Abstract:
Lynn Banks Holt was a Confederate officer, a champion horse breeder, and a cotton mill owner. Holt, who was born in Alamance County, joined the Confederate Army on July 3, 1861. Taken prisoner twice, Holt was released from Union captivity on February 3, 1865. He kept a pocket diary throughout his captivity that included details on home remedies and poetry. Holt built the Oneida Cotton Mills in Graham following the war. With his financial success Holt began breeding champion trotting stallions, including the famous John R. Gentry.