Edwin Clark to Beriah Magoffin

KYR-0001-020-0817.xml

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Accession Number

KYR-0001-020-0817

Document Genre

Correspondence

Repository

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Collection

Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862

Item Location

MG19-283-1 to MG19-284

Place of Creation

Whitesburg, Letcher County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

19 March 1861

Edwin Clark to Beriah Magoffin, 19 March 1861, Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862, MG19-283-1 to MG19-284, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, KY. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-020-0817, (accessed April 19, 2025).

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Whitesburg Letcher Co. Ky. March 19^th 1861
Mr. B. Magoffin Dere sir,

I am requested by mr. William Nash to write you and gave you a history of hs case -- on which he has sent you a pettion, asking you to releas him from paying 400 dollars on a forfeited bond of Samuel Ramsey, to which said Nash is securety. He feels himself a greved by the judgment rendered on the forfeited bond against him. And truely sir I beleave he is agreved, and that by a portion of the men of this County, the nature of the case is this, sum 3 years ago, Samuel Ramsey was interdused as a witnes in a case pendind in the Letcher Quarterly Court, in which thare was a mare in dispute; the nag was unsound as proven, and the man that owned her lived with Ramsey. Ramsey beleaving she had the glanders and in order to git her out of the Country agreed to give Moses Adams, (the oner of the nag) 15 busl of corn for her, and in a short time after he bought the nag he paid the 15 bushels of corn as he agreed to do. Ramsey took the mare to vergnna and traded her for an old mote on one mr. Huff who was reley worth nothing.

Adams then said Gilley the man that Adams got the mare of, for fraud, Ramsey was interdused as a witnes to to prove the unsound_nis of the mare and her value; when he swore truley to her condition, value and what he gave for her. After the testamoney
was through with, the jurey retired to there room to make there verdict. After being thare sum time, Ramsey was called in there room and asked the question as he thoug (so he informed me on his triel before the Examining court) what he (Ramsey) got for the mare; to which he replied nothing the way things turned out; and gave the reson as having tragded her for a worthless note.

Thare was nothing charged against Rmsey for something like a year after that; when the above named Moses Adams was a rested for purgery, and Ramsey together with mayny other good citizens of of Letcher county was indtedused as witneses in behalf of the Commonwealth and proved him guilty of the charge; but one of the Court (being a relitive by marriedg) refused to find him guilty. No suner was he releaced, than George W. Adams a sone of moses Adams had Ramsey arested for the statements he made before the jurey treing the sivel case case betwen Adames & Gilley whilst in there ~~[...]~~ rooms. Those of the jurey who was Adamses friends, was interdused in behalf of the Commonwealth and proved that Ramsey stated that Adams got nothing for the mare georg W. Adams was then interdused and proved that Moses Adams receved 15 bushels of corn; the impartiel portion of the jurey was then interdused and proved that he was not asked what Adams got, but the questan was; what he (Ramsey) got for the mare. Ramsey was held to bale.
in the sum of 400 dollars with nash his securety. I will not detane you further -- than to say that I have been an eye witnes to the hole transaction and I here say to you that I am satisfied beyond a doubt that Ramsey was faulsely prosecu-ted, and that William Nash seeing the corruption that was going on, he was in dused to go in the bond with him. beleaving that he would stand his trial, and I have no doubt, that if it had not been for the helish plots that was making against him by the clan, that he would have ateared in dischaarge of his Bond. But he has flad the Commonwealth and Nash is left to suffer from a judgment rendered on th forfeited Bond. I beleave that Ramsey was inocent of the charge, the commonwealth was not ingered, and thare is non to suffer but Nash; and I now ask you if you can do any thing without doing your self a rong; releas the old man from paying the 400 dollars

yours truley
Edwin Clark

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