Henry Rocheteau (also recorded as Roshto) was born October 18, 1847, in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana (an area later designated as Grant Parish), near Montgomery. He was the third child of Charles Michel Rocheteau and Sarah Clark.
At approximately age 15, he enlisted in Company B, Bird’s Battalion, Trans-Mississippi Cavalry, Confederate States Army. This unit included underage recruits and soldiers assigned to courier and support duties within the Trans-Mississippi Department. During his service, he sustained a leg injury caused by an accidental discharge of a firearm while stationed at Bayou Chicot. He later served in Alexandria, Louisiana, and received his parole in Natchitoches on June 9, 1865, following the end of the Civil War.
After returning home, he married Denise Favrot on September 19, 1865. He worked primarily as a farmer and was also involved in regional timber and logging activities, as were many residents of the area.
Family accounts and historical references place him in the broader context of Reconstruction-era Louisiana, including association with the events surrounding the Colfax period of unrest in 1873.
Henry Rocheteau died in November 1921 and was buried at Tioga First Baptist Cemetery alongside family members, including his wife Denise and son Alex.
According to his obituary published in The Alexandria Town Talk (November 1921), he was survived by six children, numerous grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Originally posted on the Davenport Family Facebook Group on 04/09/15