Milton Murray Holland

Took command of the company and led it after officers fell.

MILTON MURRAY HOLLAND An enslaved boy who became a soldier and businessman

Milton Murray Holland was born enslaved in Texas on 1 August 1844, probably in Austin. As a boy he gained his freedom through Bird Holland, who may have been his father. Milton and his brothers James and William were sent to Ohio for an education in the late 1850s. He attended the Albany Enterprise Academy, a school operated by free African Americans. Before entering military service, he worked as a shoemaker. [1]

Holland joined the Union Army at Athens, Ohio, in June 1863 and served in the 5th United States Colored Infantry, rising to sergeant major. His wartime letters to the Athens Messenger give him a voice beyond the official accounts of his bravery. They record the experiences of a young Black soldier serving in an army that offered new opportunities while still imposing racial barriers. His regiment served in Virginia and North Carolina, and he remained with it until September 1865. [1,2]

On 29 September 1864, during the fighting at New Market Heights near Richmond, also associated with the Battle of Chaffin’s Farm, Holland took command of Company C after its officers had been killed or wounded. Although wounded himself, he continued to lead the men. He was one of four soldiers of the 5th United States Colored Infantry awarded the Medal of Honor for that day’s fighting. His award was issued on 6 April 1865. A proposed captain’s commission was refused because of his race. [2,3]

Holland’s service continued through the closing months of the war. He was present for the surrender of Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston’s army and was discharged at Carolina City, North Carolina, on 20 September 1865. [2]

After the war, Holland settled in Washington, D.C., married Virginia W. Dickey and worked in federal government service. He also founded the Alpha Insurance Company, an early Black-owned insurance business. His career carried him from enslavement to military leadership, public employment and independent enterprise. He died of a heart attack at his farm near Silver Spring, Maryland, on 15 May 1910, aged 65, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. [1,3]

MEDAL OF HONOR CITATION “Took command of Company C, after all the officers had been killed or wounded, and gallantly led it.” [3]

Sources [1] Texas State Historical Association, “Holland, Milton M.” https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/holland-milton-m [2] National Park Service, “Milton M. Holland.” https://www.nps.gov/rich/learn/historyculture/holland.htm [3] Congressional Medal of Honor Society, “Milton M. Holland.” https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/milton-m-holland

Sources: https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/milton-m-holland ; https://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/citations2.html