William M. Holland

William M. Holland, son of Joshua Holland and Rebecca Ann Trussell, was born in Anderson County, South Carolina on April 2, 1841. He had two sisters, Mary Frances Elizabeth Holland (born 1853) and Willie (born 1863 after his death). William is my half 1st cousin 5x removed. Our nearest common relative is Moses Holland, my 5th great grandfather who served as a drummer in the Revolutionary War.

On November 20, 1850, William and his family lived in the Laurens District of Laurens County, South Carolina. His father was a farmer with real estate valued at $3,600. The 1850 slave schedule shows that his father owned seven slaves—three adult females (ages 25, 50, and 18), two adult males (ages 30 and 20), one 12-year-old male, and a 4-year-old female. 

On June 7, 1860, William, his parents, and sister Mary lived in Regiment 4 of Anderson County. His father was a farmer with a personal estate valued at $300, considerably less than in 1850. Seeing this, I wondered if I had found the wrong family in the 1850 census so did an extensive search of census records. The only family I found lived in Laurens County, so I have to believe it’s correct. Both William and Mary were attending school. 

Less than one year after the 1860 census was taken, William was “among the first to volunteer in the service of his country” when the Civil War began in 1861. On April 14, 1861, he enrolled as a private at Anderson Courthouse for a period of one year in Company J of the Fourth Regiment South Carolina Volunteers led by Captain William Anderson. The regiment, also known as the Confederate Guards, left Anderson, headed to Columbia, South Carolina via the railroad. They were still in Columbia awaiting orders on April 25. While there, the residents of Columbia made sure they were well taken care of. An April 25, 1861 article published in The Intelligencer confirms that:

Departure of the 4th Regt., S.C. Volunteers, "The Intelligencer," Anderson, South Carolina, April 25, 1861. The 4th Regiment S.C.V. received their orders to move toward the seat of war on Saturday the 13th inst., and were prepared to obey it Sunday and Monday following, but owing to a want of cars on this end of the Rail-road, they could not do so until Monday or Tuesday. We were glad to see, that like all the troops we have seen move, they went off in as cheerful mood as it was possible to assume, leaving many a sad heart behind them. They are still in Columbia awaiting further orders, and are well taken care of by the inhabitants of that fair City, who,—as we well know—never do things by halves.

Meanwhile, the same newspaper, on the same day, encouraged families who had the means to help the families of soldiers who had “gone to fight the battles of our country.”

They Battle for Us—We Must Support Their Families, "The Intelligencer," Anderson, South Carolina, April 25, 1861. We understand that many of the 4th Reg. S.C.V., who have gone to fight the battles of our country, have left their families in such circumstances as will soon exhibit suffering, if indeed such is not to some extent already the case. This should not be allowed by those who have the means to prevent it. Many families can with a little assistance be placed so as to help themselves, while others must be positively helped by their neighbors and friends. Look to it friends, it is a duty we owe to them, and should not be neglected. Other parts of the State are looking to this matter, and so must we.

An “Editorial Correspondence” written from the Fourth Regiment’s headquarters in Columbia on April 29, 1861 told of the “uniform kindness, hospitality and agreeable treatment of the soldiers now in their midst reflects the utmost credit upon them as a whole, and will long be cherished by the recipient of their favors” in speaking of the citizens of Columbia. The ladies (every acquaintance knows we never forget the ladies,) are foremost in the good work and untiringly seek to promote the comfort, happiness and welfare of the soldiers.” I’m sure this was comforting for William, who may have been away from home for the first time in his life.

