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Carthage Tennessee 28th Septr. 1819
His Excellency
This will be handed you by a young man whose name is Parsons. his business is to carry you a Petition for the pardon of a young man who was found Guilty of man slaughter and and sentenced to be Brand =ed, the small acquaintance I have with you emboldens me to address you on the subject, I live within two miles of where the man was killd. I was present at the trial first had before two Justices and I [illegible] declare to you that the Testimony was such that had I have been one of the Justices I would have discharged the prisoner. but sir one of the Justices who committed him was connected by marriage to the man killd. and no Bail would be taken. This Justice and the man killd. has a large connection of relatives in the county which would have been a sufficient cause for changing the venue but the prisioner being confident of his Justification went into the trial I believe there was not more than five or six witnesses and three of them men the son of the man killd. who went with their father near a Quarter of a mile purposely to see that there father would come and Triumphant in the intended contest. I heard all this Testimony on the next morning after the fatal wounds were given which was convincing proof to me of Mr [Flands?] Justification a large number of signers are to this petition nearly all the grand Jury who found the Bill amongst them are a number of your acquiaintances. should your Excellency grant a pardon I
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have not the smallest doubt of its being Just. I am no way related to either of the parties but speak what I know to be a fact that the Greater Majority of this people thinks him Justifyd. and but for this Testimony on the final trial being much stronger than at first he would not have been found Guilty I am with sentiments of Esteem
your Obt Sert.