Rice C. Ballard Papers

Jessamine Ridge July 29, 1846

Col Ballard I have to day purchased a lot of Negroes for Eighteen Hundred Dollars, and I have taken the liberty of having a draft on you at 3 days sight

Will you be so good as to draw a Bill on me payable at as late a date in the winter as you can, at the Counting Room of Dick Hill N.O. to meet the above named amount & have the same Cashd in one of the Banks & apply it to the above named draft.

Knowing the facilities you have at Louisville I have no hesitation in believing the above business can be attended to without any inconvenience to you and if your timely attention to the above will confer a very great favour on me

I saw a Gentleman from off the [?] the other day, & he told me the prospect for crop was very fine. We are all well & I hope you are all well. Please write to me Remember us all to Louisa Your friend B.B. Ellis

Jessamin Ridge July 29, 1846.

Col Ballard I have to day purchased a Lot of Negros for Eighteen Hundred Dollars, & I have taken the Liberty of drawing a draft on you at 3 days sight. Will you be so good as to draw a Bill on me, payable at 6 months at the Counting House of Dick & Hill N.O. to me with the above named draft & have the same cashd in one of Banks in Louisville

Knowing the facilitys you have in Louisville, I have no hesitation in believing the above business Can he transacted without any inconvenience to you

By your timely attention to the above business, you will confer a very great favor on me

I saw a Gentleman from the [?] the other day & he says the prospect for profit is very good. We are all well & hope you are allso. Remember us all to Louisa. I write two letters for you one [Mess Misscary?] Respectfully Yours B B Ellis

Saturday August 1st 1846

Dear Sir The season on the cotton crop has been much more favourable from the 19 July up to this time The 1st August than it was from the 1st of July to the 19th of July We have had a great deal of cloudy weather within the last 14 days but very little rain with it the cotton has improved very much within the last 2 weeks altho the wet weather appears as tho its going to set in again as we had a fine rain on Thursday and Friday last and the prospect very good for more at this time There will be a very poor crop on the bottom crop this year as the cotton shed all its forms as bottom from the 1st of July to the 19 of July so if we have another wet spell in August and the cotton sheds all its middle crop of forms we will make a poor crop certain I have had a good deal of sickness amongst my Negroes but the diseases have been mild so much so that they generally yield to 2 or 3 doses of medicine my average No. for the last 3 weeks about 5 a day altho I have less at this time than I have had for 15 days. The weather is very hot & oppressive I never felt it more so. My cotton still have some rust in places yet & when it has the rust every form & blossom falls off. We will not have any picking of cotton here until the 1st September and the season must be very dry from this time to the 15th of September if we have picking by the 1 September. my own health continues good so far

old Burnett has completed the main whell & nearly completed the two hand whells he has a little to do on the press yet. he says he will be in due time with all his work for ginning and I suppose he will two if the gin stands come to hand on the 23 of July and Atwood wrote me that he would have the other here in 8 or 10 days but it has not come as yet old Burnett thinks them the most ordinary kind of stands & cant be made to gin more than two bales each a day if you intend to send your gin bund leather from Ky here I wish you to send it forthwith as you gave me no instructions concerning it previous to your leaving here. We had a wretched season for gathering fodder altho I saved some very good fodder. Crab grass & cuckleburs grows as fast here now as they did in May and June. my crop is all in fiar order The rope baging & linsey has all come safte to hand tho I believe I wrote you previous to this the had come safte to hand. No news here worth your attention I shall not be able to do much at making levy as it appears grass will never cease growing here this year. The squirrels & coons will destroy abought 1000 bushels of my corn. The barrel of oil has not come to hand yet. Nothing more at present worth your attention. Respectfully Richard Alsop

Miss Ann It is the first time in my lief that I have had the pleasure of writing

I have Just this moment got out my bed for more than two weaks. it is mater of Louiville Ky

New Orleans Dec 8th 46 From N Orleans [? ?]

Frances From Y You Frances

January 4th 1847. Col. R C. Ballard Dear Sir

The Steam Boat arrived at the Landing one day sooner than the time mentioned. and I only could get Sixty one Bales to the Landing in time for her, but had fifteen more ready and the Boat would not remain until I could Haul the Balance.

I revceived(sic) 10 sacks of Salt by the Boat. I have nearly all moved up to the Elk Plantation and had a very Hard time of it.

I could not get them to move the Bridge Laid would not have any thing to do with it, as it not at the Proper place. but consider it an injury to this Plantation where it is situate.

I put Mr. Lucas in possession of Mrs. Lillards Plantation, and I think he is quite a soft customer I would like to hear from you often, and wish you to Come out as soon as convenient. the negroes are generally well. Yours respectfully James [? anine]

Natchez 13 Jany 47

Dr Col I was very much disappointed in receiving your letter, as I had depended on your coming down to assist me without failure. The plan which I had concluded to adopt, was suggested by you as the best, & I do not see how I can carry it out without your aid. I would rather have paid all the levie tax for Magnolia, than have you, absent at this time. I hope you will start down immediately after you close the levee business & if not too late, you can still be of great service to me.

I have looked over all the levee laws that have been passed since 1811 unless some have escaped my attention in the [Senate?]. There was a law passed in 1825 another in 1831, authorising the town of Warrenton to erect a levy along their front & below

& to levy a tax on all the property holders in the town. These acts would have nothing to do with the Magnolia levy. The only general law I can find, prior to 1846, was passed in 1833 (page 175), which authorised the board of police to appoint commissioners to inquire into the expediency of erecting a levy, commencing two miles above Warrenton & running to D McColeby's lower line. If the commissioners reported favorouably, the Board of Police had a right to cause the the levy to be made, to "make an equitable distribution of the labour amongst the persons whose lands will be benefited by the levee."

It is impossible for you to be taxed for your port levee, unless to make it correspond with the provisions of the law of 1846, so as to be accepted by the commissioners. The law of 1846 only applies to levies to be erected after the passage of

the act. & It makes no difference whether your levee was erected by subscription or by the original owner, because when you purchased, you paid the value of the levy. I have no doubt you may be compelled to make your levy acceptable to the inspector, or the Board of Police, but beyond that neither of them can go

They might as well tax [T?] & Davis, over again for their old levies, as to tax you. I think you are unnecessarily alarmed, & if you are taxed you ought to [?] your case to the Dept Court by writ of error.

I hope you will hurry down as soon as you get my letter, for if you could ever be of service to me, now is the time Very truly Yr frd &c Saml S Boyd

Steamer Paytence Jan 14/47

Dear Col I expect to be at Natchez on the 21st or 22nd and look for Enders to meet me there Can you see Roach or advise him also to be there and if you can make it convenient I should like you to be with us. If you see Mr. Roach before I do will you please pay him the taxes due on the land and get a deed to me for as much land as the taxes you pay entitle me to, 1/2 of the entry I am to pay the taxes on, I wish this to have another hold on Ender should I fail in the other. I am perfectly convinced of Enders character and we must be on the look out to meet him, I think I have him on the 2 negroes, but if he knew all he could by his management get up certificates to question any thing I might produce. Yours Respectfully C.A. Moore