Complex sentence: In 1861, Holden was sent to the North Carolina State Convention to vote against secession by Wake County, but after President Abraham Lincoln called on North Carolina to provide troops to militarily suppress the seceding states, Holden joined in the vote to secede from the Union.
Split into simpler sentences: In 1861, Holden was sent to a State Convention to vote against secession by the voters of Wake County. But after President Abraham Lincoln called on North Carolina to provide troops to militarily suppress the seceding states, Holden joined in the vote to secede from the Union.