Santos Benavides (November 1, 1823-November 9, 1891) was a Confederate colonel. He was born in Laredo, Texas in 1823, a descendant of Tomas Sanchez de la Barrera y Garza , Laredo's founder. Benavides was the highest-ranking Mexican-American soldier to serve in the Confederate military. He was the captain of the 33rd Texas Cavalry, also called Benavides' Regiment, until he was promoted to colonel in November 1863. On March 19, 1864, he defended Laredo against the Union's First Texas Cavalry, whose commander was Colonel Edmund J. Davis (who offered Benavides a generalship in the Union before) and defeated the Union forces. Probably, his greatest contribution to the Confederacy was securing passage of Confederate cotton to Matamoros in 1863. After the War Between the States ended, he resumed his merchant and ranching activities and remained active in politics. He died in Laredo, Texas on November 9, 1891.
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