Rice C. Ballard Papers

Balto. Jany 25. 1847

Dear Ballard I drop you a few lines to inform we are all in pretty good & hope this may find you and family the sa\me I wrote you some time since at the desire of my wife regarding the girl Maria, you you wrote me you would give me the desired information when you went below I have never heard from you yet, I dislike very much to trouble you so much, but I hope I am not presuming too much on your kindness & friendship to ask you for your decision in the matter. I have nothing worth your attention. I am still in the exchange business doing as well as I ought to expect.

I Received a letter from the Administrators of my Uncle's Estate a few days since & they inform me after having taken council in the matter. They find if they were to pay the claim which I think is justly owing me by the estate, the court would not allow it I have not yet decided what course I shall take in the matter - my respects to Mrs B. please write me on receipt [I.F. Pervois?]

Locust grove February the 6 1847

Dear Sir I am going to visit you afer diner to let you no I have got home I got home on the 20 of january and the weather was very cold when I got off of the boat and I tooke very bad cold and have bin very unwell ever since I got home I was very sorry I did not take your advic and I found all well and I shoad my wife what you had done she sendg her most sincere thanks to you flower has taken a very great rise hear since I got home it was worth $4.25 when I got home now it is worth $6.25 corn $4 Negroes is high hear and agre at many byers men is from $7 to 750 women 550 to 6 in richmond you must visit to me and let me hear How the old lady is geting on and how mr green and his hands is geting on I shawl com out next fawl I dont think I can get redy to move until the fawl after if I com my wife dos not seem to be willing to com with out all of the children could and the think they cant get reddy lucy burland has a merchant mill and a good deal of land to sel and mones is very hard to get hear and propoerty is hard to sel I shawl come out myself and stay one year and see how I can stand it before I move I have nothing more but remaining your friend Ty Gillan writ as soon as you get this

Mansion House Natchez Feb 8th 1847

Dear Col Mr Robertson trustee of the Commercial Bank of this city was telling me that he would sell at auction a tract of Land above Vicksburg & that you knew the property he said that it would sell cheap he thought as it had to bring cash if so there would be a difficulty to raise the money unless an arrangement with him can be made on time after the sale according to the map I should think it would be a good place for a wood yard if the land is good for any thing he goes to night for Jackson & has promised to hand this letter for you

Your family is well. Koontz has left. nothing of interest but I think that you will get 15cts for your cotton & if so you had better let it go. Yours &c [I Mc Donnell?]

Per Concordia

New Orleans Feby 9th 1849

Col R C Ballard Karnac Plantation

Dear Sir By the Steamer Concordia on yesterday we received the further number of 65 bales cotton from Karnac in addition to the former 50 making in all 115 bales. We have nothing from Brushy Bayou since the reception of the 61 bales from there The cotton market has been very dull since the late Foreign news and prices have somewhat declined. Say an half a cent and the market is in a very unsettled condition in consequence of the advance in freights and decline in exchange and we are apprehensive that prices will not recover fro a month or so. And should the next foreign News due in about 3 weeks bring no further advance in Liverpool we are fearful that the present values here will be still further reduced. We should like to have your views upon the subject. Good white fanned corn is to day worth a dollar. Gunny bags 22 to 25 cents. Mess Pork 14 1/2 $ Your letter by Mr Moore was duly received when he was here before we thought that the debt which he had to pay to Burks would be paid to us in liquidation of our claim against Burks & Gordon but Mr. Wallace is here just from Gordon and says he is to get it, and other arrangements will be made for us so Mr Moore is disappointed in making the arrangement with us. We quote good middling cotton to day at 11 cents Very truly your friends Nalle & Cox

N Orleans Feby 9 47

Dear Col On application to Mssr Nalle & Cox to raise the $1000 they say that owing to the investment of all their funds in cotton and making no sales they can not give me the money, and as to your acceptance of a draft your letter does not sufficiently justify this drawing

I find from what Goldman says that the judgment we got against him for about $1300 has been raised and will be paid over to the sheriff on his return to Concordia. Gutherie is here from Louisville and stated to me that they had put off the Gordon suit until March owing entirely to the understanding that the $1000 would be paid on my return, had you not better send me a draft at 10 days sight on some house in the city for that amt and have the proceeds of the Goldman judgement deposited to meet it I hope you will do this for it may save me probably some difficulty with Gordons lawyers

Goldman wishes to make an arrangement with all the creditors named in the deed of trust to this effect, he will pay 4000 and asks 1.2.3.&4 yrs credit with returns secured by sufficient mortgage, this you know cannot be done without all interested agreeing in writing. We are to meet C Fellows this evening this evening and I will state what has been the result of the conference.

