Pvt Leverett Holden
| Holden, Leverett Born: November 8, 1825, Vernon, Connecticut Died: October 10, 1877, Avon, Connecticut Burial: East Avon Cemetery, Avon, Connecticut Occupation: Farmer Enlisted: December 15, 1863, New Haven, Connecticut Unit: 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Regiment Company: D Rank: Private --------------------------- Leverett Holden was born on November 8, 1825 in Vernon, Connecticut. He spent most of his childhood growing up in Windsor, Connecticut. Leverett was the youngest child in a large family, with nine older brothers and sisters—some more than twenty years older than him. His father, George Holden, had once been enslaved in Rhode Island before gaining his freedom and establishing a life for his family in Connecticut. The Holden name in America traces back to the mid-seventeenth century when Randall Holden emigrated from Salisbury, England to New England. Holden was among the founders of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and later joined eleven others in purchasing land from Native Americans that became the town of Warwick in 1643. Over time, several members of the Holden family became enslavers. One of the individuals who appears to have been enslaved by the Holden family was Leverett’s father, George, who was born around 1770. In the 1790 census of Warwick, Rhode Island, George Holden is listed living next door to a man named Prince Holden. Nearby is Thomas Holden, the son of Charles Holden, who had previously enslaved Prince and freed him in his will in 1782. Given this proximity and family connection, it is likely that Charles Holden had also been the enslaver of Leverett’s father, George. Because the 1790 census lists only heads of household, the close proximity of George Holden to members of the Holden family provides an important clue suggesting the prior relationship of enslavement. Also living nearby was a man named Cato Holden, who later served as one of the “Black Governors” of Warwick, a ceremonial leadership role within the local Black community. He was likely also enslaved along with George. Whether there is a genealogical relationship between George, Prince and Cato is unclear. George Holden later moved to Ellington, Connecticut. On December 18, 1794 George Holden married Nancy Hill, and together they had five children: George Jr., Asenath, George II, Phebe, and Steven. After Nancy’s death in 1812, George moved his family to Vernon, Connecticut, where he married Sylvia Thomas around 1818. They had five more children: David, Henrietta, Oliver, and two boys who may have been twins—Emerett and Everett. Five years before Leverett’s birth, his sister Asenath Holden married Peter Peterson and moved to Windsor, Connecticut. Leverett’s parents eventually followed, relocating to Windsor before Leverett reached his fifth birthday. As a result, Leverett spent most of his childhood in Windsor. Leverett’s mother, Sylvia Holden, was a documented member of the First Congregational Church of Windsor, and Leverett likely attended services there with her. Several family members lived nearby, including his sister Asenath and her husband Peter Peterson, and his sister Phebe and her husband Abraham Thompson. As the youngest child in the family, Leverett grew up surrounded by older siblings, nieces, and nephews. Sometime before Leverett reached fifteen years of age, his father George Holden died. Leverett and his mother may have moved in with relatives afterward, as they do not appear clearly in the 1840 census. By 1850 Sylvia Holden was living in Hartford with Leverett’s brother Oliver, who worked as a hotel cook. Leverett was also living in Hartford at that time in the household of Elijah Wadsworth. By 1860 Leverett was living in Avon at the age of thirty-five. Also in his household were a woman named Mary Holden and two children, Sarah Holden, age fourteen, and Mary Holden, age ten. This appears to be his wife and children, but that is unclear. On December 15, 1863, Leverett Holden enlisted in the Union army in New Haven and was assigned to Company D of the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Regiment. In his enlistment papers, Leverett says he is a farmer and lists his age as 38. His service was credited to Avon, Connecticut, which was his last known address. Several members of Leverett’s extended family also enlisted in the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Regiment. Benjamin Holden, the grandson of Cato—who had been enslaved alongside Leverett’s father in Rhode Island—joined the regiment as well. Benjamin was later captured by Confederate forces and died as a prisoner of war in Danville, Virginia on November 17, 1864. Leverett’s sister Asenath had five grandsons who also enlisted in the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Regiment: Alfred Percy, Sylvester Percy, Earl Percy, Charles Percy, and Wallace Sands. Alfred and Sylvester did not deploy with the regiment, but the other three served together in Company C. They would go on to participate in several major engagements together, including battles at Petersburg, Chaffin’s Farm, Richmond, Darbytown Road, and Kell House. On September 27, 1864, Leverett was sent to the Flying Hospital, which was a temporary battlefield hospital located just behind the front lines intended for rapid treatment and triage before soldiers were transferred to larger medical facilities. Leverett’s treatment did not go beyond the Flying Hospital, so his wounds must not have been severe. He quickly returned to his regiment, listed as active in the next muster roll entry. Leverett served the remainder of the war, returning to Connecticut with the regiment on November 24, 1865. On his return, Leverett returned to Avon. In the 1870 census, he is listed as living in the household of the widow Martha Williams, a Mulatto woman he and Mary were living next to in 1860. It’s not clear what happened to Mary Holden and the two children. On October 10, 1877, Avon town records list Leverett Holden’s death. A cause of death is not listed. He has a cenotaph headstone at East Avon Cemetery, but it is not clear if he is buried there. In the 1880 census, Martha Williams, the Mulatto women Leverett last lived with prior to his death, is now living alone. Of note, Martha Williams lists her parents as being born in Rhode Island, aligning to the state where we first saw George Holden in the 1790 census. It’s possible that Martha was related to the Holden’s. |