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Nashville No 17 (?)
To His Excellency Neil S Brown Esq Governor of Tennessee
Sir,
I have the honor of enclosing to you a letter recently received by me from the unfortunate young man of whom it was my privilege and my duty to speak to you some weeks since. It was placed in my hands one of the officers of the prison, who would no doubt, have witheld it had he not been convinced, as well so as other officers, that the good conduct of the prisoner during his incarceration entitled (?) to the consideration of the execution.
I have not made myself fully acquainted with all the details of the facts in this young man's case, but I feel persuaded that under the circumstances of his convviction, if (?) is ever extended, his case lays a claim to be embraced by it. The officer (?) prison moreover attend to his (? excellency) conduct and it was through their praise of him that attention was drawn to him, in (?); for
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have always been careful not to infringe the privilege granted me of teaching the convicts from Sab-bath to Sabbath, by interfering with the discipline of the prison in any way by noting one prisoner more than another; during the fourteen months I have been a constant visitor there, the prisoner in question is the onl one with whom I have ever interchanged a word.
I am aware that you will require no appeal to your feelings when the wife and children of the prisoner have already been in your presence. The (expiration?) of the second year of the sentence will be on the fifth or or eight of January, if I am correctly informed.
Although I knew you you would require no other motive to pardon him than your own sense of justice and natural benevolence, yet having prom-ised the prisoner to speak in his behalf, I have now acquitted myself of the pledge I made to him. Leaving him and his case in your hands, Sir, I now by have to (subscribe?) myself.
Your Excellency ObdServt JH (?)
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To
His Excellency
Nil S. Brown, Esq. Govenor of Tennessee
