1

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 prom-
inent facts in the case and although it is common in applicati-
ons 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?]