William Wallace to Beriah Magoffin

KYR-0001-020-1058.xml

Metadata
Citation
Download

Accession Number

KYR-0001-020-1058

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

MG20-150 to MG20-151

Place of Creation

Greensburg, Green County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

26 May 1861

Dates Mentioned

1861-02

1860-08

1861

1861-05-26

1861-06-24

William Wallace to Beriah Magoffin, 26 May 1861, Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Petitions for Pardons and Remissions, 1859-1862, MG20-150 to MG20-151, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, KY. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-020-1058, (accessed November 4, 2025).

Download XML

Greensburg Green County Ky
To. his Excellency. Governor Magoffin

Your petitioner William Wallace would most respectfully state to your Excellency that at the February Term last of the Green Circuit Court there was a forfeiture of a Bail Bond taken against him as the Security for the appearance of one Thomas Skaggs in said Court to answer the Charge of a Misdemeanor the amount of which bond was for $350.00 ^cts -- He States. that he was well satisfied that Skaggs was innocent of the charge which was for injuring Stock, he was a poor boy, Just about the age of maturity the son of a poor and dependant Widow the family dependant upon their daily labor for support and Especially upon this unfortunate young man. -- he was arrested and being too obscure and poor to give the necessary bail he was lodged in Jail. and there lay untill court came on in August 1860. when the case was Called ~~and~~ being Concious of his innocence he went into trial and after proceeding with the case the Comths. attorney dismissed the prosecution, but upon his motion the court ruled that the Deft Skaggs Should stand upon his recognisance untill the Feby Term 1861.

Your petitioner being moved by his Sympathy for this boy and satisfied of his innocence, agreed to stand as Bail, the amt of which was fixed at $350. and by this he restored the Deft to his liberty. He states that he has known this boy Skaggs from his infancy up through all his life he is and has all along borne the character of an easy good natured innoffensive obedient boy. and your petitioner has no
motive, or design or intention of screening this boy from any Just punishment, in going in this Bail Bond but being moved with sympathy for him and his poor widowed mother he was induced to lend his name to release the Deft from what he most concienciously believed to be a false Charge ^&^ by which he could be restored to his liberty

The Deft Skaggs for some Cause unknown to your petitioner and without his knowledge or directions advice or consent failed to appear at the 1^st day of the Feby Term 1861. and a forfeiture of said bond was taken against your petitioner. -- He states that the informer or prosecutor in the case against Skaggs at the February Term and before that, became satisfied of the innocence of Skaggs, and if the trial had been called and Skaggs had appeared at the said Feby Term, the Case would have been abandoned by the prosecutor and ordered to be dismissed indeed, your petitioner is of opinion that the prosecutor himself induced the said Deft to believe that no further Steps would be taken against him and that he ^need not^ be alarmed about the Case and on this account the Defendant concluded, that it was not important to appear and on this account your petitioner entertained no fears atall about his liability -- But so it is as the Deft did not answer at the Calling of the Cause immediately, and in the absence of your petitioner the Bond was forfeited,

Your petitioner states that he himself
is a poor man. he is not blessed with many of the good things of this world. he has a large and helpless family who claim and really need all his help. and all his means. and if he is now compelled to pay this forfeited Bond it will take from his wife and whildren that which they must inevitably suffer for the want of, ~~and~~ although he has but little estate to boast of yet he has the satesfaction of knoing that, what little he has he is willing to Divide with Suffering humanity Wherever he is convinced it is charitably bestowed

He states that the Deft Skaggs is wholly unable to reimburse him in this forfeiture and the whole loss, will fall upon your petitioner, your petitioner states, that your Excellency he supposes, is too will apprised of the suffering condition of the county at this time to speake of it in detail.. The distressed condition of the people on account of the money pressure. the great fall in the price of property the great Drouth the last season. has pressed your petitioner down. to the last Extremity

He therefore prays your Excellency to take his case into your favorable comendation.. and release him from the payment of said sum. to pay which will ruin him, and will not Enrich the Commonwealth for which and in duty bound he will ever feel grateful and thankful

W^m Wallace

Subscribed and acknowledged before me this 26 may 1861.

S A Spencer J P G C

William Wallace
To } Petition
Governor of Ky

Remitted
B. M.

June 24. Iss^d

Enclose to Spencer.

Early Access is a work in progress. Help us improve our edition by suggesting a correction for this document.

Suggest a correction