In late fall of 1863, Union Major General Nathaniel Banks planned a land invasion of Texas. That plan called for Major General William B. Franklin to take the 13^th and 19^th Corps from southern Louisiana through Lafayette (Vermillionville) and then into Texas. The excursion began in early October, with Franklin himself leading two divisions of the 19^th Corps, accompanied by Major General Cadwallader C. Washburn’s 13^th Corps after the two met up at Bayou Carrion Crow, Louisiana. Franklin pushed forward until reaching Opelousas, where he found the local bayous nearly impenetrable. Rains had rendered roads too muddy for wagons to pass, and he turned back to New Iberia.

Confederate Major General Richard Taylor’s troops from the District of Louisiana intercepted the federal troops, who had become scattered during the march. A portion of Washburn’s 13^th Corps under Brigadier General Stephen G. Burbridge, including the 2^nd Independent Battery, Massachusetts Light Artillery, served as the Union’s rear guard near Grand Coteau, on Bayou Bourdeau.

On November 3, Taylor’s troops attacked just before noon, striking Burbridge’s position. Many of the federal troops, taken by surprise, broke and ran. Those who had stood their ground fought back for several hours, waiting for reinforcements that never came. Unknown to Burbridge, they had already surrendered. Burbridge finally was forced to retreat, racing some 3 miles to the encampment of Major George F. McGinnis.

There, Burbridge reformed his troops and, with the added manpower from McGinnis, was able to repel the Confederate attack. Union losses included 25 killed, 129 wounded, and 562 captured or missing, along with a 10-pound cannon. The Confederate casualties totaled 60 killed and 320 wounded, and 65 captured or missing. Considered a Confederate victory, the Union army regrouped and resumed their withdrawal.

William Marland, First Lieutenant, 2^nd Independent Battery, Massachusetts Light Artillery

By James Gindlesperger, historical author

William Marland was born on March 11, 1839, in Andover, Massachusetts, to William Sykes Marland and Sarah (Northey) Marland. The second-oldest of six children, William was the grandson of the well- known manufacturer of woolen goods, Abraham Marland.

Just 10 days after the firing on Fort Sumter, South Carolina, William left home to enlist in Company F of the 6th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment for a three-month enlistment under the command of Colonel Edward Jones. On April 17, 1861, the unit left Boston, bound for Washington via New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. Their travel was uneventful at first, with the usual youthful bravado and joviality.  The young troops became more serious when Colonel Jones informed them that they would have to get off the train in Baltimore, march to another station, and board a second train to Washington. Colonel Jones anticipated that local Confederate sympathizers would be along the route to harass them, perhaps physically. Jones ordered them all to march in formation with their eyes looking forward, and to ignore the insults that were sure to come.

Unfortunately, the 240 young soldiers encountered more than insults as a mob attacked the rear of the formation with bricks, paving stones, and pistols. Several troops fired into the mob in retaliation, setting off an all-out brawl. By the time the regiment reached the station to board the train for Washington, five of their number were dead or mortally wounded. About 36 had suffered lesser wounds and 12 civilians were dead. The regiment’s Private Luther C. Ladd would be recognized as the first Union soldier to be killed in action during the Civil War.

Finally reaching Washington, the regiment set up camp in government buildings in preparation for performing guard duties. There, they trained on the Capitol grounds. On May 5, 1851, they were ordered to move to guard a railroad west of Baltimore, which they did until they were relieved from duty on July 29. Marland and his companions mustered out on August 2.

Restless and anxious to do his part in putting down the rebellion, he reenlisted in the Massachusetts 2nd Light Artillery Battery on January 24, 1862 as a second lieutenant. He would be promoted to 1^st lieutenant in October. For the next year he would take part in the siege and assault of Port Hudson, Louisiana, and the Western Louisiana Campaign before reaching Bayou Carrion Crow on November 3.

At 4:00 am that day William Marland received orders to harness up two pieces of artillery and report to General Burbridge. Despite constant firing from the pickets, he was told to unharness just before noon. In early afternoon, when the firing became more intense, the bugler sounded “Boots and Saddles.” As Marland hurried to reharness his team, the camp came under even heavier fire as the Confederates advanced. Marland opened fire with canister and percussion shells, driving the attackers to the right. He finished limbering and advanced about 100 yards to a fork in the road, where he fired off several more shots before determining that his support had fled. Now alone, he moved about 300 yards, where he realized he was surrounded.

Marland sent his orderly to see if the bridge was still in Union hands. The report was not good. The bridge had fallen to the Southerners.  Marland found himself with only two options: surrender his men and his guns, or fight his way out. He chose the latter and gave the order to his crew. Charging directly at the rebel line, the startled Confederates split and, seeing his opportunity, Marland broke through the gap, losing only two men as prisoners.

Temporarily free but not out of danger, Marland raced his guns in a two-mile dash to safety, pursued by rebel cavalry. Reaching the camps of General Robert Alexander Cameron and General George McGinnis, he was praised for his action and for saving his guns. General Washburn would write in his official report that “. . . the bringing off of the section of [Colonel Ormand F.] Nim’s battery, commanded by Lieutenant Marland, after the regiment sent to its support had surrendered, extorted the admiration of every beholder.”

Marland mustered out as a captain and brevet major on August 11, 1865 and returned to Andover, where he served as postmaster from 1869 until 1886. On October 20, 1870, he married Salome Jane Abbott, and the two would have four children. One of them, Abby, died in infancy.

On February 16, 1897, William Marland received the Medal of Honor for his actions at Grand Coteau. His citation read: After having been surrounded by the enemy’s cavalry, his support having surrendered, he ordered a charge and saved the section of the battery that was under his command.

At some point after retiring as the Andover postmaster, he moved with his family to Griffin, Georgia. He passed away there on April 17, 1905, and was laid to rest in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Griffin.

Further Reading

• Civil War in the East, 6^th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, https://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/massachusetts/6th-massachusetts/
• The American Civil War, The Battle of Bayou Bourbeau, https://www.mycivilwar.com/battles/631103b.html
• Beyer, W.F., and Keydel, O.F., editors, Deeds of Valor, (Detroit:  Perrien-Keydel Co, 1903), 274-75.

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