Petition of Benjamin F. Graves, et. al., August 26, 1848

              Lexington            August the 26th 1848

               Dear sir

Among the boys in jail in Bracken County, for the purpose of being indicted and tried for rebellion and insurrection for the late attempt to run away is one named Harry Slaughter belonging to Richard Pindell of this place in whole we feel such an interest because of his unusual and extraordinary good behaviour heretofore from his childhood to the present time that we have determined to address your Excellency this note in his behalf He was raised with us by our Father John C. Graves of this county And afterwards until within a short time belonged to the undersigned BF Graves so that we have known him intimately from his childhood and we can safely say in the most positive manner that we have never known a negro so honest upright and truthful as we have invariably found him to be or one more especially Humble and Polite He was never whipped or struck while in our family that we either of us remember and that too we can say because he never deserved it This character would be given of him by hundreds of person in this county and city who have become acquainted with him whilst working at the Hatting he acted as salesman for the undersign BF Graves. We have no doubts, he was persuaded to take the step which has brought him into his present Difficulty by the representations & calumnys [sic] of the white man with whom he went off with  He has been alone by the permission of his master and with money in his pocket to the states of Tennessee Indiana North carolina and Virginia and frequently through the part of Kentucky bordering on the Ohio River selling Hats and purchasing fur without ever having made any attempt to become free

We think therefore that this misstep of his should be wholy [sic] attributed to the wily persuasions of Doyle and we would deem it hard if he should suffer death for a crime of Doyles while Doyle will at most get off by a few years in the Penitentiary We think that being sent to the south would be an all sufficient punishment for his offence We therefore hope that your Excellency will consider this a proper Case for the interposition of your Executive pardon

It may be proper to a dd that we have been informed by Mr Pendell that when he left here said boy had under his charge near one thousand dollars of silver plate in the charge of said boy and that he found all correct And in every other respect found him perfectly Honest and upright &c

Your Respectfully &c

      Benjamin F. Graves

      Maria K. Shaman

      Fanny C. Hansboro

      Eliza A. Walker