History of Breckinridge County Kentucky United States of America

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Joseph Holt, cabinet officer, was born in Breckenridge county, Ky., Jan. 6, 1807; son of John W. and Eleanor K. (Stephens) Holt; grandson of Joseph Holt, and a descendant of John, who was a son of Roland Holt. He attended St. Josepb's college, Bardstown, and Centre college, Danville; studied law with Robert Wickliffe, and practised in 1831, in partnership with Ben Hardin. He removed to Louisville in 1832, and practised law, meantime assisting Shadrach Penn in editing the Advertiser. He was commonwealth's attorney for the Louisville district, 1833-35; a delegate to the Democratic national convention of 1836, and practised law in Port Gibson and Vicksburg, Miss., 1836-42. He was counsel for the city of Vicksburg in the claim of the heirs of Newit Vick, founder of the city, to land on the river front devoted by Vick to public use. He returned to Louisville, Ky., in 1842, having abandoned his profession on account of impaired health. He made extended tours in Europe and the east, 1848-49 and 1850-51. He supported the candidacy of Franklin Pierce in 1852, of James Buchanan in 1856, and of Stephen A. Douglas in 1860. He removed to Washington, D.C., in 1857; was commissioner of patents, 1857-59; post-master-general, as successor to Aaron V. Brown, deceased, 1859-60; and secretary of war, as successor to John B. Floyd, resigned, 1860-61. He provided against hostile demonstrations during the inauguration of President Lincoln, and ably supported the government in providing for the defence of the national capitol, and in putting down insurrection in every instance. He denied the right of secession and published extensively a letter written to Joshua F. Speed, of Louisville, Ky., logically proving his position by the utterances of southern statesmen and journalists. On Sept. 3, 1862, President Lincoln appointed him judge advocate of the army, and, in 1864, judge-advocate-general of the newly created bureau of military justice with the rank of brigadier-general. He approved of the emancipation proclamation of Jan. 1, 1863, and of the acceptance of former slaves as volunteers in the Federal army. He declined the cabinet position of attorney-general, made vacant by the resignation of Edward Bates in November, 1864. He also declined the cabinet position of secretary of war, tendered him by President Grant. He conducted the trials of Gen. Fitz-John Porter, charged with disobedience of orders, and of the assassins of President Lincoln. He was brevetted major-general in the U.S. army, March 13, 1865, "for faithful, meritorious and distinguished services in the bureau of military justice during the war" and was placed on the retired list at his own request, Dec. 1, 1875, being over sixty-two years old. He died in Washington, D.C., Aug. 1, 1894.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Breckinridge County Kentucky

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