A Study
The WilliamJ.MinorPlantations:
In Ante-Bellum
AbsenteeOwnership
SITTERSON
BY J.CARLYLE
In 1860 thesugarregionof Louisianastretched
fromtheRed River
mainlythat area lyingbetweenBayou Versouthwardencompassing
almostto theGulf. Its
milionand theMississippiRiverand extending
and itslazybayous
richsoil made it a chosenspotfortheagriculturist,
and inland lakes withthe lush vegetationand variedwild life of its
semitropical
climatemarkedit as a land of enchantment.
In the decadeof the 1850's the regionwas at theheightof its antebellumdevelopment.AlongtheMississippiand BayouLafourchewere
to be foundthelargeplantations
homes. West of
and theirimpressive
the riverin theTeche regionwas thenewersugararea. More recently
settledand developed,it was stilla land of numeroussmall cane farmers. But here too by the 1850's the large plantationhad made its
appearance.
Many of theearlysugarplantersof Louisianawereof CreoleFrench
and Spanishdescent,butin theearlydecadesof thenineteenth
century
overthe state.
migration
sweptirresistibly
the tide of Anglo-American
oftheSouth-it was an El Dorado-it was opporThis was thefrontier
large planter
tunity.Rich and poor,slaveholderand nonslaveholder,
otherpartsof theSouth,fromtheNortheast,
and small farmer-from
and fromthe upperMississippiValley theypouredinto thisrapidly
developing region. But not all gave up their homes elsewhere to go
pioneeringin thisreputedly"sickly"lowlandof the South. Some,alin oldercommunities,
readypossessorsof wealth,name,and influence
60
THE
JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN
HISTORY
reluctantto leave all this,acquiredand operatedsugarplantationsas
absenteeholdingsfromwhichtheyhoped to deriveprofits.Such an
absenteeholderwas William J.Minor of Natchez,Mississippi. By
in Louisiana1860,Minorwas in possessionof threesugarplantations
Waterloo,a 1,900acreholdingon theMississippiin AscensionParish,
and Southdownand Hollywood,of 6,000 and 1,400acres,respectively,
in TerrebonneParish.'
Minor's backgroundillustratesthat of the bettertypeof southern
planter.Son of StephenMinor,earlygovernorof theNatchezdistrict
while it was still underSpanishcontrol,his earlylife was spentat
"Concord,"the residenceof the earlySpanishgovernorsnearNatchez
the Minorfamilyhome. In the 1820's he was sentto
and afterwards
Philadelphia,wherehe studiedLatin,French,and Englishwitha companiontutorand attendedlecturesin chemistry
and philosophyat the
of Pennsylvania.He had alreadyacquireda love forbooks
University
and had read in the manyvolumeson geography,travel,and poetry
in his father'slibrary.
He returnedto Concordin the early1830's withhis wife,Rebecca
Gustineof Carlisle,Pennsylvania.UntiltheCivilWar, he and hiswife
livedat ConcordrearingtheirchildrenJohn,Stephen,William,James,
Duncan, Henry,Frank,and Katherine,and enjoyingthe pleasuresof
southernlife. Althoughmembersof thefamilymade frequent
tripsto
theNorthand yearlyvisitsto New Orleans,theyweredeeplyattached
with their
to "home" and their"way of life." Pleasantintercourse
when
in
with
those
and
Louisiana
in
Natchez
friends
the
many
region
at the Duncan F. Kennerand HenryDoyal plantationsin Ascension,
in Terrebonne
and at theMcCollum,Cage, and Gibsonplantations
providedthehumanassociationsso dearto theSoutherner.
"This paper is based entirelyupon materialsin the William J. Minor Collection in
the Departmentof Archivesof Louisiana State University.The collectionconsistsof personal correspondenceand plantationrecords. Most of the informationin this studywas
volumes of the plantationdiaries and ledgers coveringthe
derived from the thirty-eight
years from1847 to 1870. For a full descriptionof this collection,see William R. Hogan
(ed), Guide to ManuscriptCollections,Departmentof Archives,Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, 1940). Statisticalinformationon the size of the plantations,amount
of livestock,and valuation was taken fromthe manuscriptreturnsof the agriculturalcensus of 1860, which are in the Duke UniversityLibrary,Durham, North Carolina.
