Civil War Records of Fredrick Ballard

A few years ago, before the prices increased, I sent for the Civil War records of Fredrick Ballard of Hancock County, Ohio. There was not much there except for his physical description...and how rare is that! When he enlisted, 5 September 1864, he was 18 years old with hazel eyes, dark hair, dark complexion, and was 5' 8" tall. He enlisted for a term of one year and was due $100.00.
He mustered out in Nashville, Tennessee on 14 June 1865. Having drawn $23.90 for clothing, he was due $66.66 2/3. That's what is handwritten! I wonder how they paid that 2/3 cent!
Fredrick was the 5th great-grandson of the first Ballards in America, William and Grace.

Origins of Ballards in America

This Ballard family began in America with William Ballard1 (1617-1689) John2, Sherebiah3, John4, Israel5, (1748-1810) to Israel6. This part of the family went into central New York in 1792 and remained there for many years into the 20th century. The Richland, Oswego Co., NY arm still owned land into the 1930’s.
William Ballard of Andover, MA arrived in America on the ship Mary and John which left England on 26 March 1634. By 1645 William owned land in Newbury, MA. He died 10 July 1689, the father of 10 children.
William’s great-great grandson Israel Ballard bought land in Plainfield, CT 17 June 1779. In the 1790 first U.S. census Israel and his family were enumerated still in Plainfield. On 15 February 1792 the Plainfield property was sold. The family removed to Whitestown, Oneida Co., NY. This area of almost solid woods lay nearly uninhabited. On 29 April 1795 Israel was elected an elder in the United Presbyterian Society of Whitestown. He died in 1810 still living in Whitestown.

The Ballard Name

The ancient Anglo-Saxon culture which was once found in Britain is the soil from which the many generations of the Ballard family have grown. The name Ballard was given to a member of the family who was a person known for their lack of hair. (So the legend goes.)
As a point of interest, the name is derived from the Old English word ball-ard, which means a bald headed man. The family lived in Yorkshire and the first Ballards came to America in the early 1600's.