Rice C. Ballard Papers

Bellevue May 22th 1834 Col R.C. Ballard

Yours by Wilson is recd I cannot say what time I can come up I am off for Bayou Sarah this morning & will be Back as soon as I asssertain how the suit will go or whether it will be Tryed this court or not Frank P. spent a whole week at Court & It is hard he intends to sue his creditors & take the benefit of the insolvent law This I suppose is done in order to get his evidence which will in all probabillilty show us and our mortgages this could have been prevented by your timely interference only

Col R C Ballard Natchez Missippi

Bay Willes

Isaac Franklin Isaac Franklin May 22 1839 24 May 1839

Edna

New Orleans March 1st 1845

Col R C Ballard Warrenton Mi

Dear Sir We have to advise the payment of Geo. H. Gordons dft on Mess Ward Jonas & Co. due 17/20th Feby ult. for two hundred eighty 84/100 ($280 84/100) dollars remitted us by Mess Montgomery & Boyd for your account and which has been duly placed to your credit on our books. We have no change to report in the cotton market. Pork has advanced to 11$ per bbl for Miss.

No news of interest Very truly your friends Nalle & Cose

New Orleans Mar 8, 1845

Rice C.Ballard Esq Natchez Dear Colo

When last in your city I handed Delia some $30 which she stated was enough to defray the incidental expenses of my son Harrison & herself untill spring when I calculated on visiting Natchez again. I have been bored to death with letters purporting to be from her desiring me to send her money as that her & her child were in a wretched condition &c &c. I have paid no attention to the letters from the principle fact that I doubted whether she knew anything about them. I recd again to day a letter signed Delia, handed me by Lucille portraing to me the same bad condition of her & the child, I therefore take the liberty of writing this letter to you confidentially, and request that you will ask Delia if such is the condition of herself & her child, and if such be the fact I would be glad if you would give her $25 and draw on me at sight for the amount, you will please also say to Mrs Lilliard that I will remunerate her for any trouble she may have had with Harrison when I visit Natchez. Yr friend W.H. Miller

Concordia Col. R.C. Ballard, Magnolia

To Nalle & Cox	Dr
To Cash paid for 9 Bls M.O. Pork
1 " soft Miss 10.25	102.50
Drayage	1.13
E.E. N. Orleans 11 Mch 45. Amt chd to a/c	103.63

Dr Sir Above we hand bill 10 bls M.O. Pork which being $1. pr bl lower than Miss we have taken the liberty of substituting. We yesterday remitted Mr. Rice W. Schooler $280.84 for Mr. Poindexter. Enclosed we hand sales of 104 Bales cotton recd from Brushy Bayou. Lillard probably has further shipment to make but we do not hear from him. Our cotton market continues very firm. Our Mr Nalle will visit your region shortly but we hope to see you again in our city in a few weeks. Respy Yr Obt Sts Nalle & Cox

Louisville March 17 1845

Col Ballard Dear Friend Gordon has sent his claim up here for collection, and I can find nothing in the world among Mr Cottons papers as a set off against it. Chenowith thinks that is must have been paid and the note not taken up. Can you get any information from Sam Burk, or would he give any if applied to. I do not think it can be possible for him knowingly to ask the payment of it twice, but it is necessary to convince ourselves before we pay any thing. If we can make no defense it had better be paid without expensive suits. The assignment too has no date, could it have been in Burks possession all this time and he pressed as he has been, if so it is strange will you please make a statement in answer to this, if you know if any money has been paid by Mr. Cotton since Oct. 20 1840 for Buck, and the amt the estate is now bound to pay.

I write by the Yorktown covering an order on the SBSultana for $40. to pay Roach our part of the Taxes which he paid on the Bolivar land. since then the Sultana came up and paid all she owed me, and I sent by her clerk a letter to you containing $40 to meet the order which I hope reached you

We have no news, we are tolerably well. hopeing you health and safe return I remain Your Humble Servt C.A. Moore

Caroline Cty Va 21st March 1845

Dr. Ballard

This is the third time since the first of Nov last, which I have written requesting information relative to the money due my sister in your state & have recd not a single line from you. indeed I have not heard one word from you for about two years I do not know to what to attribute your silence, unless it is, that my letters do not reach you, for I can not remember having said or done anything which ought to make you decline writing. I have lately purchased a piece of land which I shall be much inconvenienced to pay for unless you can remit me some help. I think my sister's debtors ought not to wish for longer indulgence, please write forthwith & let me know what I may rely upon, if you can possibly make any collections, there never was a time when it would be more acceptable. Send me a statement of what is now due, & if any part of it is doubtful & if it is how much & the names of the debtors. I repeat you will confer a favour by writing immediately. Present my warmest regard to your lady & accept my best wishes for your health & happiness. Respectfully yrs R.W. Schooler

Hard Times 30th March 1845

R.C. Ballard Esqr

Dear Sir

Yours dated 25th Inst. is come to hand, I regret that yr business prevents your coming up to see us. Suppose you are breaking up the place on a/c of the continuation of Winter It looks to me like we cannot certainly plant too much purpose this year - and it would not I presume be amiss if we did not make much cotton provided forbearance of proper order, could be used one to warn another at present certainly the culture of cotton does not pay. & what can we do? I propose to send you 100 bales of cotton the verry moment I can haul it to Marion and desire it should be shipped to Liverpool rather than take the present low rates - You to profit by the amt realized on it. I regret the impossibility of passing over our Roads at present are waiting sunshine & shall be after hauling the moment we can do so

Upon the subject of your purchase in Jefferson I should have visited, you before now but for poor & feeble Health which is not yet fully restored. I have the more anxiety about that matter- the more I think of it Turn over

My Brother an old man, now not able to walk & whose general Health is at present bad can do nothing for himself. If I could see you I would desire that he should remain on the plantation [wield?] and manage it through yr overseer and in all things I would promise for him, strict adherence to your Interest, when his Health is restored if ever, he could then do you more service on that place than any Human creature. his stay there could not effect in any shape yr Title, then would you still employ him as agent & when able as overseer Mr. Jefferies is not more than able to attend his own Interest at home still he would do all he could to forward your & his interests. at present I see nothing that could be done. it would be madness in any man to undertake to pay money three times

I will However be down to see you when the weather settles & my health is better. shall endeavor at the same time to get off my cotton please write now & again that I may no where you are - with regard to my suggestions above please think of it & let we hear from you I called on my brother as I was leaving Jefferson and I assure you my time was rather a trying one my brother though thus thrown upon the world by the Indiscretion (to call it by no harder name) is just in all his views the truth is if he was turned in side out nothing could be found to object to

Natchez 31 Mch 45

Dr Col. I returned from New Orleans day before yesterday, & have forwarded a letter to you from Noble & Cox, which will let you into the condition of the market. Pork is rising & unless the supply from the Wabash should reline the market, it will not be lower. N&C thought it would be best to wait till this could be ascertained.

I want to file a bill to foreclose on the land of Col Wilkins in Warren Co, to secure the debt I named to you. If there are no jugts against him I can get on rapidly, but if there are any recorded in Vicksburg, I want to know it, so as to make the creditors parties to my bill. Will you ride to Vickbg, & ascertain from the Clerk, whether there are any jugts against the Col. on the judgment Roll,