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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.
Holland was born as the son of white slaveowner 
Biography
Holland was born as the son of white slaveowner Bird Holland
Bird Holland (March 23, 1815 - April 9, 1864) was a soldier, legislator, and civil servant in Texas. He served as Texas Secretary of State from March 16, 1861 to November 1861. He immigrated to the Republic of Texas in 1837, and by 1840 was livi ...
(killed in action at the Battle of Pleasant Hill
The Battle of Pleasant Hill occurred on April 9, 1864 and formed part of the Red River Campaign during the American Civil War when Union forces aimed to occupy the Louisiana state capital, Shreveport.
The battle was essentially a continuation ...
) and Matilda, an enslaved African-American woman. He joined the Army from Athens, Ohio
Athens is a city and the county seat of Athens County, Ohio. The population was 23,849 at the 2020 census. Located along the Hocking River within Appalachian Ohio about southeast of Columbus, Athens is best known as the home of Ohio Universit ...
. 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
The 5th United States Colored Infantry Regiment was an African American regiment of the Union Army during the American Civil War. A part of the United States Colored Troops, the regiment saw action in Virginia as part of the Richmond–Petersburg ...
. 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.''African American Faces of the Civil War: An Album'', by Ronald S. Coddington, pp 153-156
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
Athens is a city and the county seat of Athens County, Ohio. The population was 23,849 at the 2020 census. Located along the Hocking River within Appalachian Ohio about southeast of Columbus, Athens is best known as the home of Ohio Universit ...
.
*Born: 1844, Holland Quarters, Panola County, 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
The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The recipient must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their ...
* List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: G–L
*List of African American Medal of Honor recipients
The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. Recipients must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their own l ...
*Melvin Claxton and Mark Puls, ''Uncommon valor : a story of race, patriotism, and glory in the final battles of the Civil War'', (Wiley, 2006) ()
References
: * {{DEFAULTSORT:Holland, Milton Murray 1844 births 1910 deaths African Americans in the American Civil War United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Union Army soldiers People of Ohio in the American Civil War People from Austin, Texas American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor 20th-century African-American people