Holland won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions at the battle of New Market Heights/Chaffin’s Farm.
Two congressmen are hoping that President Barack Obama will give a posthumous promotion to Milton Holland, a black sergeant who was denied a battlefield promotion during the Civil War because of his race.
Congressman Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) and Congressman Al Green (D-Ohio) wrote a letter Tuesday to the president asking that Holland be given a posthumous commission as captain.
Holland won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions at the battle of New Market Heights/Chaffin’s Farm.
“When all the white officers had been killed or wounded in battle, Holland commanded his company to victory, demonstrating acts of heroism that would earn him the Medal of Honor and a recommendation from his commanding officer, Major General Benjamin Butler, that he be promoted to the rank of Captain,” the congressmen wrote to Obama. “However, the U.S. Department of War denied this commission due to discriminatory policies that limited the officer ranks to whites only.”
According to the letter, Holland’s acts of bravery have been confirmed by the Army’s chief historian, and Butler’s promotion request is supported by multiple historical sources.
The two congressmen have twice introduced legislation “to correct this wrong,” according to the letter, but the House Armed Services Committee defers commission requests to the Department of the Army.
“However, despite the existing evidence that supports our claims and the opinion from the Army’s chief historian ... the Army ... continues to demand an unreasonable breadth of additional supporting documentation..,” the letter to Obama states.
The two congressmen ask Obama to use his powers as commander in chief to posthumously promote Holland to captain.