THE WILLIAM J. MINOR PLANTATIONS
61
In politics,Minor,like mostotherlarge slaveholdersof the lower
South,was a Whig. His positionon important
politicalissueswas conditionedbyhis interests
as a slaveholderand sugarplanter.Above all,
he was interested
in the preservation
of slavery,his principalcapital
investment
and labor system,
and in a protective
tariff
on sugarwhich
would assureprofitable
pricesfordomesticproducers.Minorwas firmly opposedto secession,notonlybecausehe was deeplyattachedto the
Union,but also becausehe was convincedthatsuch an act would be
disastrousto the sugar industryof the South. As earlyas 1856 he
termed"perfect
madness"theview of someof his fellowplantersthat
secessionwould resultin benefitsto the South. When eventsmoved
rapidlytowarda dissolution
of theUnionin 1860 he opposedit "to the
utmost of [his] . . . ability" for he was "most apprehensiveit would
lead to war and war to emancipation."
Fromhis familyresidencenearNatchez,Minordirectedthemanagementof his Louisianaholdings.Like thoseof otherabsenteeowners,
Minor's diaryis a recordof problemsand activitiespeculiarto those
planterstryingto conductlarge-scaleagriculturalenterprise
through
overseersupervisionand the entrusting
of residentmanagementto
youngsons. Ultimatecontrolof management
policieswas at all times
retainedbyMinor,himself.
Fromabout1855 untillate in 1861 whenhe joinedtheConfederate
Army,Minor'sson,Stephen,livedat Waterlooand managedtheplantation. In 1862 anotherson,Henry,or "Hally" as he was morefamiliarly known,replacedhis brotherthere. William, anotherbrother,
lived at Southdownand managedit and Hollywood. Minorvisitedall
threeof his Louisianaplaces frequently
and when away keptin con.
stanttouchwiththembymail. Althoughan absenteeowner,he was in
no sensea negligentone,forat all timeshe had detailedknowledgeof
plantationaffairs.How able the sonswere as managers,it seemsimpossibleto ascertain.Onlyon one occasiondid Minorcommentin his
diaryon theirwork. On March23, 1859,he arrivedat Waterlooand
at seven-thirty
thateveningwrotein his diarythatStephen"leftthis
morningat 9:30 A. M. to go 4 milesabove this& has notyetreturned
62
THE JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN HISTORY
butis willingto leave it
. . . He seemsneverto thinkof thePlantation,
on anypretextwhatever& generallystaysawayfrom6 to 26 hours."
thathis unmarriedsons,Stephenand William,
It is not surprising
tripsand in visitsto otherplantasoughtsocietyin huntingand fishing
lonelyand unattractions,forlifeon a plantationcouldbe exceedingly
tive for an unmarriedman. This, Minorwas to realizehimselfafter
spendingsomemonthsat Southdownin 1862 and 1863. On February
we have done wrongto allow
5, 1863,he wrote:"I am moresatisfied
our sons to be alone on plantations-Theymustat timebe veryunhappy-besides the danger of gettinginto bad habits . . . It will not
do-They mustmarryor give up stayingalone on plantations.The
wantof societyis terrible."
Apparentlythe dutiesof the sons did not in theirview necessitate
of routine
theirconstantpresenceon the plantationsince supervision
the overseersupon
activitiesrestedwiththe overseers.Unfortunately,
whomMinor was dependentprovedin manyinstancesunsatisfactory.
employedat
overseers
In theyears1847-1860thereweresevendifferent
Waterloo,butonlythreeat Southdownfrom1849 to 1860. Alexander
Nisbet who was hiredAugust 17, 1847, to overseeat Waterloo remaineduntilhis deathfromheartattack,July25, 1852. On December
13, 1852, JamesK. Metcalfetook chargethere,but at the end of his
year,December15, 1853,Minor"declinedto reengagehimforanother
year-at whichhe was muchenraged& leftvowingvengence."MetCalfewas followedby ArthurSt. Amentwho was paid $1,200 a year.
Why he left in 1855 we do not know,but at any rate on August2,
1855, David Graywas put in chargeat $800. The followingyearhis
salarywas raisedto $1,000. His termof serviceended May 3, 1858,
whenhe was discharged"forbeingoffthe place at night." His successor,W. F. Harson,quitApril11, 1860,becausehis wagesof $800 a
forhim. WilliamF. Graywho becameoverseer
yearwerenotsufficient
at Southdown,March 5, 1849, at $1,000 a yearremaineduntilFebruone
ary4, 1856. No reasonis givenforhis departure.His successor,
Deputy,lastedonlyuntilMay 16, 1856,whenhe was discharged"for
insolence."
