Individual Details

In the 1850 Census of Dallas Co AR, Jackson Twp, p.12, Dwelling 160, George D. Holderness age 21 and Thos. B. Holderness age 25 are living with Samuel A. Saunders a physician born in Tennessee. They are both listed as Merchants.
In 1860, Both Thomas & George W. are in Monticello, Drew Co AR. p.158; dwelling 491. Thomas is 32; George W. 27. Both merchants, born in North Carolina.

According to 1850 Census he was born 1829; the 1860 census shows 1833.

Federal Land Patent dated 1 Sept 1856 shows that Thomas B. and Goerge W.
Holderness bought 80 acres in Calhoun County, AR. This was for NW 1/4 SW 1/4, S10, T11S, R14W and NE 1/4 SE 1/4, S9, T11S, R14W.

On 17 Feb 1863, both Thomas and George paid to the Confederate States of America their County and War tax in the Sherriff's Office of Drew Co. Thomas paid 81 cents, G. W. paid 82 cents. (receipt found in Algernon Sidney Holderness manuscript collection at the Arkansas History Commission, Little Rock, AR)

Merchant of Monticello, AR
Enlisted in Confederacy by Capt. J. A. Owens at Monticello, AR 8 Feb 1862 for 1 year; later extended to 3 years or the War. Served as Sgt. Major in Owens Battery (Light Artillery) of the Arkansas Volunteers. He was sent to Ross Hospital in Mobile AL on 19 Oct 1864 where he died on Nov 17th. His complaint was acute diarrhoea. His Effects were list as "sundries" and he was owed $91.75.

Fragment of a letter from George to his brother Algernon was found in a collection of Algernon's papers at the Arkansas History Commission. Here is a transcription of that letter.
Camp near Selma, Ala.
June 9th 1864
My Dear Brother
I have no letter of yours to answer. I have had none from you Since Feby last which was as I have written to you Several times Since and forwarded by persons going to the Trans Miss Dept. I hope you have received them. I have the satisfaction to inform you again that my health is Still very good and has been Since I last wrote you. I hardly know what I can write that will interest you. I Suppose you have all the army news from this side of the river before I could communicate it by letter. There have not any general engagements taken place yet in Lees and Johnston’s armies. The Enemy have made assaults upon diferent points of our lines in both armies almost daily but have been repulsed with heavy losses in every instance, and every thing looks well for us and our army and people are perfectly confident of our ability to hold Richmond and Atlanta from the enemy. I hear of no movements of much import any where else on this side the Miss. River. We learn that The Confeds have gained great victories over Steel and Banks in the Trans Miss. Department but have never yet received a reliable Statement of the actual result. I hope you have freed Ark. Of the Vandals. I learn that they have committed great depredations in Drew County. I do not know what they done in other parts of the State. Our Company has been for Several months attached to Genl. Wirt Adams Brigade of Cavalry under command of Col. Mabry and we have been operating between Big Black and the Miss. And Yazoo Rivers and have been in very active Service there as There have been yankee raids out from Vicksburg most all the time. Since we crossed Big Black, We have, however Succeeded in driving them all back. Our Battery assisted by Col. Griffiths 11th Ark Cavalry and a detachment from Woods Miss Cavalry captured the U.S. Gunboat Petrel at Yazoo City on the 22nd Apr. It was a fine Prize. We saved all her guns consisting of Eight 24 Pdr. Dahlgreen guns, and a good many valuable Small arms and a great quantity of Stores. I have been drinking pure coffee ever Since The capture of the Petrel. We have only had one man killed, John Young, Sandusky’s Step-Son – Head Shot off with Shell, and one wounded severely (Dr. F. T. Crockett of Drew Co. a Sergeant of the Battery) in the battery in all the engagements we have had lately. On the 28th May we were ordered by Maj. Genl. S. D. Lee to turn over our Battery to a company of Withers Artillery and report at this place, which we did immediately and arrived here on the 5th Inst. Our Boys were very much mortified at the idea of giving up our Battery to another company, and thought that Some disparagement to the company was meant and a good many of them left forthwith to go back to Arkansas and Said they would never support him under the circumstances, fifteen left at the time….

Inscription found on back of picture in Haden House in Ladonia, Texas, Christmas of 1994 when Don and I visited Cathy & Stuart. "My brother Dock. Died in War" Since this is a brother of Dr. Robert C. Holderness and did die in the Civil War, I can only assume it could have been his picture. This picture did not again surface in any of the papers later retrieved from the Haden House, so has been lost.

FindAGrave.com has his military marker pictured in Magnolia Cemetery, Mobile, AL.

Birth	Abt 1829
Military	1862 - 1864	Owens Battery (Light Artillery), Arkansas Volunteers, Civil War
Death	17 Nov 1864	Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama
Burial		Magnolia Cemetery, Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama

Father	ROBERT HOLDERNESS (1783 - 1833)
Mother	ELIZABETH BROOKS (1795 - 1858)
Sibling	William Henry Holderness (1819 - 1890)
Sibling	James M. Holderness (1822 - 1884)
Sibling	Thomas B. Holderness (1823 - 1904)
Sibling	Sarah E."Sallie" Holderness (1825 - 1869)
Sibling	Dr. ROBERT CHARLES HOLDERNESS (1827 - 1905)
Sibling	Jonathan Iverson Holderness (1832 - 1907)
Sibling	Algernon Sidney Holderness MD (1834 - 1904)

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