Who was Colonel W.D Holder?
Colonel William Dunbar Holder (1824-1900) was a prominent Confederate Colonel, Political, and Father.
Born in 1824, he was brought to Mississippi from Tennessee in 1839 as a small boy and lived in Houston with his father until the latter's death, to which he then moved to Pontotoc, and ultimately to Jackson.
Colonel Holder finished his education in Aberdeen and Jackson where he was appointed deputy clerk of the U.S. District Court at Pontotoc and Deputy U.S. Marshall
In 1853, he served in the Miss. Legislature. Serving one term. In 1854, near Oxford, Mississippi, he would marry Miss. Bowles and would settle on a farm in Pontotoc County.
However, at the beginning of the war, Colonel Holder would take action and helped organized a company of soldiers for the Confederate Army In June 1861. Traveling approximately 40 miles to do so, of which he was made Captain by acclamation. But soon the following year, he was elected Colonel after the promotion of Colonel Featherstone to Brigadier General.
From there, he would Participate in the battles of Manassas, Leesburg, Chickahominy, Chancellorsville, and evens Gettysburg. However, this did not come without risk. In July 1862, He was injured in the thigh by a broken rifle ball. And in Gettysburg, he was shot in the abdomen. Thought to be fatal, he managed to survive. However, this left him permanently disabled and would eventually resigned from the Confederate Army on February 26, 1864.
From there, he was elected to the Confederate Congress from the Northeastern Mississippi District (succeeding General Reuben Davis). He served in Congress until the close of the war.
After the war, He returned to his family and began farming in Pontotoc County. He then moved to Tennessee before moving back to Mississippi. From there, he would hold several State offices including State Auditor in 1886, and then Auditor of public Accounts in 1896. One other role he had was being the Major General and Commander of the Mississippi United Confederate Veterans. Both those roles he remained in until he passed away on April 26, 1900 at 7:30pm. He passed away peacefully in his sleep.
Photograph of Col. William Dunbar Holder
Source: United Confederate Veterans
"Distinguished in war and in the Legislative halls of the Confederacy, and in all the walks of peace, he has thus in his civil and military career left a name without a stain or a blemish. One which will adorn the brightest pages of the history of his State and of the South, and to which his family, his countrymen, and posterity can proudly point."
-Gen. George Moorman, Chief of Staff, U.C.V.
Colonel Holder at what appears to be a reunion of the U.C.V
Source: Holder Family
Source: Holder Family
Photograph of Colonel Holder in an U.C.V. Uniform.
Benjamin H. Holder
Benjamin Humphreys Holder (1866-1947) was the son of Col. William Dunbar Holder and Catherine Bowels Holder. While not much is know about him, one thing that is noted was he grew up with polio disease.
He would marry in 1897 to Frances Sykes, and go on to have 2 children. Those children being Frances Sykes Holder who was born in 1899 and died only a year later and William "Dunbar" Holder who was born in 1901 and died in 1982.
Sometime in the late 1910s to early 1920s, Benjamin would move to Asheville, NC. From there, He would purchase some land and build a house in Historic Montford. He would also in 1926 with the help of an unknown architect build what is today The Frances Apartments.
While the reason for The Frances Apartments name is unknown, the 2 main theories are that either it was named after his wife Frances, or it was named in dedication to his deceased daughter who's name was also Frances.
