My Genealogy research has turn up quite a story. I wish I had the gift of writing like John (PALADIN85020) does, but unfortunately I don’t, so I will try and copy paste and plagiarize the story as best I can.
Spearman Holland (My GG Grandfather)The Holland family Bible reflects that Spearman was born March 18, 1801, in Virginia and died after the Civil War in 1872. He was born in Virginia and lived in Tennessee, where he was a member of the State Legislature during the period when Sam Houston was Governor. He later moved to Mississippi and from there, in January, 1842, to Texas. He brought with him 43 slaves, an overseer, two laborers, his wife, Nancy, three sons: Spearman, Jr., Devereux, and James Kemp.*
In this new land after making his final journey, he established Holland's Plantation deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas. As he made a new life for his family and a better life for his slaves, he continued with his political ambition. He was considered a fair man, what some called a civil servant. For his compassion toward the slaves, he would leave a legacy of unbelievable wealth. After the Civil war, Spearman gave all of his land holdings to his slaves. The community grew and became well-known as Holland Quarters (a community of African Americans).
*History, Rusk County, TXGenWeb
Spearman’s Brother Bird Holland was appointed Secretary of State for Texas on March 16, 1861. Bird help bring Texas into the Confederacy and died in Arkansas during the Civil war. Bird had affection for one Spearman’s slaves named Matilda and fathered 6 children with her. He bought their freedom from his brother and sent his sons to Ohio for education.
Milton M. Holland (Bird’s son and my Great Cousin), was one of sixteen black soldiers to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor during the Civil War, and the first African-American recipient from Texas.**
Milton, too young to enlist into the United States Army at the start of the Civil War, worked as a shoemaker for the quartermaster department of the army until he was allowed to enlist. In June 1863 in Athens, Ohio, he joined the Fifth United States Colored Troops, commanded by Gen. Benjamin F. Butler. He fought in the battle of the Crater in the Petersburg campaign in Virginia during 1864 and at Fort Fisher, North Carolina, in January 1865. He rose to the rank of regimental sergeant major. All of the white commanding officers either were killed or wounded during the engagements at Chaffin’s Farm and New Market Heights, Virginia, between September 28 and 30, 1864. Holland assumed command and led the black troops in battle. He routed the enemy and led them to victory. For leading the charge, during which he was wounded, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor on April 6, 1865, for his bravery in Virginia. Holland was promoted to captain, but the War Department refused the commission on grounds of his race.**
In January 1865 Holland patrolled the lowlands of North Carolina and captured Confederate guerilla fighters and freed slaves in accordance with the Emancipation Proclamation. Holland was mustered out of the army at Carolina City, North Carolina, on September 20, 1865. His father and former owner, Bird Holland, had been killed at the battle of Mansfield (see RED RIVER CAMPAIGN) in April 1864 while serving as a major in the Confederate Army.**
After the war Milton Holland lived in Washington, D.C., where he worked in the Auditor Office of the United States government; he later became chief of collections for the Sixth District. He also established the Alpha Insurance Company, one of the first African-American-owned insurance companies, in Washington, D.C. Holland married Virginia W. Dickey. He died at the age of sixty-five of a heart attack on May 15, 1910, at his farm near Silver Springs, Maryland, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.**
**HOLLAND, MILTON M. | The Handbook of Texas Online| Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)
You hear about brothers fighting brothers during the Civil War… This is the first time I have heard of Fathers fighting their sons.
William H. Holland (Milton’s brother), entered Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, in 1867 and attended for at least two years before returning to Texas, where he taught in various counties and in the city schools of Austin. He also received an appointment to a position at the Austin post office. When he later resigned he had one of his pupils appointed as his successor. In 1873 Holland served as a member of the committee on address at the Colored Men's Convention (see BLACK STATE CONVENTIONS) that met at Brenham.
The date of his move to Waller County is unknown, but in 1876 he won election to the Fifteenth Legislature as a representative from that county. In the legislature he sponsored the bill providing for Prairie View Normal College (now Prairie View A&M University). In 1876 and 1880 he was chosen as a delegate to the Republican national convention. He later submitted a memorial to the Texas legislature for the establishment of a school for the deaf, mute, and blind in the state. The Deaf, Dumb, and Blind Institute for Colored Youth (see TEXAS BLIND, DEAF, AND ORPHAN SCHOOL) was established by law on April 5, 1887. Holland was appointed by Governor Lawrence S. Ross to be its first superintendent on August 15, 1887. His wife, Eliza H. (James), joined the staff in 1890 as an instructor for the deaf. Holland served for ten years before being succeeded by S. J. Jenkins, who served until he died in 1904. Holland then resumed the position and served until his death. He also founded a charitable organization known as the Friend in Need. He and his wife had two daughters. Holland died in Mineral Wells on May 27, 1907.***
***HOLLAND, WILLIAM H. | The Handbook of Texas Online| Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)
This history kind of makes my resume look bad.
