Milton Murray Holland (1844-1910) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

SGM Milton Murray Holland

Born 1 Aug 1844 in Carthage, Panola County, Republic of Texas

Ancestors

Son of Bird Holland and Matilda Holland

Brother of Kate Holland [half] and William H. Holland

Husband of Virginia W (Dickey) Holland — married 24 Oct 1865 in Franklin, Ohio, United States

[children unknown]

Died 15 May 1910 at age 65 in Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland, United States

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1 Biography
2 Sources

Biography

Milton Holland was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Sergeant Major Milton Holland served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: 22 Jun 1863
Mustered out: Oct 1865
Side: USA
Regiment(s): Company C, 5th Regiment of the United States Colored Troops

Milton Holland is Notable.

Medal of Honor Citation

Took command of Company C, after all the officers had been killed or wounded, and gallantly led it. ^[1]

Milton was an African-American who fought in the Civil War. ^[2] He enlisted at Athens, Ohio and was assigned to Company C, 5th United States Colored Infantry. ^[3] He was serving in a temporary Sergeant Major assignment during the Battle of Chaffin's Farm on 29 September 1864 when he took command after all his unit's officers were killed, thereby earning a Medal of Honor. ^[4] ^[5] ^[6] His medal was issued on 6 April 1865, near the close of the war. ^[7] He was the first African American to receive this honor. Throughout the war, Milton performed duties above and beyond his rank, but due to racial prejudice was unable to be promoted higher than First Sergeant. ^[8] In fact, he was offered a commission by Governor Tod of Ohio if he would go before the board as a white man (he was light-skinned) and agree to a reassignment. He refused to deny his racial identity and declined. ^[9]

Birth

Milton was born a slave on 1 August 1844 in Carthage, Texas. ^[10] ^[11] His parents were a white slave owner named Bird Holland (although Perdreau does not directly state this) and an enslaved African-American woman named Matilda. ^[12] ^[13] His father fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War and was killed in action at the Battle of Mansfield (Pertreau states the Battle of Sabine Cross Roads). ^[14] ^[15] In a letter, dated 11 January 1853, by W.S. Lewis, on behalf of the Union Congregational Church of Albany, to a minister in New York, he described the Academy Milton and his brothers attended as "purely anti-slavery and anti-sectarian, being substantially on the same basis of the Oberlin Church." As far as the black students, Lewis wrote, "... we have had quite an accession of colored people from several different slave states and students, children of slave holders from Louisiana and Texas." Since Milton and his brothers were the only students from Texas, it has been surmised that Bird Holland was their father. ^[16]

Death

Milton died at age 65 after suffering a heart attack. ^[17] He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington County, Virginia. ^[18]

Early Life

Milton purported father, Bird Holland, sent Milton and his two brothers to Albany, Ohio in the 1850s to be educated at the Albany Manual Labor Academy. ^[19] The Academy's philosophy was:

By combining Manual Labor with study, we intend to rebuke the withering spirit of aste, and as far as our influence extends, make all forms of useful industry respectable, and furnish community with practical men and women instead of mere theorists. ^[20]

The Academy also stated:

Learning, although in its true nature democratic, has hitherto been limited to the few; but we desire to aid in extending its benefits to the many.

In a paper written by Frederick Douglass, Jr. of 29 April 1853, he noted that the institution sold shares of $25.00 each " to all persons of good moral character (not slave-holders) ... " and "that students of both sexes and all colors are admitted to equal privileges." These notions were very radical at the time as few institutions admitted black or female students.

Military Service

Milton long was frustrated at his inability to join the Army and fight for his freedom. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he was only 16. It was not until 1862 that the Secretary of War, Edwin McMasters Stanton, allowed blacks to enlist. Milton sought employment in the quartermaster's department and was an aide-de-camp of Colonel Nelson H. Van Vorhes, an officer in the 3d, 18th, and 92d Ohio infantry regiments. ^[21] Once he was 18 years of age, Milton enlisted in Company, C, 5th Regiment of the United States Colored Troops. ^[22] In the company's descriptive books, he was described as 18 years of age, standing 5 feet, 8 inches tall, a yellow complexion, brown eyes, and black hair. ^[23] His occupation was shoemaker. ^[24] He mustered at Camp Delaware on 23 July 1863. ^[25] Milton apparently was endowed with extraordinary leadership skills and was the leader of the contingent of recruits from Athens County, Ohio. ^[26] There was some confusion over which state their company would represent and fight for since Ohio had previously refused to enlist black troops and Massachusetts was quite willing, having already enjoyed much success from the celebrated 54th and 55th. ^[27] Milton's company gathered their forces and assembled at the Athens County Fairgrounds. ^[28] An emissary of John Mercer Langston, who had previously been unsuccessful in convincing the Ohio governor of the need of a Colored Regiment, was sent to the fairgrounds, but Milton refused to meet with him. ^[29] Langston wound up going himself to the fairgrounds to convince Milton that Ohio was indeed prepared to raise a Colored Regiment. ^[30] He described Milton Holland thusly:

