Politics and government 1792-1865 gss. A Bodley Family. 8668e Papers. 1773-1939. 9.33 cu. ft. 4,7, 8, 5 Feb. 1808 letter in which Thomas 10, Bodley writes that Marshall's bid to have 11, Harry Innes impeached had failed but an 12, inquiry into Innes' conduct has been 13, opened; Bodley doesn't think anything will 14, come of it; in a 20 Aug. 1820 letter to 15, his wife, Thomas Bodley writes that from 16, the reports he had heard he expects John 22, Adair to win the election for governor by -2- Mss. a majority of 300-400 votes; also heard A that Anthony Butler had received 1200 8668e votes in Floyd and Greenup counties; Lewis 26, Sanders writes in his 14 Mar. 1822 letter 29, from Eagle Creek Hills to Thom. Bodley 31, that he is throwing his support behind 38, John Fowler for congress; claims that 40, Fowler can "out poll any man in the 41, district but Clay"; May 1825 letter from 43, William Hurst to William Bodley, Hurst 46, writes that Gov. complained 47, that Wickliffe had "insulted, vilified and 50, slandered" him and others in a -3- Mss. confrontational exchange over the Old A Court-New Court controversy; 14 Aug. 1825 8668e letter from Hurst to Wm. Bodley states 51, that he had overheard some New Court 57, supporters swear to win the next election 59, by "fair means or foul"; 16 Oct. 1826 63, letter to Wm. Bodley written from New 68, Albany, Wm. Hurst longs for his old state 147 of Ky. calling its residents a "warm blooded, hot headed race" who were "kind, generous and hospitable" and extremely loyal in their politics; 16 April 1827 letter from Hugh S. Bodley to Wm. Bodley -4- ss. lists candidates for Fayette County's A upcoming representative election including 3668e Leslie Combs, Robt. J. Breckinridge, Nathan Payne, Charlton Hunt, John M. McCalla, and James True; also states that the Jacksonians are "very sanguine"; in a long 6 May 1827 letter to Wm. Bodley, Rev. James Craik gives his views on government, checks and balances, tyranny, and natural law; in his 20 July 1827 letter to Wm. Bodley, Hugh S. Bodley writes that he expects the political climate of Lexington to heighten because of a "Jackson bustle" -5- 4ss. whereby Kendall and some of Kentucky's A most respectable men are to attend a 3668e dinner; in a report from the state legislature, Wm. Bodley writes to Harry Innes on 7 Dec. 1829 that J.J. Crittenden had been elected speaker of the house without opposition and lists the other officers for the session; Wm. Hurst's 1 Mar. 1830 letter to Wm. Bodley mentions the "war" in Lexington concerning a power struggle over the High Sheriff's seat; 23 May 1830 letter from Hugh S. Bodley to Wm. Bodley mentions the fight

over a -7- ss. slavery and that eight candidates were A vying for his seat; 5 Aug. 1830 letter 3668e from Hugh S. Bodley to Wm. Bodley lists the results from the Fayette County election and discusses the fall out from Breckinridge's withdrawal; 8 Sept. 1830 letter from Thomas Bodley to Wm. Bodley contains more information on the state election including the election of J. J. Crittenden and R. J. Breckinridge's views on gradual emancipation and Sunday mail delivery; in his 13 Sept. 1830 letter to W.S. Bodley, Wm. Hurst writes that -8- 4ss. Kentucky has a "small majority" for Henry A Clay; he also speculates that J.J. 3668e Crittenden could be a senator while "Bobby Wickliffe could possibly indulge"; 18 Nov. 1831 letter from Thomas Bodley to Wm. Bodley expresses happiness over 's election to the U.S. Senate and tells of a celebratory party thrown by Richard M. Johnson; Harry I. Bodley's 24 Nov. 1831 letter to Wm. Bodley expresses the belief that if either J.J. Crittenden or Richard Buckner were nominated for governor, they would win; in his 25 Dec, -9- ass. 1831 letter to Wm. Bodley, Thomas Bodley A writes that he had been named chair of the 3668e National Republican Convention in Frankfort which nominated Richard Buckner for governor and James T. Moosehead for lt. gov. while the Jackson party nominated and Benjamin Taylor for the offices; Bodley also lists the Clay electors for the state and gives the nominees for Lexington's mayoral seat and twelve council seats; 23 Sept. 1832 letter from Thomas Bodley to Wm. Bodley discusses the National Republican Convention where -10- qss. J.J. Crittenden was elected president and A speeches were given by , 3668e Jr. and Henry Clay; 25 Jan. 1837 letter to Wm. Bodley from Wm. Bullock contains information on Ky. issues such as the continuing crisis of banks, the spending of surplus, and ; in his 22 July 1840 letter to Wm. Bodley, Harry Bodley writes of the "exceedingly animated" election for the legislature between four Whigs including the "young Duke" (Robert Wickliffe, Jr.) and Cassius Clay; in his 25 Dec. 1840 letter to Wm. -11- 4ss. Bodley, Wm. Bullock writes of legislative A work explaining that taxes had been 3668e raised, internal improvements were to continue but no new ones would be started, the policy regarding the importation of slaves would remain unaltered, and that he was introducing a bill to establish a school for the blind in Louisville; he also claims the state school system is in trouble; 10 Aug. 1842 letter from Harry Bodley to Wm. Bodley states that the democrats recently had gained seats in the house by promising to support Whig -12- Qss. measures and offer relief; in her 7 Aug. A 1844 letter to Wm. Bodley, James Ann 3668e Pearce claims that the city is in a state of "fearful excitement" over the upcoming elections because of the friction between the parties; she writes of James Guthrie giving an inflammatory speech inciting the Loco Focos to "spill blood and spill it freely to resent injustice"; she claims that Guthrie was surrounded at the polls and almost killed until some Whigs protected him; she also states that the German paper called for Germans to protect their suffrage by force -13- ss. if necessary especially against the Whigs; A in her 9 Jan. 1847 letter to Wm. Bodley, 3668e Eliza Kinkead writes of the patronage battle between Benjamin Hardin and and claims that Hardin is causing trouble and is in "perfect contempt of everybody" concerned with Senate business; in her 27 Jan. 1847 letter to Wm. Bodley, James Ann Pearce writes of numerous political issues including the election for Lexington's city attorney, the election contest between Robert Letcher, Joseph Underwood, and Albert Hawes for the U.S. Senate seat of which she claims the Whig -14-