William mustered into Confederate service in Columbia on June 7. On June 15, the regiment left Columbia for Virginia via the railroad, arriving in Richmond on June 17 in what was described by Jesse Walton Reid in his book History of the Fourth Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers as “quite an unpleasant trip.” In a letter to his wife, Reid wrote they “came the most of the way in open dirt coaches.” It wasn’t all bad though. Reid also wrote that they travelled through Wilmington, North Carolina, stopping at towns and depots along the way. People greeted them with “flags and handkerchiefs” and gave them food and drink. It was very festive. The soldiers apparently had plenty of whiskey as well. The regiment left Richmond on June 20, made a short stop at Manassas Junction on June 21, and ended their day in Gainesville, Virginia. After spending the night in Gainesville, they marched to Leesburg, Virginia the next day, arriving at Camp Carolina on June 23. Reid described the area as “beautiful country” that “literally flows with milk and honey.” They did not want for food while there. The regiment camped near the Potomac River, in view of the Blue Ridge Mountains—Virginia on one side of the river and Maryland on the other. The enemy was close by. They remained at Camp Carolina through the end of June. Again, they were treated to any type of food they wanted by the “ladies of Leesburg.” Years later, Reid wrote that during the time they spent in Leesburg, they lived like kings. At the beginning of July 1861, Reid wrote to his wife telling her how healthy the regiment was. He also told her of Virginia preachers coming to camp to preach the Gospel to the soldiers. On July 10, the regiment marched 25 miles from Leesburg to Frying Pan in Fairfax County, Virginia (near Herndon and Dulles International Airport today). Two days later, the regiment was suddenly moved from their Frying Pan camp to a location three miles away, what they would call Camp Holcomb. Over the next few days, there was talk of there being a battle soon as the Union soldiers had signed up for six-months of service and were nearing the end of that timeframe. The Confederate soldiers expected there would be a battle before the Union soldiers finished their six months. It turns out they were right. On July 17, the regiment left Camp Holcomb and marched a hard 14 miles to Prince William County, Virginia, making it in one day. A skirmish took place close by at McLeans Ford although I don’t know if Company J participated. But on July 21, the First Battle of Bull Run took place in Manassas, “the first major battle of the American Civil War” according to Wikipedia. Company J, one of seven South Carolina regiments on the battlefield that day, was part of the lead brigade at the Stone Bridge, “in advance of the regiment, to act as skirmishers” according to Reid. 

First Battle of Bull Run, Kurz & Allison, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

At some point, Company J moved from the creek for another location close by. The Confederates won this battle that went on for 10 hours. Bodies and body parts of all kinds lay scattered over the battlefield afterwards. As the Union soldiers retreated, they left equipment, blankets, vehicles, guns, knapsacks, canteens, uniforms, etc. behind. The Confederates took what they could, along with many prisoners. Although in the thick of the battle, loss and injury was minimal for Company J. On July 26, 1861, the Richmond Enquirer reported that “… private John Simpson, was shot through the heart in a bayonet charge, and instantly killed. Private Kay was wounded in the neck by a piece of bomb.” 

On July 28, Company J marched 7 miles from Stone Bridge to Camp Pettus, near Centreville and then on August 11, they marched 6 miles to Germantown, Virginia. By this time, sickness was starting to set in and soldiers were being sent to hospitals. Many were dying. The measles and other diseases ran rampant throughout the regiment. On September 16, the company marched 10 miles from Germantown to Falls Church, Virginia for picket duty and then marched back to Germantown on September 21. On September 25, the company marched 8 miles to Mills Cross Roads and returned to Germantown on the 28th. At some point during this time, William contracted febris typhoides (typhoid fever), appearing on a report of sick and wounded for October 1861 showing he was at the Germantown and McLeans Ford station in Virginia. He died from the disease on October 1. 

Civil War record of William's death in Germantown, Virginia

I don’t know if William's remains were returned home to Anderson but he has a tombstone in the family plot at Neals Creek Baptist Church Cemetery that reads:

SACRED

 To the memory of

Wm. M. HOLLAND

born April 2nd 1841

died Oct. 1st 1861

For Four Years he was a devoted member of the Baptist Church, he was among the first to Volunteer in the service of his Country. Fought through the Battle of Manassas. After which he was taken with Typhoid Fever and died near Fairfax C.H. Va. In the triumph of Christian faith.

Holland family plot at Neals Creeks Baptist Church Cemetery. William's stone is on the left.

