William Minor, Terrebonne Parish, 
Submitted by Mike Miller

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    Colonel William Minor 
          Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana 
     In giving a history of the prominent citizens of Terre Bonne parish,
La., the biographical department of this work would be incomplete
without mentioning Col. William Minor, planter, Houma, La., for he is
deservedly ranked among the prominent planters and popular men of the
parish. He was born in Natchez, Miss., on the 31st of July, 1834, (for
particulars regarding parents see sketch of H. C. Minor) and was
educated at Washington institute, New York city.  After leaving school
he made his home in Louisiana, where he was engaged as a sugar planter,
until the tocsin of war sounded, when he enlisted in the confederate
service as lieutenant of the state militia and served to hold General
Butler in New Orleans.  He captured 300 men at Bayou Des Allemands, was
in the fight at Ba
you La Fourche, and was fearless in the discharge of
his duty.  After the state militia was disbanded most of the soldiers
returned to their homes, but Mr. Minor went to Mississippi and
volunteered on the staff of Gen. W. T. Martin, as aide-de-camp, after
which he joined the Army of Tennessee under General Bragg, with whom he
remained until the following July.  While with that general he had the
honor of receiving Valandingham, who was making his way through the
South after being banished.  Mr. Minor was ordered to undertake the
hazardous task of protecting a depot, and in the attempt he and his
command were captured.  He was taken to Murfreesboro, thence to
Nashville, from there to Louisville, where he remained three days, and
was then sent to Johnson island, where he was confined for twenty-one
months.  Before entering the prison he was searched and all his money
taken from him, and during the time he was in prison he slept in one
blanket and had a stick of wood for a pillow.  The rations were good the
first three months and the men that had any money fared very well, being
supplied from a provision store opened on Johnson island by a sutler.
This store was subsequently closed by the citizens, and then hard times
began in earnest for the prisoners.  When Colonel Minor was first taken
to Johnson island the prison was infested 
with rats, but when he left
not a rat was to be found, and the popular price for them was 25 cents.
He says that he ate many of them.  He weighed 175 pounds when entering
the prison and when released on the 24th of February, 1864, his weight
was only 125 pounds.  He reached Richmond just previous to the
surrender, and then returned home.  He was married in 1871 to Miss A. C.
Chaplain, who bore him eight interesting children.  The Colonel is a
republican.  He owns 900 acres of land and is engaged in raising sugar
cane.
 
 From Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, volume 2,
p.259. 
Submitted by Mike Miller