JOSEPH DAVIS BALFOUR

Source: http://www.rootsweb.com/~msissaq2/balfour.html

From researching census and military records, Joseph Davis, son of William Lovett, died at the Battle of Davis Bridge, a part of the Corinth campaign during the Civil War. In the 1860 Federal Census Joseph D. (age 20) is enumerated as living on his late father's expansive estate near Mississippi City, Harrison County on the Mississippi gulf coast. Living in the same household was the Horace Golden (married 18 June 1845 in Madison County) and Mary J. Balfour Blackman family, planters (Mary J. Blackman was Joseph's older sister, and is found on the 1850 Yazoo County Federal Census) along with his younger brothers, Lewis G. and Horace B. They are listed as students.

While living on the gulf coast Joseph met and later married Estelle Musson (born July 16, 1843) of New Orleans on January 24, 1862 in the city of New Orleans. Joseph Davis Balfour served as a Major under Van Dorn's command during the war. The following account of his death on Sunday, October 5, 1862 at Davis Bridge near Corinth, Mississippi on the Hatchie River is taken from the November 30, 1862 edition of the New York Times: "At Davis' Bridge, on Sunday, the accomplished and gallant Balfour, of Gen. Van Dorn's Staff, was fatally wounded. He was observed to suddently turn deathly pale, and dismounted cautiously from his horse. He was asked if he was injured and replied in the negative. He then walked to the shady side of a house, fell in a reclining position, and drew his revolver. He had been mortally wounded, a Minnie ball passing through his bowels; but, with full sense of his injury, he coolly resigned himself to his fate, endeavoring to attract as little attention as possible. He died a few hours after receiving his wound, with unsurpassed coolness and resignation. Major Balfour was a member of one of the most wealthy and influential families of this State, was the nephew of President Davis, and the pride and hope of his family. He was a gentleman of excellent education, high polish, and was an encyclopedia of general information, obtained by study and travel." Joseph's wife gave birth to their only child, Estelle Josephine, on October 27, 1862 in New Orleans only 22 days after her young husband's untimely death. Joseph's wife, Estelle Musson was the daughter of Michel Musson (born January 13, 1812 in New Orleans) and Genevive Odile Longer. The patriarch of the New Orleans Musson family was Germain Musson. Germain fled to New Orleans during 1809 from Haiti following the revolution led by Toussaint. It was in New Orleans that he married into one of the city's oldest Creole families, the Rillieux. He married Marie Celeste Vincent Rillieux (daughter of Vincent Rillieux and Marie Antoinette Tronquet). During June of 1863, in order to escape the misery of New Orleans during Union occupation, Odile Longer Musson accompanied two of her daughters, Desiree and the widowed Estelle Balfour, as well as Estelle's baby daughter, Estelle Josephine Balfour, on an extended visit to France.

It was in Paris that the young widow of Joseph Balfour fell in love with, and consequently married Jean Baptiste Rene Degas, her first cousin, and the younger brother of the French impressionist artist, Edgar Degas. Their marriage took place on June 15, 1869 in New Orleans. The Musson women had returned to New Orleans immediately after the war ended. On his visit to New Orleans, Edgar Degas was particularly drawn to the tragic figure of Estelle (who was going blind at the time of the artist's visit to the city) and used her often as a subject for his drawings and paintings. Issue of the widow Balfour and Jean Baptiste Rene Degas were: Michel Auguste Pierre (born April 6, 1870), Odile Genevieve (born August 27, 1871), Jeanne Georgine Antoinette Clarie Julie (born December 20, 1872), Edgar Achille Gaston (born February 23, 1875) and Rene Henri (born September 2, 1876). During 1878, the family was rocked by the scandal of Jean Baptiste Rene Degas leaving his wife Estelle and their five children for a married woman who lived nearby and consequently Estelle's children were adopted by Estelle's parents and took the surname Degas-Musson. Estelle and her children lived in her father's household on Esplanade Avenue. Estelle Musson Balfour Degas died on October 18, 1909 and was buried in the Musson tomb in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans. Estelle Josephine Balfour, the only issue of Joseph Davis and Estelle Musson Balfour, preceeded her mother in death by twenty eight years, having died in New Orleans on April 18, 1881, at the age of eighteen.