References

• Breazeale, B. B., At the First Battle of Manassas, Company J, 4th South Carolina Infantry, 1912; https://ia600904.us.archive.org/24/items/coj4thsouthcarol00brea/coj4thsouthcarol00brea.pdf. 
• Death of Mr. Joshua Holland, The Intelligencer, Anderson, South Carolina, March 18, 1896.
• Departure of the 4th Regt. S.C. Volunteers, The Intelligencer, Anderson, South Carolina, April 25, 1861.
• Departure of the 4th Regt., S.C. Volunteers, The Intelligencer, Anderson, South Carolina, April 25, 1861.
• Editorial Correspondence, Head Quarters 4th Regiment, S.C.V., Columbia, April 29, 1861, The Intelligencer, Anderson, South Carolina, May 2, 1861.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/101528279/willie-smith: accessed 15 April 2022), memorial page for Willie Holland Smith (30 Oct 1863–24 Jul 1932), Find a Grave Memorial ID 101528279, citing Silver Brook Cemetery, Anderson, Anderson County, South Carolina, USA; maintained by Find a Grave (contributor 8).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/41290788/mary-frances_elizabeth-bowlan: accessed 15 April 2022), memorial page for Mary Frances Elizabeth Holland Bowlan (12 Mar 1853–13 May 1902), Find a Grave Memorial ID 41290788, citing Eureka Baptist Church Cemetery, Anderson, Anderson County, South Carolina, USA; maintained by Cousins by the Dozens (contributor 46904925).
• First Battle of Bull Run; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_Bull_Run.
• Mrs. W. H. Smith, The Greenville News, Greenville, South Carolina, July 26, 1932.
• Mrs. Willie Holland Smith, Standard Certificate of Death no. 9881, State of South Carolina, Bureau of Vital Statistics, August 8, 1932.
• Reid, Jesse Walton, History of the Fourth Regiment S.C. Volunteers, from the Commencement of the War until Lee’s Surrender, 1892; https://ia804509.us.archive.org/18/items/fourthregiment00reidrich/fourthregiment00reidrich.pdf. 
• South Carolina Troops in Confederate Service, vol. II, compiled by A. S. Salley Jr., 1914; https://ia600909.us.archive.org/23/items/southcarolinatr00sallgoog/southcarolinatr00sallgoog.pdf. 
• The Battle at Stone Bridge, Richmond Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia, July 25, 1861.
• The Capture of Sherman’s Battery, Richmond Enquirer, Richmond, Virginia, July 26, 1861.
• They Battle for Us—We Must Support Their Families, The Intelligencer, Anderson, South Carolina, April 25, 1861.
• United States Federal Census, Broadway, Anderson County, South Carolina, 1870.
• United States Federal Census, Laurens, Laurens County, South Carolina, 1850.
• United States Federal Census, Regiment 4, Anderson County, South Carolina, 1860.
• William M. Holland, Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of South Carolina.

Murphy family memories from Christmas past

My husband Charlie (early 1960s in Monongah, West Virginia)

Tykie and Charlie (early 1960s in Monongah, West Virginia)

My sister-in-law Colleen and Charlie 

(early 1960s in Monongah, West Virginia)

My brother-in-law Pat and mother-in-law Mary Athya Murphy 

(late 1960s in Manassas, Virginia)

Manassas Christmas parade (ca. 1973)

Charlie is the second from the left

Stonewall Jackson High School Marching Band

Manassas Christmas parade  (ca. 1973)

Santa Claus

Manassas Christmas parade  (ca. 1973)

Petite and Charlie's grandma Bertha Smith Athya

(late 1960s in Manassas, Virginia)

Charlie (ca. 1960 in Monongah, West Virginia)

Mary Athya Murphy and Tykie

(ca. 1960 in Monongah, West Virginia)

Hurricane Agnes floods Manassas in 1972

Loch Lomond-West Gate is Under Blanket of Water,
photo by Bennie Scarton Jr., Manassas Journal Messenger.
The Murphy house is circled in red.

The 52 Ancestors theme this week is “storms.”

This coming June, it will have been 46 years since Hurricane Agnes wreaked havoc on Canada, Cuba, and eight states along the southeastern U.S. coast, including the Commonwealth of Virginia. Since the 52 Ancestors theme this week is “storms,” I’ll share the storm memories of my husband Charlie and his brother Pat, who lived in Manassas at the time.

The summer of 1972 started out like many others for my husband’s family—going on a camping trip, something they did a lot. About June 20 or 21, they packed up the Shasta camper, hooked it up to their vehicle, and left their home in the Loch Lomond subdivision of Manassas, Virginia, heading to the Indian Acres campground in Thornburg, Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Grandma Bertha (Smith) Athya, who lived with them in Manassas, stayed home, not making the camping trip.

They had been camping for probably not more than a day when it started raining, enough that my father-in-law Earl Murphy felt he needed to move the camper to higher ground. Fearing he might not be able to get out, he moved the camper to temporary parking in the campground store parking lot where they stayed overnight. The rain was still coming down the next day so they decided to head home to Manassas. After all, it’s not much fun to camp in the rain. When they got back to town, they came upon stopped traffic due to flooding at the Lake Jackson bridge there in Manassas. Mind you, this was long before everyone had smart phones, social media, and 24/7 news coverage so they had no idea that Hurricane Agnes had been traveling up the east coast. Hurricane Agnes formed on June 14 and made landfall in Florida on June 19, 1972. From there, it headed up the east coast, affecting Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The storm hit Manassas on June 22 which was the day they came home and discovered that the Lake Jackson Dam was flooding. The water was so high the police were only allowing one car at a time to cross the bridge. In fact, the bridge had been closed and had just reopened right before they arrived. The water level there was normally 30–40 feet below the Lake Jackson bridge.

