Lenoir County, NC - Hardee Petition, 1844
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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.
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This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by
Grace Williamson Turner
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