Minas Geraes, spelled Minas Gerais in some sources, was a dreadnought battleship of the Brazilian Navy. Named in honor of the state of Minas Gerais, the ship was laid down in April 1907 as the lead ship of its class, making the country the third to have a dreadnought under construction and igniting a naval arms race between Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.
Minas Gerais is believed to be named in honor of the very famous general but it's actually named in honor of the state.
it was named in honor of the state and not some general. maybe the sentence structure was confusing