THE WILLIAM J. MINOR PLANTATIONS
63
In everycase,Minorhiredhis overseersat a monthly
or yearlyrate,
the contractto be terminated
by eitherpartywheneverdissatisfied.
knewlittleof theiroverseersbefore
Since southern
plantersfrequently
theywere hired,the rightto dischargeat will was probablythought
necessary.Yet, suchinsecurity
of tenurewouldnotbe attractive
to able
of largenumbers
of Negroes,therewere
managers.In themanagement
whenan overseer's
actionsmightso infuriate
manyinstances
theplanter
as to resultin theloss of a job. This insecurity
of tenureundoubtedly
to theperpetuation
of an incapablegroupof overseersand
contributed
frequently
resultedin undesirablerelationsbetweenplanterand overseer.
That Minor was exactingin his demandsupon his overseersand
gave themspecificinstructions
as to theirdutiesand responsibilities,
is
indicatedby the followingextractfromthe "Rules and Regulations"
forthe overseersat Waterloo,Southdown,
and Hollywood:
He willgivethewholeofhistimeandtalents
totheinterests
ofhisemployer.
He musttreatall thenegroes
withkindness
andhumanity
bothin sickness
and in health-Whensickhe mustsee thattheyhave everynecessary
attention
& convenience
& thatthe Doctorsdirections
are strictly
attendedto in every
particular.
He mustsee thatthehandsareat workas soonas theycan [see] to workand
that one and all do a good days work accordingto theirstrength. . . He must
not strikethe negroeswithanything
buthis whip,exceptin selfdefence-He
mustnotcuttheskinwhenpunishing,
norpunishin a passion-He mustnotuse
abusivelanguageto nor threaten
the negroes,as it makesthemunhappyand
inducesthemto runaway.
sometimes
AlthoughMinor was an experiencedcottonplanter,when he acquired his firstsugar plantationin the 1830's he knew littleof the
cultureof sugarcane. Experiencedas he was in generalagricultural
practices,however,he applied himselfsystematically
to the problems
of his new culture.He read theagricultural
of
journals theday,especiallyarticleson sugarcultivation
and manufacture
in De Bow's Review, and comparedhis own experiences
withthoseof HenryDoyal
and Duncan F. Kenner,bothwidelyexperienced
planters.
On the selectionof cane forseed,the puttingup of seed cane, the
64
THE JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN HISTORY
crop rotation,windrowingas protection
widthof rows,fertilization,
fromfreezing,2
and drainageof his lands, he made repeatedexperiments. The plantationswere dividedinto fieldswhichin turnwere
divided into plots. The plots were numberedand accuraterecords
were kept of plantingsand yieldsin the respectiveplots in orderto
discoversatisfactory
rotationschemesforeach field.A normalrotation
systemfor a fieldwas: firstyear,plant cane; secondyear,firstyear
stubble;thirdyear,secondyearstubble;fourthyear,corn and peas.
Sometimesthepea vineswereplowedin, at othertimestheywerenot.
forcornon severalfieldsbut
In 1848,bagasse3was triedas fertilizer
in 1855 bothguano
no mentionwas made of theresult.Commencing
but
and domesticmanurewerefromtimeto timeused forfertilization
thereis no evidencethatanysystematic
was followed.
plan of fertilizing
Minor'sexperiments
led himto thefollowingconclusions:thathealthy,
canesshouldbe selectedforseed; that,in plantvigorous,and straight
to securea good stand;that
ing,two stalkswell lappedwerenecessary
six feet was the best widthfor cane rows; that windrowingwas a
fromfreezingprovidedit was donebeforethecane
valuableprotection
was frozenand the eyes killed; and thatthe windrowingshould be
begunbythemiddleofNovember.On all of theabovepoints,Minor's
withacceptedpracticetoday.
conclusionsare in virtualagreement
werewell stocked.On October7,
All threeof theMinorplantations
1849,thelivestockat Waterlooincluded:77 hogs and pigs,257 sheep,
out horses,
78 workhorsesand mules,7 saddlehorses,25 non-working
and
74 workoxen,17 milkingcows,17 calves,20 drycows,4 yearlings,
2 bulls.
workanimalon the ante-bellum
The mostimportant
sugarplantationwas themule,and thearduousworkwhichthisanimalhad to permade frequent
and harvesting
purchasesnecesformduringcultivation
workingforce. In the years1849-1861,
saryto maintaina sufficient
Minor boughtseventymules and threework horses. Generallythe
2 Windrowing
thecane and layingit in therowslayerupon
is thepracticeof cutting
stalk.
bytheleavesof each succeeding
layerso thatthestalkis protected
at
of the crushedstalkafterthe juice has been extracted
3 Bagasseis the remainder
themill.
