DUANE
Duane's take
The official marker's the one tellin' this tale, and I'm just the voice carryin' it down the road. Now, if you're rollin' through Webb County, through Laredo country, you ought to know something about the ground beneath your wheels. That city was founded in 1755 by a man named Tomas Sanchez.
And from that founding bloodline came three brothers who would leave a mark on this land that no amount of time has quite managed to erase. The Benavides brothers — Santos, Refugio, and their half-brother Cristobal. A prominent Laredo family, by every measure of the word.
Santos was born in 1823, Refugio in 1824, and Cristobal in 1839. Three men, one name, and a story that runs right through the heart of the Civil War. When the war broke out in 1861, all three brothers went into Confederate service.
Now here's where the story gets its weight. Santos commanded a regiment in the 33rd Texas Cavalry and rose to the rank of colonel — the highest rank achieved by a Mexican-American in the Confederate army. Both Refugio and Cristobal earned the rank of captain.
Stationed along the Texas-Mexican border, these men weren't fighting some distant, abstract war. They were fighting on their own ground, against bandits and Union forces alike. In May of 1862, they defeated a large raiding party led by Juan Cortina at Carrizo — the place now known as Zapata.
Then came March of 1864, and this one's worth sittin' with for a moment. Their troops were badly outnumbered, and an army of Texas unionists came for Laredo. The brothers held.
They defended that city, and their victory helped ensure the continuation of the vital Confederate cotton trade running between Texas and Mexico. After the war, the brothers didn't fade into the background. Santos and Cristobal operated one of the city's most prosperous mercantile companies.
Santos went on to serve in the state legislature from 1879 to 1884. Santos died in 1891, Cristobal in 1904. The city their ancestor founded in 1755 was still standing, still trading, still carrying their name forward.
Some families don't just live in a place. They are the place.
What the marker says
Members of a prominent Laredo family, the three Benavides brothers were the descendants of Tomas Sanchez, who founded the city in 1755. Santos (1823-1891) and Refugio Benavides (b. 1824) and their half-brother Cristobal (1839-1904) were best known for their service in the Confederate army during the Civil War (1861-1865). Santos commanded a regiment in the 33rd Texas Cavalry and rose to the rank of colonel, the highest rank achieved by a Mexican-American in the Confederate army. Both Refugio and Cristobal earned the rank of captain. Stationed along the Texas-Mexican border, the brothers encountered both bandits and Union forces. In May 1862, they defeated a large raiding party led by Juan Cortina at Carrizo (now Zapata). In March 1864, although their troops were badly outnumbered, they defended Laredo against an army of Texas unionists. Their victory helped insure continuation of the vital Confederate cotton trade between Texas and Mexico. The Benavides brothers also distinguished themselves as political, commercial, and social leaders in Laredo. Santos and Cristobal operated one of the city's most prosperous mercantile companies. Santos also served in the state legislature, 1879-1884. (1976)