HON. WILLIAM F. BALLENTINE, one of the county’s most highly respected and influential citizens, was born August 24, 1832, in Pulaski, Tenn., and is the son of Andrew M. Ballentine, who was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1791, immigrated to America in 1816, and in 1818 settled in Giles County, Tenn. In 1824 he married Mary T. Goff, daughter of John and Isabella Goff, natives of Virginia. In 1825 Andrew moved to Pulaski and engaged in the dry goods business. By this marriage he became the father of eight children, named John G., George W., Margaret J., William F., and Drew J., James H., Adilade and Virginia O.. The father of these children died in 1863, and the mother is still living. Our subject was the fourth child born to his parents. He received a liberal business education at the Wurtemburg Academy, in Pulaski, and at the age of fifteen he withdrew from school and entered into active business as a dry goods merchant with his father and brother (George). In 1856 he purchased the tract of land where he now resides, and settled upon it in 1857. Here he followed agricultural pursuits until 1861, when he entered the army as captain in Col. Biffle’s regiment of cavalry; afterward he was on detached service with the Second Kentucky Cavalry until the close of the war. Previous to the war, October 11, 1853, he married Sarah E. Leatherman, daughter of Charles and Eliza Leatherman, natives of Rutherford County, Tenn. Mrs. Ballentine was born April 5, 1835. In 1865 our subject moved back to Pulaski and engaged in mercantile pursuits, which he followed until 1868. He was one of the incorporators of the Pulaski Savings Bank in 1879, and was president of the same until 1880. At that time he moved back to his farm, where he now resides on 500 acres of valuable land, known as the Glenn Gower Stock Farm. He also has 800 acres of land in the Twentieth District, Giles County. In 1882 he was elected to the State Legislature from Giles County, and served one term. He is a Democrat, a member of the K. of H., and A. L. of H. and R. A. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, at Mount Pisgah. (Goodspeed’s History of Giles County, 1886)