THE WILLIAM J. MINOR PLANTATIONS
65
mules were boughtfromdealerswho visitedthe plantations,but in
February,1861, twentywere purchasedin New Orleans. The price
withintwelvemonths.
paid rangedfrom$180 to $200 each,payment
South,like othereconomicinstiThe plantationof the ante-bellum
tutions,mustin finalanalysisbe judgedbyhow well it providedforits
workers.On such mattersas the level of living,healthconditions,
and generalcare of thelabor force,conclusionsare essential
efficiency,
institution.
to any evaluationof the plantationas a socio-economic
Upon each of the above, Minor's diaryfurnishessome information,
thoughit maybe in someinstances.
fragmentary
the slaves were organizedforwork
As on othersugarplantations,
of a firstand seconddriver.It
intogangs,each underthe supervision
to knowmoreaboutthe drivers-theirages, type
would be interesting
of Negro,methodsused to get workfromthe slaves,and the attitude
of the otherNegroestowardthem-forit mustbe apparentthatthe
driveroccupieda positionof considerableimportancein the producthedutiesof thefirstdriver
tionof thecrops. On theMinorplantation,
wereas follows:
He mustobeyall theorders
oftheOverseer.
He mustseethatall thehands
underhimin thefield,do theirduty,and punishthemin a propermanner
in thefield
or quarreling
unlesstheydo. He mustnotallowanyloudtalking
oron theplace....
orin theQuarter,
without
permisHe musttakecarethatthepeopledo notleavetheQuarters
sion,thattheyare all in or at theirhouses,at thepropertimeafterthewringing
of thebell. ...
liquorsof
He mustnot allow the negroesto use or keep or drinkspirituous
all
must
it
and
above
not
do
himself.
anykind,
cut theskinor bruisein anyway,theperson
He mustneverin punishment
strike
withanything
butthelashof his whip.
punished. . . He mustnever
He musttreatall thenegroesalike,showingneitherlove nor hatredto any
one,butbe just in all thingsto all.
of his being
He mustso conducthimselfas thatthereshallbe no complaints
of the othermen. He mustby no
withthe wivesand daughters
too intimate
to [be] cometheOndidonk
overthepeople,forif he does
meansattempt
burnt
shouldnotsavehimfromthemostseverepunishment.
brandy
It has long been assumedby criticsthatslave labor was notoriously
has been made in mostcases withoutsupThis assumption
inefficient.
66
THE JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN HISTORY
on a sugar
portingevidence. Perhapsthe besttestof labor efficiency
perworking
plantationwouldbe thenumberof acresof land cultivated
hand and the amountof cane cutby each hand. On Waterlooplantationin 1861 a totalof 1,102 acreswerecultivatedin all cropsby 224
yearsof age,
Negroes of all ages. Of these,101 were underfifteen
leaving123 adultfieldhandsofbothsexes. In thatyeareach fullhand
cultivatedalmostnine acres. Minor estimatedthat a good hand in
good cane would windrowforthemill threefourthsof an acre a day
and thatthe gang would averagehalfan acre. These figurescompare
mostfavorablywithworkdone by the Negro underfreedom.In so
far as it is possibleto reacha conclusionfrompartialevidence,slave
was probablyas efficient
as presentday
laboron theMinorplantations
Negro laborat thesamekindof work.
The basic essentialsin the level of livingof any group are food,
clothing,and shelter.Reasonableadequacyin all these are requirementsforanylaboringforce.Rationsforeach fullhandon theMinor
plantationsconsistedof threeand a half poundsof porkor bacon a
week,as muchbread and molassesas theycould eat, and "also vegetablesof theseason-as manyas theycan eat." Theywerealso allowed
to cultivatepatchesof theirown in vegetables,and keep chickensand
in patchesbyNegroesat Waterloo
otherfowls. The acreagecultivated
variedfroman averageof a thirdof an acreper familyin 1848 to one
seasonfromMarchto October,slaves
acrein 1861. Duringcultivating
did not workthe plantationcropson Sundaysand were freeto work
in theirown patchesthen. Fromtimeto timetheywereallowedSaturto workin theirvegetables.
dayafternoons
Food forthe Negroeswas preparedat specialkitchens.The cooks
were to scrubtheseand clean up aroundthemtwicea week,and the
"cookingutensils& the bucketsof the people mustbe keptperfectly
clean at all times." Food was to be well cooked "withthe greatest
cleanliness"and "Some vegetableof the seasonmustbe cookedevery
dayin sufficient
quantitiesforall hands."
