My Genealogy Hound

BERRY D. HOLT was born March 4, 1824, in Bedford County, Tenn., on a farm adjoining the one where he now resides. His father, Henry Holt, was a native of Orange County, N. C., and immigrated with his parents to Tennessee when a small boy. He was born in 1792, and married Miss Elizabeth McGuire, a native of Kentucky, who came to this State when a child, and who was of Irish descent. Henry Holt was of German descent, and a farmer by occupation. He died in 1864. The mother still survives. Our subject was educated in the country schools of his native county, and lived with his parents until reaching his majority. For a number of years after this he followed farming and trading in stock. About 1860 he began railroading as a train conductor on the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad, and on the accommodation train between Nashville and Wartrace for about fifteen years. After that, and up to the year 1885, he ran a through train between Hickman and Chattanooga, and superintended his farm. In 1885 he quit railroading on account of failing health, and now devotes his attention principally to farming. In 1848 he married Miss Lucretia Hart, a native of this county, and to them were born five children: Bettie, William T., John W., Mattie and James B. The mother of these children died May, 1863, and in 1869 their father married Mrs. Mary Roundtree, formerly Mary Kubley, a native of Switzerland. She is the mother of one child — Maggie — by her first husband, Maj. William Roundtree. Our subject was a colonel of the militia during the fifties, and during the late war, while acting as railroad conductor, his railroad was held by the Federal Army. He is one of the trustees of the Wartrace Male and Female Institute, and owns a fine farm of 290 acres. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.