Holt Collier was a slave born in Jefferson County, Mississippi in 1846. At an early age, he was purchased by Howell Hinds of Greenville.

At the age of twelve years, he was sent with his master’s sons to attend school in Kentucky. Holt played a lot of hooky in favor of exploring the woods. In time, Holt and Tom became friends, though Tom was older than Holt.

At fourteen years of age, he was living at Plum Ridge on the Hind’s plantation located south of Greenville. It was during that time that the Civil War began. Holt’s master, Howell Hinds and one of his sons, Tom were preparing to join the Confederate Army. Holt asked his master if he could go with them to join the army also. Howel Hinds and Tom, both told him no, that he was simply too young. Holt was later quoted as saying, "I begged like a dog, but they stuck to it -- 'You are too young.” They left young Holt, sitting on a fence, crying because he wanted to go, too.

Holt was highly disappointed that his master and his friend, Tom felt that he wasn't up to doing a man's job. He was determined that if his master and his buddy, Tom were going into the army, so was he!

Anchored at Greenville were seven steamboats, each to pick up volunteers from the surrounding area to transport to Memphis. From Memphis, the soldiers would be sent to various training camps.

In the darkness of night, young Holt skirted along the trails and the road leading to Greenville, where seven troop ships were docked. He reached the river and slipped aboard the steamboat, Vernon. He immediately sought out a hiding place and found it in the galley, but only for a short while. A man entered the galley and spotted him. After questioning the young stowaway, the man took pity on him and assisted him along his way. The man kept Holt fed and hidden until their arrival in Memphis. At that point, the man told him when and where to exit the steamboat. Upon reaching shore, he climbed the high banks only to see his master, talking to other officers, among them General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

Holt was sent to Camp Boone, Tennessee for training as a soldier, not as a stand-in for his master. Following his training, his company was transferred to Kentucky where he saw his first combat action in a struggle for a bridge that crossed Green River. Holt was assigned to Ross' Texas Brigade, the Texas 9th, which suited him nicely. He was an excellent horseman and marksman. He served under the command of Colonel Dudley Jones until the end of the war. Colonel Hinds gave Holt a fine horse, one of three that he had brought with him when he joined the army.

Union forces pursued the Confederate force to a place called Shiloh Church, in Tennessee just a few miles north of the Mississippi line. It was here that fourteen year old Holt saw his worst fighting of the Civil War. He was within a few yards of General Johnston when the general was fatally shot from his horse.At Shiloh, Holt saw more dead soldiers than he would ever see again.

While at Shiloh, he saw his master again, a man he would from that time on call, “my old colonel.”

Following the Battle of Shiloh, his unit was ordered east, to Chattanooga, where they engaged the enemy again. Following the fall of Chattanooga, his unit retreated across Alabama, “fighting every foot of the way!”

Holt was used primarily as a scout during his military career. At one point, he and another cavalryman found themselves surrounded by a large number of Union forces. The two Confederates, each had two pistols. While the two briefly considered surrender, Holt decided he was not going to surrender. He convinced the other man to join him in a plan that could possibly save them or get them killed! Together, the two Confederate soldiers drew their pistols, let out loud Rebel yells and attacked the Union line, firing madly into the Union forces. It so shocked the Union soldiers, that the two escaped!