The Negroeskeptchickensand sold bothchickensand eggs. ApparentlyMinorused thismeansof enablingthemto earntheirown spend-
THE WILLIAM J. MINOR PLANTATIONS
67
theplantationwithchickingmoneyand at thesametimeof furnishing
ens and eggs. Such articlesas tobaccoand sweetswere keptin the
and sold to the slaves.
plantationstoreroom
Negro clothingconsistedof shirts,pants,coats,and shoes for the
(drawersand chemises),coats, and
men, and frocks,underclothing
shoesforthewomen. Materialswereboughtand theclothesmade on
the plantations.Shoes were eitherbrogansor boots,the latterused
by the fieldlaborerswhile ditchingand workingin the swamps. Apparently,fieldworkersreceivedone pair of shoes a year; it is likely
the summer.The diarygives
thatmanywentbarefootedthroughout
of the slave quarters.It is reasonableto supposethat
no description
fromthoseon otherplantations-whitetheywerelittleor no different
washed cabinsof wood of one or two roomsper family,arrangedin
rows.
South Louisiana,withits hot, humidclimate,mosquitoes,swamps,
was not a veryhealthyarea. Some
and lack of sanitationfacilities,
sicknesswas almostalwayspresentamongtheNegroesof a plantation
and epidemicswere not unusual. Such randomentriesin the plantationdiaryas thefollowinggive an insightintotheproblemof health:
June9, 1851, "Lost 40 men & women& childrenby cholera (except
3)"; September10, 1851, "a great deal of sicknesson the place
[Waterloo] forthelast six weekshave averaged25 in theHospital& Dingue feverinfluenza& grippe"; on September30,
Intermittant
were on the sick list at Waterloo,principallywith
1855, eighty-six
fever. In August,1857, Dr. JenningsthoughtColeman,a Negro at
of the bladder. Minor thoughthe was
Waterloo,had inflammation
"humbuging."On September17, 1857, seventywere in the hospital
at Southdown,the greaternumberwithmumps,boils, and feverand
Ran"all the nursesbrokedown." In 1858,thingswereno different.
dom entriesread: "23 sick-17 mumps";"a good deal of feveramong
the Negroes"; "some 10 or 12 in the Hospital no one much sick";
"Health of the place not so good 32 in theHospital"; "influenza. ..
epidemicon theplace."
68
THE JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN HISTORY
A plantationhospitalforthesickwas advisableforseveralreasons.
Had each familycaredforits own sick,it would have beenmoredifficult to controldisease,and epidemicswould have been more likely.
Then,too,withthewomenworkingtherewould be no one to carefor
hospitalwas the logical
the sickin theircabins. Thus the community
solution. As soon as the sickwere able, theywere made to sew or
knit. The hospitaland the groundsaroundit were cleanedup twice
a weekbyMinor'sorders.
in the death
Diet, shelter,disease-all of theseshouldbe reflected
rate. On January22, 1850, therewere 203 Negroes at Southdown,
85 men and boys,64 womenand girls,and 54 childrenundertwelve.
yearsfrom1850 through1862, 148 childrenwereborn
In the thirteen
and 74 personsdied. From 1834 to 1858, 236 birthsand 131 deaths
wererecordedat Waterloo-37 of thedeathswerefromcholerain the
epidemicof 1851. As is clear fromthe above, therewas a sizeable
marginof birthsover deathson bothplaces,makingfora reasonable
rateof populationgrowth.On thewhole,the slave familieswerenot
unusuallylarge. For example,of the 219 Negroes at Southdownon
January1, 1852, 206 were in 53 families(makingan averageof 3.7
per family)and 13 wereunattached.At Waterloo,on July16, 1852,
260 out of the totalof 271 werein 55 families,rangingfrom2 to 11
in a family,the averagenumberbeing4.7.
