Letter from John W. Thompson to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; November 30, 1860

Documents
Letter from John W. Thompson to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; November 30, 1860

Document Network
Document Metadata

Each transcribed document contains links that connect it to other documents on the same topic in the collection.

People

Davis, Reuben, 1813-1890 Falkner, J. W.Falkner, William C. (William Clark), 1825-1889 Gallaway, M. C.Jones, Robert Lamar, L. Q. C. (Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus), 1825-1893 Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867 Thompson, John W.Williams, Samuel

Events

Crime Crime--Manslaughter Criminal Procedure Criminal Procedure--Imprisonment Criminal Procedure--Pardon Wars and Military Conflicts--War of 1812

Organizations

Mississippi--State Penitentiary (Jackson)

Businesses

Davis & Birney (New York, N.Y.)Law Offices Law Offices--Falkner & Falkner, Attorneys at Law (Ripley, Miss.)Miller, O. R. & Company (Ripley, Miss.)Rushton Stone & Company (Philadelphia, Penn.)

Occupations

Judges Lawyers

Places

Mississippi--Monroe County. Aberdeen Mississippi--Neshoba County. Philadelphia Mississippi--Tippah County. Ripley New York--Bronx County. New York Tennessee--Shelby County. Memphis Washington (D.C.)

Social Identifiers

Illiterate Persons Imprisoned people

Page 1

W. C. Falkner [gap] J. W. Falkner
FALKNER & FALKNER,
ATTORNEYS AT LAW,
RIPLEY, MISS.

Will Collect and Secure Debts in all of the Counties in North Mississippi.

REFER TO

Col. M. C. Gallaway, Memphis, Tenn.
Davis & Birney, New York.

Hon. L. Q. C. Lamar, Washington City.
O. R. Miller & Co., Ripley, Miss.

Rushton Stone & Co. Philadelphia.
Hon. Reuben Davis, Aberdeen, Miss.

Ripley, Miss_Nov. 30^th 1860.

Gov. J. J. Pettus

Dr. Sir: I desire to call your attention to the case of Samuel Williams, a convict in the Penitentiary of our State. He was sentenced to 8 yrs imprisonment, & has been confined for more than 7. He is an ignorant man; and was intoxicated when he did the crime of which he was convicted. There are 7 brothers of the Williams, of whom the Convict is One_The People in his neighborhood desire you to pardon this convict,—and I join them in this desire_ His neighbors were talking of getting up a petition to you, but I assured them that my statement would be regarded by you as being true in all respects & shot if you were inclined to exercise the power you would do it on my statement as readily as upon the proposed petition_ I would be glad, if you can reconcile it to your Sense of duty for you to pardon Williams—I have

Page 2

never before, requestion the pardon of any one Sentenced to the penitentiary for crime; & it is leniancy for me to Say most I would not ask you to pardon Williams, if I did not feel that it was right & proper & that the public service would not be injured thereby. His father was a soldier, as I am informed, in the War of 1812 & tho like his son, an illiterate man, was a good soldier Robert Jones, is also a convict, and has been in the penitentiary 4 or 5 years. He is in for man Slaughter—I was appointed to defend him by the court, but his case being put off at the 1^st term, I did not appear in the case for him—Jones has a wife & two Small children,—and is the bravest man that ever entered the walls of a penitentiary & I think he has suffered Enough; & I would be glad if he were released—From present appearances I think we will have one of these two men out—side of the penitentiary—Very truly & Sincerely

Your friend— John W. Thompson

N. B. If you pardon these two men, please tell them that it is done on my Statement and that I recommended their pardon because I know them well, & that I thought they would make good soldiers if freed—

J. W. T.

Page 3

John W. Thompson
for Samuel Williams

Petition for Pardon
Samuel Williams