VOORHIES, (Col.) Felix, KY., then St. Martin Parish, Louisiana Submitted by Mike Miller ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ COL. FELIX VOORHIES, ST. MARTINVILLE.--Without a sketch of the Voorhies family, a history of Southwest Louisiana would be incomplete. Members of this family have figured prominently, not only in local affairs, but in the history of the nation. The family is of direct Holland ancestry, the first member in America, Corté Alberts Van Voor Hies, having been a native of Holland. He located in New Jersey about the year 1600. The latter part of the name, signifying " near the town of Hees," has only been retained by the descendants. Of this ancestor, Corté Alberts Van Voor Hies was twice married; first in Holland, and the second time in New Jersey. He became the father of ten children, most of whom were born in Holland. They located in different States of the Union, a son, Cornelius, becoming domiciled in Kentucky. He was the father of three children, of whom Cornelius, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was one. Cornelius Voorhies was reared and received his education in Kentucky. He removed to St. Landry parish, Louisiana, early in life, where he married Aimee Gradenigo, a descendant of the distinguished Gradenigo family of Venice. Cornelius Voorhies afterward removed to Avoyelles parish, where he served as sheriff and parish judge. He reared a family of six children, to-wit: William, Cornelius, father of our subject; Clarissa, Horace F., Gradenigo P., and Eulalie. Cornelius Voorhies, the father of Felix Voorhies, was born in 1803, in Avoyelles parish. He received a limited education, and at an early age began the study of law in St. Martinsville, being admitted to the bar in 1825. He first located in Lafayette parish, where he practised [sic] for four or five years, when he located in St. Martinville, and devoted himself to his law practice for several years. He was elected district attorney, in which capacity he served for some time, and was afterward elected State Senator. Subsequent to this he served for a period as district judge, and in 1853 he was elected associate justice of the Supreme Court, in which position he served until within a short while before his death, August, 1859. Mr. Voorhies was noted for his firmness and the closeness with which he adhered to his principles. Further mention is made of him in the history of the bench and bar of St. Martin parish. Col. Felix Voorhies was educated at St. Charles College, Grand Coteau; Spring hill, Alabama; and completed his studies at the Jesuits' College, New Orleans. He studied law in St. Martinville, and was admitted to the bar before the Supreme Court in Opelousas in 1860, since which time he has practised in St. Martinville. Mr. Voorhies enlisted in the Confederate service in 1861 in Company C, Eighth Louisiana Regiment, and was assigned to duty in Virginia. He was in active service until the latter part of 1862, when he was discharged on account of disability. After recuperating he again entered service as captain of the Independent Cavalry Company D the latter part of 1863, and was stationed in Louisiana for about a year. Later he was detailed to bureau duty. After the war Col. Voorhies returned home and resumed his law practice. In 1874 he was elected representative of St. Martin parish in the State Legislature, and served one term. Col. Voorhies, as have been his ancestors, is an ardent Democrat, though he does not take an exceedingly prominent part in local affairs. Since his service in the Legislature he has never held any public office. The Colonel has devoted much of his leisure time to literature, and is a writer of recognized merit. He has written a number of comedies in French, some of which have received high commendation. His " Blanche Duvart," or "A Louisiana Romance," was reprinted in both Canada and France. Col. Voorhies has for many years been a regular contributor to the leading French papers in the United States, and his "Louisiana Sketches" in the New York Independent have been widely read and admired. His "Reminiscences of an Old Acadian is his only attempt in English. Col. Voorhies has largely contributed to local papers; and was for four years editor of the Observer, now the Reveille, of St. Martinville. He was married in October, 1859, to Miss Modeste Potier, of St. Martin parish. To them have been born twelve children: Edward G., attorney, of Lafayette; Felix E., engineer and mechanic, of St. Martin parish; Dan. W., attorney, at St. Martinville; Charles L., engineer and mechanic, of St. Martinville; Robert E., druggist, at Thibodeaux; Albert P., who is at present a student in dentistry; Cecile, Paul E., Walter, Lucie, J. Sasthene and Modeste. Southwest Louisiana Biographical and Historical, Biographical Section, pp. 349-351. Edited by William Henry Perrin. Published in 1891, by The Gulf Publishing Company.