to notethecausesgivenforthedeathsof theSouthIt is interesting
down slaves forseveralyears. In 1852,therewerefivedeaths,one of
of thebrain,one of wormsand inflammaold age, one of inflammation
tionof thebowels,one of fever,and one killedin theengine. In 1853,
two died of typhusfever,twoof scarletfever,one froma fall,and one
pneumonia,inof dysentery.In 1855, when eleven died, dysentery,
of thebowels,consumption,
fever,and old age weregiven
flammation
of theregionand diseases
that
diseases
can
seen
both
It
be
as causes.
of classwerethosethattookthelivesof thelaborersat Southdown.
of the slaves. In
Minor made meticulousrulesforthe supervision
disciplinedbehaviorand punishment
the absenceof othermotivation,
and community
life.
to
production
formisdeedswerenecessary effective
THE WILLIAM J. MINOR PLANTATIONS
69
to examinethe quartersat nightto see
The overseerwas instructed
thatthe Negroeswerethere. Slaves were not to leave the plantation,
nor to comeon the place withouta pass. Men werenot to beat their
wives. Marriagescould take place onlyaftera month'snoticeof intentionhad beengiven;thesamewas trueof divorces.The following
to his overseersin December,1861,
selectionfromMinor'sinstructions
gives a fairlycompletepictureof the controlunderwhichthe Negro
lived:
is bad,cold
is finepushthework.Whentheweather
Whentheweather
& letthemgetin earlier
andwet,keepthehandsoutof itas muchas possible
at night- . . .
alwaysif
Peoplemustbe welltakencareof whensick& mustbe punished
theylayupwhennotsick. . .
or
at all times-Nofighting
mustbe maintained
discipline
Discipline-Strict
be usedbyanyoneat any
mustbe allowed-Normustbadlanguage
quareling
time...
followingeveto theMondaymorning
fromChristmas
Holy-Days-Give
Theycan dancein theShop-Put theBall & lightsin chargeof Bailey& three
others.. . . Give a barrelof flour?4thof a barrelof sugarto makecakesat theBall-No one
& a hog forthesupper.Strictdecorummustbe preserved
mustwarea hat in the room.
socialcontrol
underthethoroughgoing
How did theNegro perform
among
mattersas relationships
of the plantation?On such significant
But on theslave'sbehavior
no information.
each other,thediaryoffers
is available. In
in matterspertainingto the plantation,information
the yearsfrom1845 to 1861, the onlymisdeedthatseemedto recur
oftenenoughto be called habitualamongthe plantationNegroes at
Waterloo,Southdown,and Hollywoodwas stealing. Such entriesas
thefollowingpicturetheplantationslave as possessedof "taking"proclivities:Waterloo,August24, 1851, "Gardenwas robeda few days
Sunday,September
ago workedall hands [Sunday] as a punishment";
12, 1852, "All hands at work . . . to pay fora pig & turkeystolen";
Sunday,March12, 1854,"Workedall handsforkillinga pig on Friday
night";September27, 1855, "the negroshave stolennearlyall pomegranites& killedsomesheep"; Sunday,August1, 1858, "Southdownhands at work forstealingsugar." Althoughwhiskeywas forbidden
70
THE JOURNALOF SOUTHERNHISTORY
the Negroeson the Minor plantations,it was difficult
to keep them
frombuyingit shouldthe chancearisewhentheyhad a littlemoney.
On January
31, 1857,WilliamJ.Minor"Wentovertheriverto see Mr.
Dominiqueabouthis man Juliannewho had been sellingwhiskey"to
theNegroesat Waterloo.
The Minor plantations,like most ante-bellumplantations,were
occasionallybotheredby runaways.Usually the runawaysreturned
voluntarily
withina few days,or theywould be apprehendedand put
in jail, fromwhichthe overseerby payingthe costscould take them
back to the plantation.The causesof runningaway weremainlythe
a Negro who had committeda misdeed
following: (1) frequently
purchased
would runaway fromfearof beingpunished;(2) recently
Negroes occasionallyran away withoutany particularreason other
fortheir
thanlack of adjustment
to theirnew home or homesickness
old one; (3) occasionallya slave,tiredof his regularlife,would "take
off"fora few days. The numberof runawaysfromthe threeplantain thediary
tionswas exceptionally
small; onlyelevenwerementioned
forWaterloo and Southdownfrom1855 to 1861. When slavesmiswork,
tookthe formof extraor moredistasteful
behaved,punishment
in the stocks.
