Milton M. Holland
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.
Milton M. Holland | |
|---|---|
 Sergeant Major Milton M. Holland | |
| Birth name | Milton Murray Holland |
| Born | August 1, 1844 Carthage, Republic of Texas[1] |
| Died | May 15, 1910 (aged 65) |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States (Union) |
| Service/ | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1862–1865 |
| Rank | Sergeant major |
| Unit | 5th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War *Battle of Chaffin's Farm |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
| Other work | Founder and president, Alpha Insurance Company |
Biography
Holland was born as the son of white slaveowner Bird Holland (killed in action at the Battle of Mansfield) 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
- Rank and organization: Sergeant Major, 5th U.S. Colored Troops.
- Place and date: At Chaffin's Farm, Virginia, September 29, 1864.
- Entered service at: Athens, Ohio.
- Born: 1844, Austin, Texas.
- Date of issue: April 6, 1865.
Citation:
Took command of Company C, after all the officers had been killed or wounded, and gallantly led it.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
- List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: G–L
- List of African American Medal of Honor recipients
- Melvin Claxton and Mark Puls, Uncommon valor : a story of race, patriotism, and glory in the final battles of the Civil War, (Wiley, 2006) (ISBN 0471468231)
References
- Perdreau, Connie. "A Biographical Sketch of Master Sergeant Milton Holland". Gen. Charles H. Grosvenor Civil War Round Table. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- Texas Cemeteries
- From the Virginia Plantation to the National Capitol, by John Mercer Langston, pp 212-217
- African American Faces of the Civil War: An Album, by Ronald S. Coddington, pp 153-156
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.
- "Civil War Medal of Honor recipients (A-L)". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. 2005-04-27. Retrieved 2007-01-03.