William H Holland (politician)

William H. Holland (1841 - May 27, 1907) was an educator who served one term in the Texas Legislature. He was born into slavery in Marshall, Texas in 1841, the child of Captain Bird Holland and a slave named Matilda. At some time during the 1850s, his father purchased his freedom along with his two brothers and sent them to attend an abolitionist-run school in Ohio. During the American Civil War, he served in the Union Army, while his father died while serving as a Confederate Army officer. After the war ended, he returned to Texas where he taught school and became active in the Republican Party. He was elected to the legislature in 1876. William was the brother of Medal of Honor recipient, Milton M. Holland.