Envision a time long past as you stand before the Bayland Guards Plaque. This marker tells a tale of bravery and sacrifice. It speaks of the Bayland Guards.
The Bayland Guards Plaque stands in Baytown. It is a tribute by the Harris County Historical Commission and the City of Baytown. Total Petrochemicals, inc funded it.
On April 27 1861 Dr Ashbel Smith organized a group of volunteers. These men came from Bayland now Baytown and Cedar Bayou in Harris County. They also came from Barbers Hill in Chambers County. Smith named them the Bayland Guards.
These guards drilled on Smith’s Evergreen Plantation. They worked to defend Galveston Bay. On August 13 1861 they joined the Confederate forces. They became Company C of the Galveston Infantry Regiment.
The regiment was renamed in October. It became the Second Texas Infantry Regiment. That December they moved to Camp Bee in Houston.
Three sons of Republic of Texas Presidents were among the Bayland Guards. These men were Samuel Houston Jr Charles Elliot Jones and Samuel Edward Jones. Their presence added to the company’s prestige.
The Bayland Guards fought bravely. They were part of the regiment at the battles of Shiloh Corinth and Hatchie Bridge in 1862. The Battle of Shiloh was particularly brutal. Half of Company C was wounded or killed.
During the Vicksburg Campaign in 1863 the Second Texas distinguished itself. They defended a crescent-shaped fortification. They withstood Union assaults for 46 days and nights of shelling.
The Second Texas Infantry and other defenders surrendered at Vicksburg on July 4 1863. They were promptly paroled. They made their way back to Texas.
The decimated regiment reorganized in Houston in the fall of 1863. They served out the war on the Texas coast. They defended from Matagorda to Galveston. They helped deter General Banks’ invasion attempt in early 1864. The regiment was surrendered on May 26 1865.
After the war many members of the Bayland Guards became leaders. They were respected individuals in their communities. They used their experiences to shape a new Texas.
Consider Dr Ashbel Smith. He was not only their organizer but also a key figure in Texas history. He established Evergreen Plantation in 1840. His statue stands in Baytown’s Wayne Gray Sports Complex.
Ashbel Smith served the Republic of Texas in many roles. He was Surgeon General Minister to England and France and Secretary of State. He helped establish the Texas Medical Association and the Texas State Agricultural Society. He formed the Bayland Guards in 1861 and was a Colonel in the Confederate Army.
Smith also led the way in founding Prairie View State Normal School the University of Texas in Austin and the Medical Branch in Galveston. He served as the first President of the University of Texas Board of Regents.
The Bayland Guards Plaque serves as a reminder. It honors the courage and resilience of these men. It connects us to a pivotal time in Texas history. Their story echoes through the years.