[754] the Missouri campaign, including the battle of Pea Ridge in Arkansas. He then went into the Confederate service, and as a recruiting officer enlisted a large number of men, both in Missouri and Arkansas. He materially assisted in the organization of Freeman's brigade, and was elected captain of Company C, Fristoe's regiment, Eighth Missouri cavalry, Freeman's brigade. For the last two years of the war he was in all the active operations of this brigade, largely engaged in scouting, and for some time had military command of a large region on the border. He protected the citizens, both Union and Southern, punished marauders and thieves, had frequent collisions with raiding bands of Federals and their allies, the home guards, arrested deserters, enforced the conscript law, and performed the service of vedette between the line of Federal posts in Missouri and the Confederates in Arkansas. The last year of the war Captain Minus was entrusted with the command of the advance of Price's army when it entered Missouri. About midday the pickets of a Federal post were driven in and Captain Minus charged the town. The garrison fled and a running fight ensued, in which several prisoners were captured. While the fight was progressing at Pilot Knob he made a detour of the fort, amid shot and shell, joined in hot pursuit of the wagon train and assisted in capturing it. At Independence, when returning from picket in command of three companies, he was charged by the enemy and a hand-to-hand engagement occurred, in which Captain Minus received two saber wounds, but had the good fortune not only to get out, but to bring his antagonist's horse with him. Arriving in Arkansas, Captain Minus furloughed his men, and after the general surrender Freeman's brigade was paroled at Jacksonport, Ark., it being the last command of the war to surrender. This concise record covers a great amount of hard and dangerous service rendered with fidelity far from his native State. After the surrender Captain Minus went to Oregon county, Mo., and taught school. After a return to South Carolina he went to LaSalle county, Tex., engaging there in the cattle business. In 1882 he bought a ranch in Jones county, Tex., which he managed until 1890, when he returned to St. George's, S. C., where he has since resided. The esteem of his comrades at his home raised him to the rank of commander of Camp
