In June 1864, James Shuler was arrested and charged with Highway Robbery
in Butte County, California. He was with a group known as the "Gassaway
Family". Later in the same year (in October) they were convicted and
sentenced to terms in the state prison at San Quentin.
James spent almost eight years in prison. He was pardoned and released
in May, 1872.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES from BUTTE COUNTY -- 1864
About the Robbery
Legal Proceedings
DOCUMENTS from CALIFORNIA STATE ARCHIVES
1864 - Commitment Document
1864 - Ledger Entry on Prison Register
1868 - Certificates from Prison Officers
1868 - Petition from Citizens of Yuba County, California
1870 - Letter from James Shuler to Governor Haight
1871 - Petition from Citizens of Bartow County, Georgia
1871 - Letter from Governor Bullock to Governor Haight
1871 - Letter from A. M. Heslep to Governor Haight
1871 - Letter from Former District Attorney
1872 - Certificate of Good Conduct
1872 - Letter from James Shuler to Governor Booth
1872 - Executive Pardon
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UNANSWERED QUESTION:
Was James Shuler unjustly convicted (as he claimed in his
letter to the governor),
without any substantial evidence against him, merely because
he was a Southerner -- or had he really been involved in some way
with the secret society of Confederate bandits?
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Documents provided by
the California State Archives
Sacramento, Ca 95814
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INTERNET Adaptation
by Sandra Shuler Bray
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