1860 United States Federal Census
Name: Bill Topham
Age: 19
Birth Year: abt 1841
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Louisiana
Home in 1860: Western District, St Mary, Louisiana
Household Members - Name/Age:
Henry Topham, 45
Rachel Topham, 40
Bill Topham, 19
Elizabeth Topham, 18
Henry Topham, 13
Thomas Topham, 12
Gustave Topham, 10
Caroline Topham, 7
Willie Topham, 2

Served CSA in St. Mary's Cannoneers Artillery, Cornay's Company.
Nickname: St. Mary's Cannoneers
Organization: Organized and mustered into Confederate service at Franklin on October 7, 1861. Captured at Fort Jackson on April 26, 1862. Exchanged in mid-1862. It was designated as the 1st Field Artillery Battery on November 19, 1864. It was armed with two 24-lb. Howitzers and two 12-lb. Howitzers in May 1865. Surrendered by General E.K. Smith, commanding Trans-Mississippi Department, on May 26, 1865.

Assignments: Department #1 (Oct 61-Mar 62); Fort Jackson, Forts Jackson & St. Philip [Higgins’ Command], Coast Defenses [Duncan’s Command], Department #1 (Apr 62); Artillery, District of West Louisiana, Trans-Mississippi Department (Sep 62-Dec 63); Artillery, MOUTON’s-Polignac’s Division, District of West Louisiana, Trans-Mississippi Department (Dec 63-May 64); Faries’ Artillery Battalion, Polignac’s Division, District of West Louisiana, Trans-Mississippi Department (May-Sep 64); 3rd (Faries’) Mounted Artillery Battalion, 2nd (Polignac’s) Division, 1st Corps, Trans-Mississippi Department (Sep-Nov 64); 4th (Squires’) Mounted Artillery Battalion, 1st (Forney’s) Texas Division, 1st Corps, Trans-Mississippi Department (Dec 64-Mar 65); 3rd (Squires’) Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd (Polignac’s-Thomas’) Division, 1st Corps, Trans-Mississippi Department (Mar-May 65)

Battles: New Orleans (April 18-25, 1862); Fort Bisland [section] (April 13-14, 1863); Irish Bend [two sections] (April 14, 1863); Atchafalaya River vs.USS Estrella (June 4, 1863); Atchafalaya River vs. Gunboats (June 4, 1863); vs. Gunboats and transports on the Mississippi River (July 7, 1863); Cox’s Plantation, near Donaldsonville (July 12-13, 1863); Hog Point vs. gunboats and transports (November 18-21, 1863); Red River Campaign (March-June 1864); Mansfield (April 8, 1864); Pleasant Hill (April 9, 1864); Cane and Red Rivers Junction (April 26-27, 1864); Mansura (May 16, 1864); Yellow Bayou (May 18, 1864)

Married Ursula Alice Vining (1848-1930) on 03 October 1873 in Morgan City, St Mary Parish, Louisiana. Mary remarried 20 August 1887 to Armand Desiré Comeaux.