Early Governors' Papers

Greeneville July 28^th 1818

Sir,

inclosed is the deposition of W^m K Vance Jailor of Greene County, showing that on the night of the 21^st Inst the Jail was broken open and the following prisoners made their escape,

Michael Hill charged with the wilful murder of Henry Brown - Hill is about 28 years old 5 feet 6 or 8 Inches high well made, fair complection light hair inclining to curl, grey Eyes. an Insolent countenance and by occupation a farmer

James M^cGill, charged with stealing one bay mare & sundry articles of clothing the property of James Courtney M^cGill is about 17 years of age, fair complection, his lip has the appearance of a hair lip that has been [served?] up a [balorir?]

State of Tennessee Greene County

This day personally appeared before me Joseph Brown an acting Justice of the peace for s^d County W^m K Vance, Jailor for said County, who being duly Sworn, according to Law, deposeth, and saith, that on the night of the 21^st July (Inst) the Jail of this County was forcibly broken open when the following described prisoners made their escape there from (To wit) Michael Hill charged with the wilfull murder of Henry Brown

James M^cGill charged with Stealing one bay mare & sundry articles of Clothing the property of James Courtney.

Thomas Ferguson Jun^r charged with stealing one curb bridle with a plated bit the property of Cornelius Newman

W^m K Vance Jailor

Sworn to & subscribed before me the 29^th of July 1818 Joseph Brown Justice of the peace

His Excellency Joseph M^cMinn Governor of the State of Tennessee

The petition of the undersigned respectfully represent To Your Excellency that at this present Term of the Circuit Court of Law for Greene County a certain James M^cGill charged with the commission of Simple Larceny was tried & convicted thereof and as part of his sentence was ordered to be taken to the public whipping post on the 2^nd day of October next and there receive five lashes on his bare back which sentence, although unavoidable from the proof of yet we [your? ?] for the following reasons would earnestly solicit Executive interfereance [sic] 1^st and principally from the [tender?] years of the culp= prits, his age being about fifteen or sixteen years. - 2^nd that this is the only charge that has been ever made against him and that his character is as good as most of the other poor boys in the neighbourhood 3. he was hired to a Mr. Coatney to labor for him one year that he ran off and took with him a coat pantaloons and shoes of common quality, belonging to Fielding Coatney the son of the man with whom he was hired that on the Sunday before he ran off and took said cloathes [sic] for which he is convicted the pantaloons ^being one garment of which he as convicted for stealing had been loaned To him to wear and which he returned on sunday morning. we your petitioners therefore pray your Excellency to extend pardon to the said James so far as relates to corporal punishment which if granted we request

may be forwarded to Valentine Sevier Clerk of sd Court at Greeneville immediately so as to exempt said James from the (?) attached to such punishment And your (illegible) &c Greeneville 9^th Sepr 1818 Jonn Blair S. [Powel?] Joseph Hamilton Geo. T. Gillespie WM Bayles Wm B. [Reese?]

Greeneville Ten 11 September 1818

Paid 18^1/2

His Excellency Joseph M^cMinn Murfreesborough West Tennessee

mail

James McGill Received 17^th Sep 1818 application for Pardon Come too late to [?] 1818 Greene Co.