Lenoir County, NC - Hardee Petition, 1844 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HARDEE PETITION Source: Governor John M. Morehead Papers, Correspondents, Petitions, etc, Jan 1844. Folder July 2, 1844 - July 31, 1844. N. C. State Archives, Raleigh, N. C. Box G.P. 107. Found by Grace Turner who donated it for posting. 4 July 1844 To his Excellency, John M. Morehead Governor of the State of North Carolina The petition of the undersigned citizens of Lenoir County respectfully sheweth unto your Excellency, that at the last Term of the Superior Court of Law & Equity held in & for the County of Lenoir at the Court House in Kinston on the 3rd Monday in March A. D. 1844. His Honor Judge Manly presiding. Thomas Hardee was indicted for an Assault & Battery on the body of one Thomas Evans, tried, convicted & sentenced by the Court to imprisoned in the Jail of the County for two calendar months. Your petitioners believing this to be a case calling for Executive Clemency ask leave respectfully to state the facts & crave for them your favorable consideration. The defendant Hardee is a man of respectable standing in the County of Lenoir & has always sustained a hight character for honesty & integrity. It was proven upon trial that the affair was commenced by Evans & that defendant Hardee was not the aggressor, that Evans sustained very little damage & that defendant used no unlawful weapon during the fight. Your petitioners further shew unto your Excellency that defendant Hardee is a peacable & inoffensive man, this being the first time he has Ever been indicted - that he is a very poor man, having a wife and small children to support by now own labour alone. Your petitioners further shew unto your Excellency that in Consequence of the representation unto the Court, that the defendant had planted a crop for the support of his family, he was released from prison after having been confined several days & the execution of the remainder of his sentence postponed till the 3rd Monday in September next upon this entering into bond with security to appear before the Court at that time & submit to the execution of the aforesaid sentence. Your petitioners further shew unto your Excellency that the character of Evans upon whom the assault was committed is very bad that he is drunken, quarrelsome & has been frequently indicted for fighting. Your petitioners knowing that it is the certainty not the severity of punishment that prevents the commission of crime - cannot but believe that the defendant Hardee by the execution of a part of his sentence & a fearful anticipation of the infliction of the remainder has already suffered sufficiently to atone for the offence & to deter him from a like infraction of the laws & that to imprison him for so long a time would be to violate that wholesome & human principle of the law which prefers the escape of ninety nine guilty to the conviction of one innocent person - by involving a poor & helpless family of children in the disgrace & suffering of their unfortunate father. With the highest confidence in the ability & integrity of your Excellency we beg leave respectfully to submit these facts & ask for them your favorable Consideration, hoping it will not be deemed incompatible with your duty to your God & the state to remit the oppressive sentence & thereby release the unfortunate defendant from the severe mental auguish under which he is now laboring & restore him to the embraces of his afflicted family. And your Petitioners as in duty bound will now pray &c. Kinston N. C. 4th July 1844 A. Congleton Thos. J. Blakely S. H. Walker Geo. L. Lovick R. R. Canfield John N. Moore John Scarborough Stephen Williams Jesse Jackson A. P. Thompson John Desmond J. R. Croom Henry F. Bond Rich. W. King Jas. R. Washington David Jones Alexander Wilson Wm H. Haywood Levi Hill Amos D. Moore Jno H. Peebles J. C. Washington J. Cobb J. G. Woodley N. Hunter Fred. West Gersham Wiggins Jacob Langston John Sutton John Sutton (2 signatures) Adam C. Davis Jesse Vause CSC Benja. C. Williams Jas Grace Wm. Rouse W. Rhem G. W. Pest (Vest, West)?? John Loftin Durent Alphin Wiley Davis F. H. Smyth John Rhem Thomas Becton J. L. Hill P. Hardee A. C. Wadsworth Evan Williams Sr. Calvin Moluny Richard Benton Josiah Askew James A. Hood Richard Kennedy William Brown John Jackson James McClenny Joshua Herring Amos Harvey T. W. Herring Thos J. Kennedy Bright Kennedy Wilson Tilghman Thos Hill Richard Barrow Travis King Graves Jones Isaac Chesnutt Lenoar Jones Robert Wade Thos. S. Phillips Granvil Jonson Richard M. Abbott Hawood Jones Brice Jackson Willis Pipkin J. P. Dunn Chas Edwards E. V. Pittman Cabel Wiggins Jonathan Case W. B. Rhem Robt Wiggins Stephen C. Phillips C. M. King Edmond Brooks Levi Weatherington Guilford T. King John K. Wetherington Peter Phillips Burwell W. Kanady William Phillips James F. Daughety W. M. Lovick John L. Croom Alex Aldridge Willim Fields John Mosely James Sutton Wm D. Watters Wm Bunn Lemul H. Aldredge Joshua Herring Wm Eason Lewis Kilpatrick Lewis Waters Leml H. Mewborn J. G. Herring Charles W. Hill C. Wooten Shade Wooten Wm Herring John Wooten John A. Parrott Jesse Caudle Jas Field Geo. Whitfield Jas Boon William Dawson Thomas Warters Jr James Wood John B. Keneday W. H. Croom Wm Gray James Waters William Waters Allen Welington (?) James Uzzell Windol Davis Dempsy Wood Alex Hill W. C. Loftin Lewis M. Loftin Lemmon Deail H. A. Grain (?) Craven Jones B. B. Becton T. W. Hunt R. M. Wadsworth Jas A. Hodges John M. Aldredge Nathan Daughety Danl Daughety Joshua T. Danson Bright Hardy James Smith Charles G. Johnson Jams Boon Levi Powil John Stevenson Jesse Bud Amos Faulkner Mikueal Jones W. C. Jacson W. Dunn Jr Wm Gray M. R. Hardie (?) Wiley W. Rouse Thomas Vause Lemuel Hill Wm J. Vause Thomas L. Hill Jesse J. Moore Craven L. Taylor Daniel Broadway Kenean Watson A. J. Rouse W. M. Lovick Isaac Faulkner James Baker Rigdon B. Watson A. C. Sanford Warren Kilpatrick William Easterling Shadrack Randall Nathan Watson J. C. W. Broadway F. L. Patrick Evan Evans W. L. Caswell John D. Dunn (?) J. A. B. Watson Furney Letchworth Jno Brown Stephen Warlick John Davis F. H. LaRogue James W. Moore Hardy Sugg J. W. Davis John Gray Levi Mewborn H. Hutchins W. B. Rheaves Henry Tull P. D. Wateres On reverse: Petition to pardon Thomas Hardie. Prayer Granted 17 Sept. 1844. See Letter Book 258. ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Grace Williamson Turner ___________________________________________________________________