- Joined
- Aug 25, 2012
I thought tonight we might discuss Colonel Santos Benavides. Santos Benavides was a former Texas Ranger, lawyer, judge, slave catcher, and politician who became a Confederate Colonel. Some sources claim that he was the highest rank Confederate Tejano. Benavides became known when as a Confederate Captain he defeated Juan Cortina in the Second Cortina War. Cortina (Red Robber of the Rio Grande) supported the Union government and had invaded Zapata County, Texas.
It seems that Benavides turned down an offer to become a Union General and cast his lot with the Confederacy. Benavides used a small force to stop the Union army from destroying 5,000 bales of cotton stored at Laredo in a small battle known as the Battle of Laredo. Perhaps the greatest contribution Benavides made to the Confedercy was to open a route to Matamoros, Mexico to avoid the Union blockade and export cotton to make money the Confedercy badly needed. Colonel Benavides also fought what many consider the last battle of the Civil War in the Battle of Palmito Ranch.
It seems that Benavides turned down an offer to become a Union General and cast his lot with the Confederacy. Benavides used a small force to stop the Union army from destroying 5,000 bales of cotton stored at Laredo in a small battle known as the Battle of Laredo. Perhaps the greatest contribution Benavides made to the Confedercy was to open a route to Matamoros, Mexico to avoid the Union blockade and export cotton to make money the Confedercy badly needed. Colonel Benavides also fought what many consider the last battle of the Civil War in the Battle of Palmito Ranch.