flogging,
or confinement
The regularforceof theoverseerand theNegro slaveswas increased
duringthe grindingseasonbythe additionof seasonalhiredlabor. A
sugarmakerand engineerwereusuallyengagedin thesummerforthe
was paid accordingto thesize
grindingseasonin thefall. The former
of the crop. For example,JeanDahan of St. Jameswas hiredJuly4,
1849, to make the sugarat Southdownat $1 per hogshead,up to a
maximumof $400. The engineerwas occasionallyhiredbytheseason,
but more generallyat a monthlyfigureof $150 for threemonthsin
thefall. Minor'ssugarapparatusconsistedof steammills,openkettles,
and steamstrikepans. Althoughnotthemostimprovedsugarmachineryof the period,it was superiorto the simpleopen kettleapparatus
the servicesof an engineer.
and necessitated
The scoresof buildingsrequiredon a large sugarplantationmade
secondin importance
onlyto the actual productionof a
carpentering
THE WILLIAM J. MINOR PLANTATIONS
71
by the slaves,
crop. Much of thislabor could be and was performed
fromtimeto timewas quite
but the hiringof skilledwhitecarpenters
at work
general. From1846 to 1862 therewas a skilledwhitecarpenter
a good partof everyyear. Alexon one of thethreeMinorplantations
carpenter
at Waterloo at $50 per month
ander Nisbet workedas a
1 to August
24, 1846,and fromFebruary
10 to September
fromJanuary
17, 1847,whenhe becameoverseerthere.CharlesMintybeganworkin 1851 for$50 a monthand continuedto workthere
ing at Southdown
and at Hollywoodthrough1866. Until1863 he workedas a carpenter,
but was overseerfrom1863 to 1866. Beginningin 1854, he received
makinghis anan additional$100 forextraservicesduringgrinding,
$700. On occasionswhen therewere
nual earningsapproximately
as at Hollyto be constructed,
severalcabins,stables,and outbuildings
and masonsand their
wood in 1858 and 1859, additionalcarpenters
Negro helperswerehiredto do thework. At timesMinorhireda contractorto ditchnew land beingbroughtunderthe plow. He paid for
thisbytheacreaccordingto thesize of theditch.
Once the sugarand molasseshad been made it was put in wooden
to market.The hogshead,each of
hogsheadsand barrelsforshipment
whichcontainedabout1,000to 1,100poundsof sugar,and thebarrels,
each holdingfrom40 to 50 gallonsof molasses,weremade of cypress
or hickory,
usuallyby Negro cooperson the plantations.More infreor New Orleanscoopers,
quentlytheywereboughtfromneighborhood
at pricesrangingfrom$1.25 to $1.50 each forthebarrels.Evenwhen
the cooperagewas done on the plantationthe hogsheadpoles and
barrel staves were usuallyboughtfromoutsidecooperagefirmsat
pricesrangingfrom$50 to $100 per thousandforpoles and from$15
to $22.50 forstaves.
Once the sugarand molasseswerereadyformarket-themarketing
season extendingfromearlyNovemberto earlysummer-theplanter
began his shipments.At Waterloo,it was relativelyeasyto haul the
sugar and molassesto the steamboatlandingwhereone of the river
boatswould pickthemup. WiththeSouthdownand Hollywoodcrops
for the
in Terrebonne,the problemof shippingwas more difficult,
72
THE JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN HISTORY
shipmenthad to pass fromBayou Black throughseveralbayousand
inlandwaterways
beforereachingthe Gulf.
Minor sold most of his crop and boughthis suppliesthroughhis
New Orleansfactor,W. P. Leverichand Company.Not infrequently,
he shippedto C. P. Leverichin New York and occasionally
up theMississippiand Ohio to Cincinnati.In onlytwo instancesdid he record
the sellingof his crop on the plantation.On April 22, 1856, he sold
about two hundredhogsheadsin the sugarhouseat Waterlooto CaptainDugan at six and a halfcentsa pound. Again on March10, 1858,
he sold theSouthdownand Hollywoodcropsto CaptainDugan at six
centsa pound.
in ante-bellum
Sugarplantingwas an expensiveenterprise
days,for
the planterwas both growerof cane and manufacturer
of sugar. A
well equippedsugarplantation,
in additionto land,possessedNegroes,
livestock,farmimplements,
and a sugarhouse.For example,the farm
utensilsat Southdownin February,
1856,included:29 cartsandwagons,
54 plows,15 chains,12 setsof wagongears,52 setsof plow gears,18
saddles,8 harrows,46 axes, 40 wedges,32 saws, 89 cane knives,82
hoes,32 spadesand shovels,12 whetstones,4 scythes,
and severalrakes
In 1860,Waterloo,Southdown,and Hollywoodplanand pitchforks.
tationswiththeir9,300 acresand approximately
fourhundredslavesof
all ages had a totalvaluationof almostone milliondollars.