There must be an administrator appointed & qualified to act for Sam Burks estate in Mississippi should we ever adjust the claim or continue the suit

S.B. Peytona Feby 14/47

Dear Col Fellows will be up to see you and Gordon to ascertain if an arrangement can be effected with all the creditors of Sam Burk named in the debt from Goldman on the terms Goldman offers which I stated in my letter of the 9th . These steps will not stop the progress of the suit already instituted until the compromise is effected, and it is necessary in either case that an administrator be qualified to attend to Burks interest, and you will do a favour to all interested to see that one is appointed and qualified and note to that effect be sent to Robert [M?] attorney at New Orleans

Gordon has made other dispositions of the money he expects from our estate, which threw it out of Nalle & Cox's hands, or they could have given me an order for the $1000 wanted by the 1st March But as Goldman has by this time paid the small judgement due us you can send me a check

on New Orleans for the amt as I promised to pay 1000 provided I found our debt against Goldman safe. Please do so as soon as you can that I may be able to pay it by the 1st March Please let me know your views respecting the proposed arrangement of Goldmans debts as I will be governed by you as you are better acquainted with these kind of settlements than I am.

I do not know whether you can read this letter or not but I can not do better as the boat shakes awfully

Give my respects to Mrs. Ballard and Believe me yours Truly C. A. Moore

Spring Station Feb the 24 1847 Dear sir it has bin a long time sinc I heard from you since you have got with big dog you have forgot us but never the less i will have sum money by the time you return i have hired one hand and bought two one at five twenty five about 26 six years old and a verry good hand and by the by a fidler at that one the other is about 42 at one fifty and a tiptop hand i have bin offed three hundred for him first Chenowith advised me not to by him that he was sutch a dam raskel to run of an he sade he would run of befoir he got home if i did not go with the wagon i left him in the cear of gorge and the two horse wagon and he did run of befoer he got home but i caught him that knight and maby i dident have some fun out of him know he is content i believe my hemp i sold at three fifty it will make a littel over a hundred worth my Corn sum at thirty five sum at forty and sum at fifty per bushel the shock corn i sold a littel over hundred at two per shock and one at two fifty per shock one hundred left yet to feed stock on thew the month of march

I am cleaning up an dwoing up all things as well as i can it has bin the wort winter for bisness i ever saw in my life too a sirtenty it has raind ever other day and sometimes ever day for thee monts at least if we have evey thing of a spring i am prepard for a good crop Mr Rear and son was to se me and his horse give out and i swap him dinah for a gray horse that will do to go with Juley verry well his son that came with him is your namesake he sade that he wanted to se you and he is determined to do it he is hear now at work on the murses of your negroes the old man has gon to Barren County on sum biness Rises nag died as he came and the old mans was dam enar it i have paid but three dollars for [five?] since you left so fare thank god we are all well at present and i hope thease lines will find you in joy the same blesing Mr. Albert died very suden on the 18th th rest of the nabors are all well but W.C. Williams and it mortifys him so to se the Boy do so he will have consumption i beleave right to me and tel me something good

i sold Ball for sixety five at last let me sel Lousey an the pilot filey for she will not do to carry you in this world there is to miney stock heare that is doing no good

the favorright hefer died in caving as that white one did last winter that is the onley lost exsept them dam negoes i have not heard of them yet nor the first breath of witch way they went it is my true opinion that Miley new sumthing about when they started she has bin a watch for others both white and black and a busy look out for you at the same time and she wants seling right bad right to me your Constant friend David L. Gregory