Lake Jackson Dam on June 22, 1972 during  Hurricane Agnes,
photo by Dwayne Moyers, TheMoyersTeam.com.

Although less than five miles from home, it took them a long time to get there. Because many roads were flooded, rerouting traffic was difficult. Streets around their house were still under water—lower Lomond Drive and Amherst Drive—so they had to be rerouted many times. This forced Earl to have to drive down Manassas Drive in Manassas Park to get home. And he hated Manassas Park. My husband and brother recalled their Dad having to drive through Manassas Park once, going to the drug store to buy a greeting card for their Mom. It was either their anniversary, her birthday, or Mother’s Day—a day he usually gave her a card. The speed limit on Manassas Drive was 25 (and still is). Earl was driving down the road with two cars in front and two cars in back of him. His car was the only one from Prince William County—the others were all from Manassas Park. The police were apparently monitoring the road that day and he was the one that got pulled over and was given a speeding ticket, even though they were all going the same speed. When he got home, he stormed in the house and threw the card at their Mom saying “here’s your damn card!” After that, he avoided Manassas Drive whenever he could, but it was impossible to do so that day if he wanted to get home. They tried to go down Route 28 to Yorkshire Lane but couldn’t go any further because of water so turned around. It was at that point, Earl refused to drive down Manassas Drive and so he took the long way around town, coming in to Lomond Drive from the other side. But he got there and found he couldn’t go any further because of high water. So, he had to turn around and go back all the way around town and take Manassas Drive through Manassas Park to get home.

Once they finally made their way up Appomattox Avenue and arrived home, they found the water receding and already about 25 yards from the house. Unfortunately, there was still approximately three feet of water in the basement. They also discovered that Grandma Athya thankfully was no longer at home. Charlie and Pat said not knowing about the hurricane and having no clue about the water in their house, they hadn’t been worried about her on the way home from the campground. Lucky for Grandma Athya, Charlie’s sister and brother-in-law lived in Manassas and were able to get her out of the house. Grandma Athya refused to leave the house for some reason—like she was going to stop the water Pat recalled jokingly. Their brother-in-law literally had to pick her up and carry her out of the house. He took her to his mother’s house, safely away from the flooding waters.

Pat recalls wanting to get plywood so he could go float on the water. He also remembers that the water was full of sewage and his Mom screaming “don’t go in the water, you’ll get typhoid!” Charlie remembers standing on top of Bedford Street (now Byron Street) watching a neighbor drive a flat bottom boat through his second story picture window to get stuff out of the house.

The basement had five rooms—a den, two bedrooms, laundry room, workroom, and a bathroom. Everything in the basement was ruined and had to be tossed. Charlie and Pat remember load after load being taken to the dump—furniture and lots of National Geographic books. They were able to save Grandma Athya’s cedar chest though. Earl refurbished it and later gave it to Charlie’s oldest niece. Earl pulled the wood paneling away from the wall and to let it dry out. No one had flood insurance. Charlie believes they received some type of assistance (they got new furniture) although he doesn’t know how. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) wasn’t created until 1979 so it wasn’t from them. He doesn’t know how they managed it all but It took all summer to clean up the basement.

On a side note, Pat’s future girlfriend was seven years old at the time and had an outdoor birthday party planned that weekend. Her party had to be cancelled because of the storm. She was upset and wanted to know who was this lady Agnes and why did she ruin her birthday party!

Hurricane Agnes did $2.1 billion in damage and 128 people were killed. Because of this, they retired the name “Agnes” afterwards. And it still periodically comes up in conversation in the Murphy household.

To find Library of Virginia Flickr photos of the damage done by Hurricane Agnes in Virginia, click here.

If you’d like to read previous “storm” posts I’ve written, click on the links below.

52 Ancestors - #26: Cindarilla Darliska Amanda Hall – survivor of historic 1900 Galveston hurricane (week 10)

52 Ancestors – News Articles from 1893 and 1900 Corroborate 1964 Aaron Hall Holland Letter (86-2016)