Sincesugarcane was theonlycash cropon thethreeplantations,
the
financialsuccessof the plantationsdependedupon the returnsfrom
sugarand molassesand thecostsof stapleprovisions,
principally
pork,
corn,and cottongoods. In the fifteenyearsfrom1844 to 1861 (no
figuresare available for 1846, 1847, ahd 1848), Waterloo produced
6,125 hogsheadsof sugar of one thousandpounds each, makingan
average annual crop of 408 hogsheads. In the fourteenyearsfrom
1845 to 1861 Southdownmade 8,682 hogsheadsor an annualaverage
of 620 hogsheads,and from1855 to 1861 Hollywoodaveraged190
hogsheads. Figuresare not availableon financialreturnsand operatMinor'sledgersdo containacing costsforeach year,but fortunately
numberof years to make possible a
curate figuresfor a sufficient
THE WILLIAM J. MINOR PLANTATIONS
73
generalconclusionas to theprofitability
of theenterprise.
In theyears
1837-1850and 1852 the totalreturnsfromthe sale of the Waterloo
cropswere$205,755.88and totaloperatingexpenseswere$143,112.07.
This givesan excessof returns
overexpenditures
of $62,643.81,or an
of $211,500
average of $4,176.25per year. On a capital investment
(Minor'sestimatein 1837), thisindicatesa netreturnof notquitetwo
per cent.
In the nine yearsfrom1846 through1854, the grossreturnsfrom
the Southdowncropswere $265,111.68and total operatingexpenses
were $164,229.88,makingan averageannual excessof receiptsover
expenditures
of $11,209.09. On the basis of a cash valuationin 1850
of approximately
$203,000 ($88,000 in land, $10,000 in implements
and machinery,
$5,000 in livestock,and $100,000 in Negroes), this
indicatesan annualnet returnof 5.5 per cent. If netprofitsalone be
considered,Minor's sugar plantingventurewas certainlyno notable
success,forthe profitswere hardlycomparableto the returnin other
branchesof economicactivity.This is not so surprising,
for agriculturaleconomists
have long claimedthatonlyin rareinstancesis agriculturea profitable
economicpursuitif subjectedto the same accounting measuresas are appliedto commerceand industry.In thematter
of finances,the southernplanterhad two principalconsiderations.
In
thefirstplace,he desiredhis annualincometo exceedhis expenditures
so as to makepossiblea highstandardof living. Secondly,he wanted
thevaluationof his property
to increase,foruponthishe dependedfor
creditin hardtimesand whenhe desiredto add to his possessions.In
each of the yearsconsidered,
Minor'sreceiptsexceededhis operating
expenses,thereby
enablinghimand his familyto maintaina highlevel
of livingwithoutincurring
debt. On thematterof thevaluationof the
plantations,the figuresare impressive.WhereasWaterloowas worth
$211,500 in 1837, it was worthapproximately
$370,000 in 1850 and
almost$500,000in 1860. Southdownincreasedin value from$203,000
in 1850 to about$450,000in 1860. Minormaynothave been making
money"'handoverfist"accordingto Yankee notions,but he was un-
74
THE JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN HISTORY
doubtedlygettingricherand richerin land and Negroes. Afterall
thatwas whatcountedin theplantationSouth.
If the war had not come,what then? The Minor plantationsand
otherslike themmighthave gone on substantially
as theywere for
anothergenerationor so, but in timedrasticchangescould not have
been avoided. With increasingcompetition
and fallingsugarprices,
scientific
advancesin methodsof production,
and a revolution
in transportation,
muchof the old had to go. But the transition
would have
easier.
been
Capital mighthave been availablewhen it was so badly
neededand labor would probablyhave been moreplentifuland more
efficient
had it not experiencedso greata changein so shorta time.
The land and the people could have faceda futurethatwas boundto
be hard for the Louisiana sugarindustry
withat least the assurance
thattheirassetsweremanyand theirchancesof survivalgood.