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Murfreesboro in Rutherford County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
 

Slave, Soldier, Citizen

 
 
Slave, Soldier, Citizen Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Shane Oliver, January 30, 2021
1. Slave, Soldier, Citizen Marker
Inscription. A tombstone can only tell so much about the life of a man. From the shape and standard design of the markers you see ahead, you can tell that two veterans of the United States military lie here in graves just outside of the wall of the Hazen Brigade Monument. But other details and documentation about the lives of William Holland and his grandson William Harlan are missing.

William Holland spent most of his first 30 years in Maury County, Tennessee. He was born in Kentucky. The only records we have about him just document his Civil War military service. No one knows exactly when Holland bought the piece of farmland that includes the grave sites you see.

William Holland started his life in a country where the law said he was only a piece of farm property. When he died some 70 years later, he was - by law - an American citizen and a property owner.

Holland served his country in the 111th Regiment of the United States Colored Troops. All U.S.C.T. soldiers wore the standard Union blue uniforms. No photograph of Sergeant Holland is known to exist.

When the war ended, Sergeant Holland returned to farming - for the next 43 years of his life. Like many other U.S.C.T. veterans, he settled here in a new African American community called Cemetery. Union veteran Albert Kern photographed the Rutherford County farm
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you see in this exhibit about 30 years after the Civil War.

William Holland's life
- Born on a Todd County, Kentucky farm, exact year unknown

- A slave working on a farm in Maury County, Tennessee until about age 30

- These War Department documents show that William Holland entered the United States Army in 1864.

- Captured during fighting at Athens, Alabama in September 1864, Holland was a prisoner of war for four months.

- Records show Sergeant Holland was honorably discharged in 1866.

- Holland worked here in the National Cemetery

- Applied for and received a veteran's pension in 1897

- Landowner here in Rutherford County, Tennessee until his death in his mid-70s.
 
Erected by Stones River National Battlefield - National Park Service - U.S. Department of the Interior.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African AmericansWar, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1864.
 
Location. 35° 52.586′ N, 86° 25.635′ W. Marker is in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in Rutherford County. Marker is on Old Nashville Highway, on the right when traveling north. Located at tour stop five, the Round Forest, in Stones River National Battlefield Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Murfreesboro TN 37129, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are
Slave, Soldier, Citizen Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Swain, August 28, 2010
2. Slave, Soldier, Citizen Marker
within walking distance of this marker. Hazen's Brigade Monument (a few steps from this marker); Remembering Sacrifices - in Stone (within shouting distance of this marker); Anchoring the Union Line (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); They Passed This Way (about 700 feet away); Waiting Anxiously for Tomorrow's Fate (approx. 0.2 miles away); Exploring the Promise of Freedom (approx. 0.2 miles away); Parsons' Batteries Heavily Engaged (approx. 0.2 miles away); Donelson’s Brigade at Murfreesboro (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Murfreesboro.
 
Marker and Graves beside the Hazen Monument Enclosure image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Swain, August 28, 2010
3. Marker and Graves beside the Hazen Monument Enclosure
Graves of William Holland and William Harland image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Swain, August 28, 2010
4. Graves of William Holland and William Harland
William Holland and William Harlan Graves behind the marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Shane Oliver, January 30, 2021
5. William Holland and William Harlan Graves behind the marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on June 17, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 31, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,212 times since then and 23 times this year. Last updated on April 21, 2015, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana. Photos:   1. submitted on March 13, 2021, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia.   2, 3, 4. submitted on October 31, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.   5. submitted on March 13, 2021, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 28, 2024