Taliaferro County GaArchives Biographies.....Holden, William Franklin September 15, 1830 - November 20, 1888
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Neeli Reamer nreamer@starpower.net September 25, 2005, 1:37 pm

Author: Allen D. Candler and Clement A. Evans, Editors (no author listed)

"William F. Holden was a man of distinctive influence in public affairs in 
Georgia and filled various offices of trust and responsibility. He maintained 
his home in Crawfordville and was a scion of one of the sterling pioneer 
families of Taliaferro County. His father, Thomas Holden, was born Jan. 10, 
1811, at Greensboro, GA, and was an infant at the time of his father's death, 
being carefully reared and educated by his devoted mother. He passed the 
greater portion of his life in Taliaferro and Warren counties. Of him it has 
been written that "He was a plain farmer, reasonably successful; a man of 
strong common sense, eminently pious but a member of no church." He died on 
Oct. 27, 1875. His wife, whose maiden name was Susan Akins, was a daughter of 
William Akins, of Taliaferro county.  They became the parents of four 
children, all of whom are now deceased except the subject of this sketch.

William F. Holden was born in Taliaferro county, GA, September 15, 1830, and 
his youth was passed principally on the homestead farm. He received a fair 
academic education and as a young man he taught school for a time. In 1857 he 
was elected to the state legislature and was chosen as his own successor in 
1859. He was in the general assembly when the state was passing through the 
fiery ordeal just preceding the dissolution of the Union, and was a prominent 
actor in the scenes that marked the strenuous deliberations in the capital of 
the state. He shared the views of Mr. Stephens and when the state was being 
urged to pass the ordinance of secession, was bitterly opposed to the action 
and was a zealous worker in the attempt to defeat the measure. When his state 
finally seceded, however, he determined to give the Confederate cause the 
benefit of his services in the field, and accordingly raised a company of 
volunteers in Taliaferro County, of which he was made captain. The company was 
mustered into the 49th GA Infantry and ordered to Virginia. Captain Holden was 
in service only a short time, physical disabilities compelling him to resign 
his commission and return home. President Davis afterward appointed him to a 
position in the quartermaster's department, in which he served until the close 
of the war. In 1868 he was again elected to the legislature. It was at this 
session, it will be remembered, that the 20 years' lease of the state road was 
made. Mr. Holden was one of the prime movers in that connection. He introduced 
a bill to dispose of the state road, Aug. 30, 1868, and the final result was 
that the road was leased for 20 years, at $300,000 annually, half of the 
amount to be applied to educational purposes. Another measure which Mr. Holden 
introduced and was instrumental in bringing to enactment was the bill allowing 
defendants arraigned on criminal charges to testify not under oath on their on 
behalf. He introduced the bill on Sept 5, 1868. 

Of this law the late and honored Gov. AH Stephens spoke in the following 
words, written in a personal letter to Captain Holden:  "In my opinion this 
law will never be repealed or modified, and will therefore be far-reaching in 
its consequences to the poor and defenseless. Prisoners arraigned for crime 
will ever have the comforting assurance that, in conspiracies against them, 
they will have a chance to speak in their own behalf, and, perchance, many 
innocent persons may escape the penalty of the guilty. By this law the poor 
and defenseless have a guarantee of the dearest rights of the citizen." 

Again, when the legislature was in a turmoil and the people of the state were 
threatened with the domination of a general assembly composed of negroes, 
backed by carpet-baggers and Federal soldiers, Mr. Holden was a member of the 
important commission which was sent to Washington to ask Congress not to 
interfere with their state affairs and to leave them to peaceful solution. 

On April 21, 1882, Mr. Holden was appointed postmaster at Augusta, by 
President Arthur, this being one of the largest and most important offices in 
the state. He held the position three years, at the expiration of which he 
returned to Crawfordville, where he then resided, giving his time and 
attention to the supervision of his extensive planting interests and resting 
secure in the confidence and esteem of the community.

On Sept. 1, 1853, he was united in marriage to Miss Nancy Moore, daughter of 
William B. Moore, a planter of Taliaferro County. Of this union were born 5 
children:  William Oscar, Claude, John, Horace M. and Stella." 

Additional Comments:
From "Georgia--Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, 
and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form", Vol II, State Historical 
Association, Atlanta, GA (1906) pages 298-300. The editors of this book were 
Ex-Governor Allen D. Candler and General Clement A. Evans.



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