Charles Holland.-Born in Saratoga, N.Y.; his father is an Englishman; came to Prince William County, Va., when prisoner was a child; prisoner is now twenty-six years old; lives five miles from Occoquan. Says he was arrested under a charge of selling spirits to men in Hampton's Legion. Says he was imprisoned and afterward acquitted of that charge, and when he was about to be dismissed he was accused of disloyalty and sent on on that charge. He says he fell under bad influences about Occoquan, and under false information he voted for Lincoln and against secession. Says he has repented sorely of these votes and goes cordially and earnestly with the South. Says his brother is a volunteer in the Southern army. He (prisoner) offered to volunteer but was rejected because his leg is so injured he cannot perform military duty. Is willing to take the oath of allegiance. Says he lives within our lines and has never crossed them. Since the war began he has never been two miles from home. Capt. Aylett Nichol, of the Prince William Militia, examined as a witness, says Holland has a brother in the Southern army who stands high as a soldier. Says prisoners general character is good; has seen him rarely since the war commenced; has heard reports unfavorable to his political character; has heard that before the war he was involved with the Underwood party. Mr. William E. Goodwin, sheriff of Prince William, says Holland has a brother in the army who is a good and faithful soldier; says he conversed with the prisoner last spring and summer and reprimanded him for his votes. Prisoner said he had been misled and was very sorry for what he had done; said he wished to go into the army with his brother but his disabled leg prevented his doing so. Witness says he has been frequently in the prisoners neighborhood and has kept his eye on him in consequence of his vote, and he believes Holland has staid quietly at home and has not been connected with the Northern, army or with its friends. Says the prisoner is a man of good general character. Mr. Lynn, delegate from Prince William, says prisoner acted with the Underwood party up to the secession vote. After the course of Virginia was known prisoner declared he had been misled; expressed his sorrow for his course and his determination to stand by the South. He says in consequence of prisoners votes witness watched his course. He says Holland separated from his Union associates; remained quietly at home; most of his associates ran off; he believes Holland has behaved quietly and properly since the war. All three of these gentlemen think if Holland takes the oath of allegiance he will keep it faithfully. They say he is a man of truth. There is no charge filed against Holland. His vote for Lincoln indicates a state of political feeling when it was given which subjects him to suspicion then and ever afterward, but it is not an offense for which he can be legally punished. It certainly would give an unfavorable color to any subsequent offense; but the man expresses penitence. He has been closely watched and nothing wrong observed in his conduct. Under the circumstances before me I do not see how he can be held as a prisoner without trampling on the constitutional rights of citizens. I recommend his discharge.
SOURCE: Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series 2, Volume 2, pgs. 1470-1471
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