I have been following the continuing story of whether Henry Holden’s name should be displayed on a Brighton bus with great interest.

I find, however, that several of the facts attributed to this brave soldier differ from the findings of my own extensive research.

Firstly, David Rowland has, to date, not been able to produce a shred of hard evidence to prove that Holden was actually born in the town and, secondly, Christine Holden’s claim of a family connection with the elusive Henry was nothing more than an innocent case of genuinely mistaken identity.

Not only does his place and date of birth remain shrouded in complete mystery but we cannot even be certain that Henry Holden was his real name!

That being said, a man who called himself Henry Holden (from London, England) enlisted in the 59th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry in January 1864.

As a Union soldier during the American Civil War he played his part in the emancipation of millions of slaves in the Confederate states.

He later served for six years in the 8th US Infantry, almost exclusively in South Carolina, on Reconstruction duty which involved policing the recently defeated South by protecting the local populace and actively opposing the Ku Klux Klan and numerous other white supremacist groups.

He joined Company D, 7th US Cavalry in February 1872 and during the next two years served in the escort party assigned to protect the survey team that was marking the border (49th parallel) between Canada and the United States.

The following year he was in South Carolina and Alabama on another spell of Reconstruction duty.

At the Battle of the Little Big Horn, 25-26 June 1876, Company D came under the command of Capt. Frederick Benteen (not Major Bentine), which in the event was to play a purely defensive role in the fight.

It was during the siege on Reno Hill that Henry Holden repeatedly ‘brought up ammunition under galling fire from the enemy’, which led him to be awarded the prestigious Medal of Honor – not the Congressional Medal of Honour as David Rowland and others persist in saying.

His fifth and final enlistment (in the 2nd US Artillery) resulted in him being severely injured from a kick by a horse and he was subsequently discharged on grounds of disability.

Henry Holden was not only a career soldier doing his duty in the service of his adopted country but was also an honourable man.

However, as far as I am aware, he led a quiet life in Brighton and does not seem to have contributed anything of note to the town.

My personal opinion is that Henry Holden would have had good reason to be proud of his exemplary record of service to the United States but whether that qualifies him to have his name displayed on a local bus is entirely up to the good people of Brighton to decide.

An account of Henry Holden's life can be found on www.menwithcuster.co.uk under biography No. 28.

Peter Russell
Men With Custer UK
Bexleyheath