4ss. A candidates are too divided to win, and also 3668e the ongoing battle between Ben Hardin and William Owsley; Wm. Bullock writes in his 18 Feb. 1847 letter to Wm. Bodley that the case between Hardin and Owsley had been decided against Owsley and the Governor was "mortified" at the outcome; in her 22 July 1847 letter to Wm. Bodley, James Ann Pearce writes that Leslie Combs wants to be nominated for governor; claims that while Combs is not very dignified, he is a "great man in a crowd" ; James Ann Pearce writes in her 24 Feb. -15- 4ss. 1848 to Wm. Bodley about the gubernatorial A convention in Frankfort and the maneuvers 3668e to nominate candidates-J. J. Crittenden and John Helm were nominated; there was some wrangling and discussion as to who would fill Crittenden's senate seat (William Graves is expected to be selected but he is disliked by some); Pearce also states that Ky. will again support Clay for president; in his 29 Jan. 1848 letter to Wm. Bodley, Wm. Bullock writes that they are on the -16- 4ss. eve of a "revolution in Kentucky" with A possible changes coming in the 8668e constitution; he states that the spirit of the people "tends strongly towards radicalism" although he expects the slavery question to be left alone without mention of gradual emancipation; George Kinkead writes in his 22 Feb. 1849 letter to Wm. Bodley that people were starting to talk about the new constitution and its imperfections; Kinkead feels that as many counties are against the new document, it will probably be defeated;

James Ann -17-

4s s. Pearce writes in a 30 Dec. 1849 letter to A Sarah Vick that not only are 76 of the 100 3668emembers of the Ky. House of Reps. unmarried but many of them are vain, conceited, and ignorant as well; she also writes that Henry Pindell was named the chairman of the committee on education and that a Mrs. Watkinson was asking the legislature to grant her a divorce-Pearce hopes that this and other requests are denied because the ease of getting a divorce in Ky. was a disgrace; in her 11 Jan. 1850 letter, James Ann Pearce writes -18- gss. Kentucky's House of Reps. is filled with A "big little men" who want to earn nine 3668e dollars per day by giving "inflated speeches" on everything; James Ann Pearce, in her ca. 6 Feb. 1850 letter to Wm. Bodley, writes that Tom Marshall, who she considers talented but unstable, gave a stirring defense of the old constitution that she considered an "intellectual treat"; Pearce states that a majority of people in Frankfort seem opposed to the new constitution and Rob. Breckinridge called it a great "jest book"; in a 28 -19- ss. April 1850 letter to Wm. Bodley, James A Anne Pearce writes that there seems to be 3668eno excitement over the new constitution; Wm. Bodley writes to Harry Bodley in a 15 May 1851 letter telling him of the new election procedure of voting for 22 offices in one day per the changed constitution; mentions candidates such as C.A. Wickliffe and Curran Pope; James Ann Pearce writes in her 4 Aug. 1851 letter to Wm. Bodley on election day that she expects a good race between Leslie Combs and John Breckinridge for the U.S. Rep. -20- 4ss. position; also states that it was a shame A that a Democrat had been elected from 8668e Henry Clay' s old district; in his 6 Nov. 1851 letter to Wm. Bodley, John Temple writes from Frankfort about the U.S. senatorial election; he claims that some want J.J. Crittenden but others want a fresh face; Temple also writes asking Bodley to try and prevent Wm. Preston from siding with , who was considering a run at the office; 27 Nov. 1851 letter from Temple in which he states that Crittenden can't get the seat and it -21- dss. will probably go to Dixon; Charles Bodley A writes in a 21 Mar. 1854 letter that the 3668e Whigs had nominated him for county clerk in Lexington but he declined leaving them without a candidate; 27 Feb. 1856 letter from Wm. Bullock concerns a squabble over a failed bill that would have increased state salaries; in her 2 Aug. 1859 letter to Wm. Bodley, Maria Church writes that both sides were claiming victory in the election between John M. Harlan and Willard E. Simmons for U.S. Congress ; she doesn't really care about the election -22- fss. because she thinks that both sides buy A votes; Anne Kinkead writes in her 2 Feb. 8668e 1862 letter to Temple Bodley of her desires for the legislature to move to Lexington; she claims that the accommodations are better than in Frankfort and that Louisville is too large; in his diary dated 1863-1865, William Fosdick writes about William Grainger defeating Wm. Fontaine Bullock for a state senate seat as well as Union party victories (4 Aug. 1863).