This collection contains 21 letters and a 3-page journal concerning Hiram Talbert Holt's experiences in the 2nd and 38th Alabama Infantry Regiments from April 19, 1861-February 17, 1864. Most items are Holt's letters to his wife Carrie; he also wrote once to his mother- and father-in law, Charlotte and Lewis L. Dewitt (July 18, 1863), and once to his sisters-in-law, Harriet and Drucilla Dewitt (July 19, 1863).
From April-December 1861, Holt, who signed his letters "Talbert," discussed life at Fort Morgan, Alabama. He reflected on his separation from Caroline ("Carrie") and their daughter Alma and shared his desire to visit home on furlough. Holt reported on casualties from illness and also commented on troop movements and the Southern cause. Two letters from April 1862 concern his experiences during the bombardment of Fort Pillow in Tennessee. After returning to Mobile, Alabama, in May 1862, Holt mentioned the Siege of Corinth and expressed regrets that his unit would likely not be able to participate. He was later stationed in Tennessee and Georgia, where he commented on war news, anticipated the defeat of George McClellan's army, reflected on the death of his brother John in Virginia, and discussed his newborn daughter. Throughout the correspondence, Holt expressed his Christian beliefs.
Holt's undated journal pertains to military drills, his health, and a religious service (June 1-3).
Hiram Talbert Holt was born in Choctaw Corner, Alabama, on July 16, 1835, the son of Lewis and Sarah Holt. In early 1861, he enlisted in the Suggsville Greys, which became part of the 2nd Alabama Infantry Regiment. He was stationed at Fort Morgan, Alabama, until early 1862. Holt was present at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, during a lengthy bombardment in April 1862, and returned to Mobile, Alabama, by June, when he joined Company I of the 38th Alabama Infantry Regiment. He served with the regiment in Tennessee and Georgia until his death during the Battle of Crow Valley on February 24, 1864. Holt married Caroline Dewitt (1841-1939), the daughter of Reverend Lewis L. Dewitt and his wife Charlotte, on September 1, 1859, and they had two children: Alma Drucilla (b. 1861) and a daughter whom he referred to as "Carrie" (b. 1863).
