John Goff Ballentine

This article is about American colonel and politician. For other people, see John Ballentine (disambiguation).

John Goff Ballentine
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 7th district
In office March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887
Preceded by	Washington C. Whitthorne
Succeeded by	Washington C. Whitthorne
Personal details
Born	May 20, 1825 (1825-05-20) Pulaski, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	November 23, 1915(1915-11-23) (aged 90) Pulaski, Tennessee, U.S.
Resting place	Maplewood Cemetery
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Mary Elizabeth Laird Ballentine
Children	4
Alma mater	University of Nashville Harvard University
Profession	Attorney planter
Military service
Allegiance	Confederate States of America
Branch/service	Confederate States Army
Years of service	1861–1865
Rank	Colonel
Unit	7th Tennessee Cavalry
Commands	2nd Mississippi Partisan Rangers
Battles/wars	American Civil War

John Goff Ballentine (May 20, 1825 – November 23, 1915) was an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Tennessee's 7th congressional district and a colonel in the Confederate army. A supporter of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, Ballentine was a slave owner.

Biography

Ballentine was born on May 20, 1825, in Pulaski, Tennessee in Giles County, the son of Andrew Mitchell Ballentine and Mary Tuttle Goff. His father was a native of Ireland and a veteran of Napoleon Bonaparte's army. John Goff Ballentine graduated from Wurtemberg Academy in 1841, from the University of Nashville in 1845, and from the law department of Harvard University in 1848. He was a member of the faculty of Livingston Law School in New York. He commenced the practice of law in Pulaski.

Career

Ballentine moved to Panola County, Mississippi about 1854, continued the practice of law, and engaged in the extensive family agricultural pursuits. There he met and married Miss Mary E. Laird, daughter of Dr. Henry Laird of Belmont. The couple had four children. He settled in Memphis, Tennessee in 1860. During the Civil War, he served first as a Captain in the 7th Tennessee Cavalry, then as Colonel of his own regiment, the 2nd Mississippi Partisan Rangers. Ballentine was wounded at the 1862 Battle of Lockridge Mill in a sabre duel with 5th Iowa Cavalry Major Carl Schaeffer Boernstein, and was later also wounded in the Atlanta Campaign. After the war, he returned to Pulaski, Tennessee.

Elected as a Democrat to the Forty-eighth and Forty-ninth Congresses, Ballentine served from March 4, 1883 to March 3, 1887. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1886 and retired from active pursuits.

Death

Ballentine died on November 23, 1915, at his home in Pulaski. He is buried in Maplewood Cemetery.

External links

• United States Congress. "John Goff Ballentine (id: B000105)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.