Early Governors' Papers

To his Excellency Sam Houston Governor of the state of Tennessee.

Your petitioners of Williamson county respectfully represent unto your Excellency that in a reencounter a short time since between Joel S Childress & Winson Edny of this county the said Edny received a slight wound from Childress for which Childress has been sentenced by the circuit court at the present term to thirty days imprisonment ^& a fine of ten dollars & costs. Your petitioners further represent that there was nothing about the stabbing of a deliberate & malicious nature, but that it was done in a moment of violent passion arising from Childresss having been knocked down & stamped by Edny. Your Petitioners further represent that the wound was not of a dangerous character. Your Petitioners further represent that Childress has been known to many of them for years having been raised in this county since a child & up to the median of life has uniformly supported the character of a peaceable & orderly citizen & that this is the first time That he has been the concerned in a breach of the peace. Petitioners further represent that M^r Childress is the jailer of Williamson County and collector of the Taxes for the corporation of Franklin on which account the public concerns would be likely to suffer materially from his detention in prison. For these reasons Your Petitioners cannot but beleive that M^r Childress is a fit subject for the exercise of gubernatorial mercy and therefore pray your Excellency to remit that part of the sentence of the court which subjects him to imprisonment.

M C [Degraffeurius?] Jona Rothroek Thos Reynolds James Rice Robert C Foster Jr L B M^cCormick R P [Currin?] Thos Montgomery J. A. M. C. Stewart