1

To his Excellency the Governor of the State of Tennessee.

The petition of the undersigned subcribers would humbly
make known to Your Excellency that at October Term of the
Circuit Court of Marion County, 1821, a Certain Major Farris
was charged in an Indictment [withaving?] a certain Champness
Kerser and a cetrain Charles Elkins of having falsely, fraud-
ulently, wickedly and unlawfully, and with intent to cheat and
defraud, swindled a certain Samuel Lemmons of a waggon [sic] and
two horses of the value of four hundred dollards; that at said
October Term, the said Major Farris was tried & found guilty by
the Jury, and a sentence was pronounced upon him that "for such
his offence he be fined the sum of thirty dollars, and remain in
close confinment in the Jail of Marion County, for the Term of
four calendar months," which sentence in the opinion of your
Excellencys memorialists, is oppressive and unrighteous, that the
said Major Farris has been known to your Excellency's petitioners,
some of them for a number of years, that during our acquain-
-tance with him, he has stood as fair in society as any other
gentleman of his Rank and ability, and we do not hesitate
to announce to your Excellency that we believe the character
the the said Major Farris could not be justly assailed in
any Country; that we believe the said Farris is not guilty
of the alleged charges, for which he has been convicted
and thus oppossed, that we believe it was the mere
circumstance of his being at that time occasionally in
the company of those to whom more guilt might be
attached, connected with the wanton disposition of those
who does not regard virtue & humility, that has wanted
this conviction on the said Major Farris, and subjected
him to suffer the cruel sentence of the Honorable court,
that the said Major Farris afterwards petitioned the Humble