Early Governors' Papers

Murfreesboro 28^th Sept^r 1819

May it please your Excellency

The undersigned contractors for transporting the U S Mail from Knoxville to Sparta beg leave respectfully to represent that they labor under considerable disadvantages arising from the rough state of that part of the road called the Turnpike, by which numbers who would otherwise prefer traveling in the stage are deterred therefrom and indeed were they to offer they could not to be carried with safety as it is evident were the stages to take in as many on that road as is usual on other roads they must frequently break down and many failures of the mail be thereby incurred

The Officers of the Gen^l Post office Dep^t complain that the support of a line of stages from Knoxville to Sparta not being productive of passage money bears heavy on that office and have lately sent an agent to examine the state of those roads and report whether in his judgment stages can be run ^therein with certainty

That Agent has reported the roads in general much out of repair and that the part of the road that is called the Turnpike

Sparta April 3^d 1827

Dear Sir

On sunday night the 1^st of this instant there was three prisoners broke out of our Jail and made their escape so far as yet their names and Crimes are as follows to wt Robert E Lowry is Charged for the Murder of John Anderson of this county & is thought to be a very agrivated [sic] offence

Willis Mullins has been found Gilty [sic] of the Murder of a Certain Henry Ridley of Jackson County & appealed from the Judgement of the Circuit Court to the Supream [sic] Court held at Sparta & has had a hearing in said Court two of the Judges gave their Opinions in his case ^one in Confirmation of the Judgement below & the other was for Granting a new trial. Judge Catron sus =pended his Opinion untill [sic] the next Term of the Supream [sic] Court -

Jeremiah W Beshears Was Tried at our last Term of the Circuit Court for the Murder of Putiman Jones & Was found Gilty [sic] of Man Slaughtitor [sic] & Was sentenced to be branded and imprisoned 7 Months - he has recieved his brand and about one Month of his imprisonment -

Robert E Lowry is a man about ^40 years of age six feet high rather slim built of particular Noticed one of his eyes is larger than the other inclined to be Ball [sic] headed Very heavy eye brows - his eys [sic] smartly sunk and Stone Mason by Occupation had on dark Janes Clothing

Willis Mullins is about 28 or 30 years of age and is the same that has broke out of Gainsborough & Monrow Jails he is Very Corpulant of his age has blue eyes

J. Jett Sheriff of White County. April 3. 1827. In regard to the escape of Robt Lowery from Jail.

Sparta T April 5

12 ^1/2

Gov. William Carroll Nashville Ten

Mail

Sparta 2^nd July 1827

Dr Sir

enclosed you have the resignation of Joel D Mitchell entrytaker of this County and believing you are not acqu=ainted with any person who would accept of the executive appointment I will take the liberty of nameing [sic] to you, John H. Anderson, son of Matthias Anderson [sen^d?] and will reefer [sic] you to Judge Catron & mr Gibbs for further information the office is [lent?] of [?] value at this time yet an entrytaker is constantly wanted, and an early appointment of some person would be desireable, yours respectfully

Anthony Diorell

Sparta July 2^nd 1827.

To his Excelency [sic] William Carroll Govenor [sic] of The state of Tennessee

Dr Sir

haveing [sic] been appointed entry taker for the county of white at the session of the Legislature in 1823 and having removed from this County do hereby resign my office as entrytaker of same County.

Joel D Mitchell