He was a young colored Texan sent North and located as a student at that time in Albany …. He was by nature a soldier. He smelt battle from afar, and was ready at the shortest warning to engage in deadly conflict. At the time he was really a lad of about nineteen years of age, with all the fire of such youthful, daring nature as he possessed in blood and by inheritance. He was a young person of remarkable native intelligence, good name, bearing himself constantly, even among his men, so as to win the largest respect and confidence. The promise of manly life and endeavor were apparent in his case on the most casual observation and contact. ^[31]

Milton was the drillmaster and after four months his troops were ready to "pass muster" and were shipped to Norfolk, Virginia where they were assigned to the African Brigade commanded by Brigadier General Edward S. Wild. ^[32] Milton was now First Sergeant. ^[33] Milton wrote the following "Letter to the Editor" to Athens County, Ohio's local newspaper, the Messenger:

The regiment is organized, and has been in active service for three months….The regiment though young, has been in one engagement. The men stood nobly and faced the cowardly foe when they were hid in the swamp firing upon them. They stood like men, and when ordered to charge, went in with a yell, and came out victorious, losing four killed and several wounded, the rebel loss is large, as compared with ours. I must say of the 5th, that after twenty days of hard scouting, without overcoats or blankets, they returned home to camp, which the soldiers term their home, making twenty-five to thirty miles per day. Several of the white cavalry told me that no soldiers have ever done as hard marching through swamps and marshes as cheerfully as we did, and that if they had to follow us for any length of time it would kill their horses. During that raid, thousands of slaves belonging to rebel masters were liberated….Friends at home be cheerful…there is a brighter day coming for the colored man, and he must sacrifice home comforts if necessary to speed the coming of that glorious day. I will close my letter in the language of the immortal Henry—“Give me liberty, or give me death!” ^[34]

Milton's company distinguished themselves in both their discipline and courage and were ranked as the most reliable of the regiment; Milton "classed [them] among the best grade of white troop." ^[35] Milton also wrote:

... Never have we seen a day, however disagreeable the weather might be, that we would not go to the assistance of our brothers in bondage, and sever the chain that bound them ... it is not the style of Black Warriors to allow themselves to be trifled with ... ^[36]

In May of 1864, as the company was advancing up the James River, Milton's attention was drawn to the ruins of Jamestown, Virginia:

Many things attracted our attention along the banks of the James ... one I might mention particularly, was the ruins of Jamestown, the spot where the curse of slavery was first introduced into the United States. A serpent that has inserted his poisonous fangs into the body of this government, causing it to wither in its bloom. ^[37]

On 29 September 1864, Milton's company lead the charge at New Market Heights near Richmond. According to contemporary sources, "this charge was really the key that unlocked the door to Richmond, and paved the way for its capitulation." ^[38] During the face-to-face, hand-to-hand combat all the officers were either killed or wounded. Four black sergeants, including Milton, took command of their companies. ^[39] MIlton was wounded, but did not leave the field and was even praised by General Grant, who personally rode over the battlefield. ^[40]

Also, after New Market Heights, Holland was given a battlefield promotion to Captain that was later overturned by the War Department on the basis of his color. In 2015, U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, has recently introduced a bill in Congress to posthumously restore that commission.^[41] "Milton Holland earned the rank of Captain for his acts of valor during the Civil War, and it was an outrage that he was stripped of the rank because of his race,” Stivers said. “It is many years later, but I hope this bill will, in some small way, right a wrong.” ^[42]^[43]

Marriage

Milton was married to Virginia W. Dickey (1844-1915) on 24 October 1865 in Columbus, Ohio. ^[44] ^[45]

Children

one daughter, apparently died before 1906, when Milton stated he had no living children

Later Life

After the war, Milton lived in Columbus and sometimes in Albany, Ohio. He was offered a clerkship in the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, D. C. through the good offices of his friend, Honorable John Mercer Langston, who was now the first black Congressman from Virginia. He also had the recommendations of former President Rutherford B. Hayes and General B. F. Butler, under whom he served in the war. ^[46] While there, Milton studied law at Howard University and graduated in 1872 and was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. ^[47] He became involved in politics. ^[48] He left the Treasury in 1887 and opened his own law practice, specializing in real estate. ^[49] He also held other positions and interests including: ^[50]

President of the Capital Savings Bank
Secretary and General Manager of the Industrial Building and Savings Company
Chief of Division in the Second Auditor's Office (overseeing the accounts of the War Department and the West Point Military Academy)
Founder and first President of the Alpha Life Insurance Company

Wikidata: Item Q6861304