Anyone else have a stranger than fiction ancestry?
Spearman Holland (My GG Grandfather)The Holland family Bible reflects that Spearman was born March 18, 1801, in Virginia and died after the Civil War in 1872. He was born in Virginia and lived in Tennessee, where he was a member of the State Legislature during the period when Sam Houston was Governor. He later moved to Mississippi and from there, in January, 1842, to Texas. He brought with him 43 slaves, an overseer, two laborers, his wife, Nancy, three sons: Spearman, Jr., Devereux, and James Kemp.*
In this new land after making his final journey, he established Holland's Plantation deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas. As he made a new life for his family and a better life for his slaves, he continued with his political ambition. He was considered a fair man, what some called a civil servant. For his compassion toward the slaves, he would leave a legacy of unbelievable wealth. After the Civil war, Spearman gave all of his land holdings to his slaves. The community grew and became well-known as Holland Quarters (a community of African Americans).
*History, Rusk County, TXGenWeb
Spearman’s Brother Bird Holland was appointed Secretary of State for Texas on March 16, 1861. Bird help bring Texas into the Confederacy and died in Arkansas during the Civil war. Bird had affection for one Spearman’s slaves named Matilda and fathered 6 children with her. He bought their freedom from his brother and sent his sons to Ohio for education.
Milton M. Holland (Bird’s son and my Great Cousin), was one of sixteen black soldiers to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor during the Civil War, and the first African-American recipient from Texas.**
Milton, too young to enlist into the United States Army at the start of the Civil War, worked as a shoemaker for the quartermaster department of the army until he was allowed to enlist. In June 1863 in Athens, Ohio, he joined the Fifth United States Colored Troops, commanded by Gen. Benjamin F. Butler. He fought in the battle of the Crater in the Petersburg campaign in Virginia during 1864 and at Fort Fisher, North Carolina, in January 1865. He rose to the rank of regimental sergeant major. All of the white commanding officers either were killed or wounded during the engagements at Chaffin’s Farm and New Market Heights, Virginia, between September 28 and 30, 1864. Holland assumed command and led the black troops in battle. He routed the enemy and led them to victory. For leading the charge, during which he was wounded, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor on April 6, 1865, for his bravery in Virginia. Holland was promoted to captain, but the War Department refused the commission on grounds of his race.**
In January 1865 Holland patrolled the lowlands of North Carolina and captured Confederate guerilla fighters and freed slaves in accordance with the Emancipation Proclamation. Holland was mustered out of the army at Carolina City, North Carolina, on September 20, 1865. His father and former owner, Bird Holland, had been killed at the battle of Mansfield (see RED RIVER CAMPAIGN) in April 1864 while serving as a major in the Confederate Army.**
After the war Milton Holland lived in Washington, D.C., where he worked in the Auditor Office of the United States government; he later became chief of collections for the Sixth District. He also established the Alpha Insurance Company, one of the first African-American-owned insurance companies, in Washington, D.C. Holland married Virginia W. Dickey. He died at the age of sixty-five of a heart attack on May 15, 1910, at his farm near Silver Springs, Maryland, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.**
**HOLLAND, MILTON M. | The Handbook of Texas Online| Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)
You hear about brothers fighting brothers during the Civil War… This is the first time I have heard of Fathers fighting their sons.
William H. Holland (Milton’s brother), entered Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, in 1867 and attended for at least two years before returning to Texas, where he taught in various counties and in the city schools of Austin. He also received an appointment to a position at the Austin post office. When he later resigned he had one of his pupils appointed as his successor. In 1873 Holland served as a member of the committee on address at the Colored Men's Convention (see BLACK STATE CONVENTIONS) that met at Brenham.
The date of his move to Waller County is unknown, but in 1876 he won election to the Fifteenth Legislature as a representative from that county. In the legislature he sponsored the bill providing for Prairie View Normal College (now Prairie View A&M University). In 1876 and 1880 he was chosen as a delegate to the Republican national convention. He later submitted a memorial to the Texas legislature for the establishment of a school for the deaf, mute, and blind in the state. The Deaf, Dumb, and Blind Institute for Colored Youth (see TEXAS BLIND, DEAF, AND ORPHAN SCHOOL) was established by law on April 5, 1887. Holland was appointed by Governor Lawrence S. Ross to be its first superintendent on August 15, 1887. His wife, Eliza H. (James), joined the staff in 1890 as an instructor for the deaf. Holland served for ten years before being succeeded by S. J. Jenkins, who served until he died in 1904. Holland then resumed the position and served until his death. He also founded a charitable organization known as the Friend in Need. He and his wife had two daughters. Holland died in Mineral Wells on May 27, 1907.***
***HOLLAND, WILLIAM H. | The Handbook of Texas Online| Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)
This history kind of makes my resume look bad.
Anyone else have a stranger than fiction ancestry?
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