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Natchez 17 Dec 53
Dr Sir I shall leave here on the "Southern Belle", tomorrow evening, on my way to Jackson. If you happen to be at Warrenton when she passes, I would be pleased to see you. Yrs truly S S Boyd
Col Ballard "Magnolia"
Natchez Miss 18th Dec 1853
Coln Ballard [Warrenton, Miss] Dear Sir I gave Judge Boyd a bill of sale for the 23 Negroes & 2 children to day I hope the boy Warren has got well I did not know that he was complaining untill after he left here if he dies from this spell of course he must be my loss. I hope they may prove good Negroes there is only one of them that I think may runaway that is Isaac Payne. I think he will shirk from his work & if the overseer is tight on him for it he may go to the woods. the others I dont think will. You can send the boy Jim down as soon as you please direct him to teh care of A.S. Wilson & if I have gone to New Orleans I will leave word with him to send him on The Man I bought him of is dead he died at Macon Georgia last Summer I cannot get Women here as good as the most inferior I sent you for less than $1000 I see no chance here to buy any I think Memphis the best place to get them at the present time Negroes are rather looking up here. Yrs &c C.M. Rutherford
Port Gibson Decr 19.1853
{[Warrenton, Miss]} Col. R.C. Ballard My Dear Sir Your Favor of the 19th I received on the 23d of last month, and would have replied to it at once, but that I had determined to pay you a visit at Magnolia, as soon as our Probate Court was over. This I have been prevented from doing by a series of unexpected business engagements connected with the approaching Courts, which ran kept me very closely confined to my office. The last of this week, I go to Natchez to attend the Vice Chancery Court; and as soon as I can get through there, I have to go to Jackson to attend the Superior Court of Chancery, which sits on the first Monday of January. I am thus compelled to write to you, instead of having the pleasure of seeing you in person, as I had anticipated.
I want next month, to settle the indebtedness of the Jessamine Ridge place to you, which for my protection as Guardian, must avoid any possible difficulty with those who may have after become interested in the property, I think I should be done in this way. We can fix the price at which you are willing to sell to the children, the Negroes you purchased at Fayette, under the Judgment of the Mech's & Traders' Bk. You should take care that the sum so fixed, covers every thing that Blanton and you, and all the money you have advanced since his death, and interest on these differing amounts. I will then want to have added to it, $1,595. being the amount I paid to Oakey Payne & Hawkins last winter, upon the compromise of their suit, and for which I can get a legal voucher in no other way.