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Santos Benavides
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Santos Benavides (November 1, 1823 – November 9, 1891) was a Confederate colonel during the American Civil War. Benavides was the highest-ranking Mexican-American soldier to serve in the Confederate military.
He was born in Laredo, Texas in 1823, a descendant of Tomas Sanchez de la Barrera y Garza, Laredo's founder. He was the captain of the 33rd Texas Cavalry, also called Benavides' Regiment, until he was promoted to colonel in November 1863.
On May 22, 1861, at the Battle of Carrizo, he engaged the local Mexican leader Juan Cortina (who had invaded Zapata County, an event usually referred as the Second Cortina War), and drove him back into Mexico. On March 19, 1864, he defended Laredo against the Union's First Texas Cavalry, whose commander was Colonel Edmund J. Davis (who had previously offered Benavides a Union generalship) and defeated the Union forces. Probably his greatest contribution to the Confederacy was securing passage of Confederate cotton to Matamoros in 1863.
After the American Civil War ended, he resumed his merchant and ranching activities and remained active in politics. He died in Laredo, Texas.
- Santos Benavides from the Handbook of Texas Online