by Annette Armstrong Berksan

During the American Civil War, Michel served as a private in Company A of Daly's/Ragdale's Battalion Texas Cavalry, a unit partially raised in Calcasieu Parish. He enlisted in Calcasieu Parish on 10 Apr 64. His discharge papers list his occupation at the time he enlisted as farmer and his age as 30. From September through December 1864, he was detailed as a hospital attendant. He was discharged on disability in Sabine, Pass, Texas, on 29 January 1865 (which was five months before the end of the war).

Text of Certificate of Disability for Discharge

Michell Benoit, private, of Captain Sterling T. Seawell’s Company, (A) of the Daly Battalion Regiment of Confederate States Calvary, was enlisted by Captain Seawell of the Daly’s Battalian Regiment of Calvary at Calcsieu Louisiana on the tenth day of April 1864, to serve the war years; he was born in Calcasieu Parish, in the State of Louisiana, is 30 years of age, five feet, eleven inches high, Florid Brunette complexion, gray eyes, Black hair, and by occupation when enlisted, Farmer. During the last two months said soldier has been unfit for duty forty seven days. He has been totally disabled for duty since the 30 of June by fits of convulsions, and, on inquiry among his friends are informed that he has ben subject to such fits for many years. Station: Sabine Pass, Texas. Date: 11th August, 1864. Signed by Captain Seawell. We Certify that we have carefully examined the said Pvt. Michell Benoit of Captain Seawell’s Company, and find him incapable of performing the duties of a soldier because of [illegible word] of long standing, some of us having seen him in one of these fits. We recommend he be discharged from the army.

Daly’s/Ragsdales’s Battalion Volunteer Texas Cavalry

Source: Acadians in Gray from From Sifakis, Compendium of C.S. Armies: Texas, 96.

Organization: Organized with five companies ca. January 1864. Dismounted in February 1865. Surrendered by General E.K. Smith, commanding Trans-Mississippi Department, on May 26, 1865.

First Commander: Andrew Daly, LTC

Field Officer: Samuel G. Ragsdale, MAJ, LTC

Assignments: Eastern Sub-district, District of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, Trans-Mississippi Department (Jan-Sep 64); Unattached, 3rd (Drayton’s) Texas Cavalry Division, 3rd Corps, Trans-Mississippi Department (Sep 64-Feb 65); 6th (HEBERT’s) Texas Infantry Brigade, 2nd (HEBERT’s) Texas Infantry Division, 3rd Corps, Trans-Mississippi Department (Feb-May 65)

Battles: Calcasieu Pass (May 6, 1864)

From Bergeron, "Free Men of Color in Grey," 251: "This unit had moved into southwestern Louisiana [by September 1864] to perform guard and picket duty around the Calcasieu and Mermentau rivers and had enlisted several dozen Louisianians."

Art Bergeron to the Steven A. Cormier of Acadians in Gray, February 1997: "On several occasions during 1863 and 1864, Texas Confederate troops moved into southwestern Louisiana. These soldiers entered the state to collect supplies or to assist in protecting the area from Union invasion. While performing these tasks, the Texans took advantage of their situation to recruit local men into their military units. One unit that enlisted a sizable number of Louisianians was Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Daly’s Texas Cavalry Battalion (later commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Samuel G. Ragsdale). Some of the Louisianians had served previously in units from their own state, while others were enlisting for the first time.

Michel Benoit