Early Governors' Papers

To his Excellency Samuel Houston Governor in and over the State of Tennessee -

Your petitioners the undersigned beg leave moast [sic] respectfully to represent to your Excellency, that at the present term of the Circuit court for Wilson County James Nelms was tried and convicted upon the charge of stealing and disposing of certain Negres [sic] Slaves- Many of the undersigned heard the evidence in the cause and all are acquainted with the prominent facts in the case and although it is common in applications of this kind to express opinions in favour of Executive Clemency they cannot forbear to say that if a case ever occured in any Country which loudly demand the merciful interposition of the pardoning Power of the Goverment this is one; the law under which he was convicted to say the least of it, is a most sangunary [sic] one we conceive that the [dispersing?] power vested in your Excellency could never be exercised with ^more obvious propriety than in the present case - It is litteraly true that the whole County of the prisoners residence desire most ardently his pardon -

The evidence ^in the cause together with circumstances which have come to the knowedge of Society since the trial have produced a setled [sic] conviction that he took the Negros to Murray where he sold them as the agent of one Noah Walker who has for years asserted and still asserts a cliam [sic] to them -

He left home about 4 oclock in the evening traveled openly on the publick [sic] road he sold them and returned home in the same way evidencing ^his inocence in his own opinion & his agency for Walker- we therefore pray that your Excellency will Graciously interpose ^by pardoning the said Nelms-

and as in duty bound we will ever pray &c-

1 Nicholas Edwards 2 Archer Clay 3 John Mitchell 4 Zadok Mitchell 5 Anderson Lambeth 6 Jesse Johnson

7 Jacob May 8 Israel Moore 9 Butler Arnold Capt 10 John L miller 11 James Cook 12 J S [phowes?] 13 M. [Offork? O Hank?]