one slim made, and the oldest one rather
heavy set, and both with rather light hair, and the oldest with long light or Sandy beard --

The man murdered appeared to have been asleep when he was struck with two bludgeons and then robbed -- There was a light colored cassimere Coat left in the church with blood stains on it supposed to belong to one of the men who done the murder. I believe the two men can be ferretted out and brought to trial before the proper Court of Justice provided there should be an appropriate reward offered by the Governor of the Commonwealth for each one of them say the full extent of the law. See Revised Statutes Sec 22 page 246.

The two men were known not to have any money the evening before the murder was committed and as the two were seen to pass the road the next day there were seen to have some Six dollars,

I consider this the most aggravated, cold blooded and unprovoked murder I ever heard of.

I could give a more minute description of the two men, but believe it would awaken suspicion as to who were suspects and enable them more successfully to elude pursuit or detection. --

I write you thus that you may petition the Governor of the State to offer the limit of the law of a reward for each of the men suspected -- Say to the Governor to enclose me the Commonwealth containing his offer of a reward, and not to publish it in the Louisville papers for the present -- attend to this as soon as you receive this letter

Yours &c.
C. D. Shean

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