Below is a letter written by John W. Ballou to his older brother, Lorenzo Dow Ballou, in
1853 or 55. At this time, John had moved from Pleasant Shade to Hillsboro, Mississippi
(near Jackson) and married Susan White of Scott Co., Mississippi. In the letter, he talks
to Dow about their mother, Sarah Metcalf Ballou, and their brother, William Ballou.
They too, had left Pleasant Shade (after 1850) and moved to Scott Co. John later moved
to Henderson Co., Texas (Athens) where he was a farmer, grocer and a cotton gin owner.
During the Civil War, he served in the Confederacy as a Lieutenant in the cavalry. John and
Susan had one son, Albert, who became the father of nineteen children. John was the son of
Leonard Ballou and was born on the old farm at Pleasant Shade on October 28, 1820. He
died October 30, 1898. Susan was born May 29, 1831 and died April 29, 1899. They are
buried in the Athens City Cemetery.