Background
William James Behan was born on September 25, 1840, in New Orleans, the son of John Holland and Katherine (Walker) Behan.
Businessman politician statesman
William James Behan was born on September 25, 1840, in New Orleans, the son of John Holland and Katherine (Walker) Behan.
William attended the University of Louisiana (now Tulane) and the Western Military Institute in Nashville.
At the beginning of the Civil War William enlisted with the New Orleans Washington Artillery, and being soon promoted to commissioned rank, served with the Army of Northern Virginia from Bull Run to Appomattox. After the war he returned to New Orleans and became a wholesale grocer. A determined opponent of carpetbag government, he took an important part in organizing the Crescent City White League, and in September 1874 he was one of the two men in command of the League forces in their battle against the Federal forces then in New Orleans - the Battle of the Custom House. In 1874-1882 he was major-general of the Louisiana National Guard, in 1882-84 mayor of New Orleans, in 1888-92 a member of the state Senate, in 1889-91 major-general of the state Confederate Veterans Association, and from 1905 for many years Commander of the Washington Artillery Veterans Association.
During his administration as mayor Behan manifested his accustomed great vigor and integrity, and, exerting himself particularly to thwart ring politics, he was on that issue defeated for a second term. The conviction among his followers that his defeat was fraudulent was so intense as to tempt them to protest the election by violence, but plans in that direction were at length abandoned.
In the early 1890's Behan removed from New Orleans to his extensive and efficiently conducted sugar plantation at White Castle, Louisiana, and at about this time, along with a number of other planters, in protest against the Democratic scheme for reducing the tariff on sugar, he went over to the Republican party. From 1896 he was a regular delegate at Republican national conventions, in 1900-12 he was a member of the Republican Executive Committee of Louisiana, and in 1904 he was Republican candidate for governor. In 1902 he returned to live in New Orleans. His death occurred suddenly in New Orleans.
William Behan was a member of the Republican party; the state Senate (1888-1892); the Republican Executive Committee of Louisiana (1900-1912); Commander of the Washington Artillery Veterans Association.
In June 1866 William Behan was married to Katie Walker.
