Early Governors' Papers

To his Excellency Samuel Houston Esqr Governor in & over the State of Tennessee

Your petitioners represent that at the April Term 1828 of Circuit Court for Wilson County James Nelms, was convicted for stealing away two or three Slaves the property of one Thomas Holman,

From the facts, as they were proved on the trial, it appeard, as your petitioners are informed doubtful, whether the Slaves were not carried of by Nelms, as the agent of one Noah Walker - who claimed the Slaves as his own, and had been, frequently heard to say he would have the slaves, and offered to sell them- From the unfortunate situation in which Nelms was placed, he was unable to prove the connexion between himself and Walker- though the neighborhood in which he lives, universally believe such to be the fact- had this fact been proved, -clearly- there could have been no doubt of his acquittal as it is supposed he believed Walker had an honest claim to the ngroes - He was sentenced to be hung on the first Saturday after 4^th Monday in June next -

He is poor- and has left a wife and seven Children - who are dependant on him for ^their supportThis fact, your petitioners are aware, is not a legitimate ground, to solicit a pardon,- for every man be his situation what it may, should be amenable to the laws of his country - and should suffer when he wilfully & knowingly violates them - But in a case like the present, when a large - a very large majority of the bystanders - believed he ought

Allen Powell 78 Thomas Pemberton 79 W^m Cummings 80 W R D Shipps 81 Meradith Robenson 82 Alfred. M. Wright 83 T L Allison 84

G. H. Hancock - 120 J B [Guthrie?] - 122 Elum Reed - 123 thomas B green - 124 John Fields 125 Wyatt H. Scott 126 Thomas S. Green 127