Private George Holland
Pvt. George Holland
Corporal George Holland was born in 1845 in Franklin County, Virginia. Before he enlisted with the USCT during the Civil War, he worked as a laborer in Ohio. He was the only USCT soldier who was born in Franklin County, Virginia, known to have ultimately returned to his place of birth, and made it his home.
George Holland had likely been enslaved by one of the white Holland families in Franklin County — Abram T. Holland, Thomas Scott Holland, or Asa Holland — who collectively held 191 persons enslaved in 1860. Asa Holland acquired and managed large farms in both Franklin and Pittsylvania Counties and served as postmaster during the Civil War. He was a staunch Confederate. His daughter Sallie Elizabeth married William E. Duncan. The Holland-Duncan house, built in 1830, still stands today and is on the register of historic landmarks. Today, we understand that formerly enslaved people frequently used the surname of the slaveowner. There are many with this surname still living in this region, both Black and White.
Geroge Holland enlisted in the Union Army on August 10th, 1864, in Pomeroy, Ohio, approximately19 year old. It is unclear how Holland came to be in Ohio, a free union state at the time. The Underground Railroad provided an escape route for many formerly enslaved, and Ohio offered several supportive Free Black communities.
Holland served in the 9th United States Colored Heavy Artillery, Company B, and was promoted to Corporal on February 4th, 1865. He was then demoted in May of that year due to an accusation of stealing. His superiors requested his order of demotion be read while troops were on parade, lined up for inspection, as an example to other soldiers.
The 9th Heavy Artillery was broken up sometime between May 5th, 1865, and November 20th, 1866. Troops were reassigned to the 15th, 83rd, and 100th United States Colored Infantry. Holland was reassigned to the 15th United States Colored Infantry Co. D. stationed in Nashville, Tennessee, after that regiment lost 4 men to a skirmish with Confederate soldiers. He remained in Nashville until he was discharged from service on August 25th, 1865.
-an unidentified USCT soldier
The U.S. Census indicated that George Holland made his way home to Rocky Mount after his service with the Union Army. The 1870 record for Franklin County, VA, identified him residing with a wife named Creasy (27), a son Samuel (4), and daughters Lucinda (2), and Elsi (1). In 1880, George was listed on the Agricultural Census as a sharecropper with 6
tilled acres and 30 acres of forested land. He had one mule, one milk cow, one leather cow, one calf, two pigs and ten chickens. He was described as 37 years old, living with his wife, Creasy, and eight children: Samuel H. (16), Lucinda M. (13), Adaline F. (11), John W. (8), Billey A. (7), Charles A. (4), Gustavus (2), and Roberta (2 months). The three oldest children were employed as farm laborers.
At the age of 60 in 1900, George Holland was still a farmer and married to Creasy. They lived in a home with five daughters and four grandchildren. His daughters were identified Lucinda (28), Della B (20), Lucresy (18), Gilley A. (14), and Mena C. (13). The grandchildren were Morris I. (8), Daisy E. (7), James A. (6), and Henry F. (3). All the children and grandchildren had the last name of Holland.
George and Creasy were still living on the same property in 1910. Together, they had a total of 14 children, 11 of whom were still living in 1910. Six children and nine grandchildren remained with them at their farm.
Contributors: Noah Buckner, Autumn Curnutt, Cathie Cummins, Sarah Plummer, Caroline Roper, Lucy Goyne, Ryan Asch, Andrew Ewert, Abigail Lee and Spencer Strayer