Milton M. Holland Explained

Birth Name:Milton Murray Holland
Birth Date:1 August 1844
Birth Place:Carthage, Republic of Texas[1]
Placeofburial:Arlington National Cemetery
Placeofburial Label:Place of burial
Allegiance:United States (Union)
Branch:United States Army
Serviceyears:1862 - 1865
Rank:Sergeant major
Unit:5th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment
Battles:American Civil War
Awards:Medal of Honor
Laterwork:Founder and president, Alpha Insurance Company

Milton Murray Holland (August 1, 1844  - May 15, 1910) was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions at the Battle of Chaffin's Farm.

Biography

Holland was born as the son of white slaveowner Bird Holland (killed in action at the Battle of Pleasant Hill) and Matilda, an enslaved African-American woman.[2] He joined the army from Athens, Ohio. At the Athens County Fairgrounds he signed to the recruitment rolls 149 young black men and raised what was to become Company C of the 5th United States Colored Infantry.[3] He was serving as a sergeant major (a temporary assignment) in the 5th USCI when his unit participated in the Battle of Chaffin's Farm on September 29, 1864 in Virginia. Three days before the end of the war, on April 6, 1865, he was issued the Medal of Honor for his actions at Chaffin's Farm. He left the army in September 1865.[4]

Holland's wife was Virginia W. Dickey. Milton Holland died from a heart attack at the age of 65 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington County, Virginia.

Medal of Honor citation

Citation:

Took command of Company C, after all the officers had been killed or wounded, and gallantly led it.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Perdreau. Connie. A Biographical Sketch of Master Sergeant Milton Holland. Gen. Charles H. Grosvenor Civil War Round Table. 28 August 2017.
  2. Book: Harvey . Bill . Texas Cemeteries: The Resting Places of Famous, Infamous, and Just Plain Interesting Texans . 2010 . University of Texas Press . 978-0-292-77934-1 . 44 .
  3. Book: Langston . John Mercer . From the Virginia Plantation to the National Capitol . 1894 . Johnson Reprint Corporation . 212–217 .
  4. Book: Coddington . Ronald S. . One of the Bravest Colored Soldiers . 153–156 . https://books.google.com/books?id=Ke74Q57UusAC&pg=PA153 . African American Faces of the Civil War: An Album . 2012 . JHU Press . 978-1-4214-0625-1 .