Holt Collier
Encyclopedia
Holt Collier was a noted African-American bear hunter and sportsman who contributed to popular culture by helping to create the Teddy Bear
phenomenon.
, serving on Plum Ridge Plantation, owned by General Thomas Hinds
, veteran of the Battle of New Orleans
.
He killed his first bear at age ten; thereafter, his job was to supply meat for the table of the Hinds family and field hands. At age fourteen he ran away, successfully, from the plantation.
When the North invaded the South, Collier’s master and his seventeen-year-old son, Collier's childhood companion, left for the war after manumitting him. Although told by his master that he was too young to fight, Collier disobeyed by stowing away on a riverboat, and joining Howell and his son in Memphis. Collier joined the 9th Texas Brigade, serving in Company I throughout the war.
At the Battle of Shiloh
he witnessed the death of Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston
. Collier's biographer says that although there was a prohibition against blacks serving in uniform, Confederates made an exception for Collier because of his demonstrable skills. Weeks later he signed up with Company I of the 9th Cavalry Regiment (United States), fighting in Mississippi, Alabama
and Tennessee
.
During Reconstruction
, Collier was accused and acquitted by a military tribunal in Vicksburg
of the alleged murder of a white man, Captain James King. Collier left the state on the advice of William A. Percy of Greenville, going to Texas to work as a cowboy on the ranch of his former commander, Sullivan Ross, future Governor of Texas.
Upon the murder of his former master, Collier returned to Greenville for his funeral and remained in Greenville for the rest of his life.
He became a noted bear hunter, killing over 3,000 bears during his lifetime. So famous among big-game hunters was he that Major George M. Helm asked him to serve as President Theodore Roosevelt
's tracker during the President's famous Mississippi bear hunt of 1902.
On that hunt, Collier and his tracking dogs cornered a large bear. Collier had bugled Roosevelt and the rest of his party to join in. Before Roosevelt arrived, the bear killed one of Collier's tracking dogs. Collier ordinarily would have shot the bear immediately, but, wanting to keep the bear alive until the President arrived, he instead whacked the bear over the head with his rifle — bending its barrel. He finally lassoed the bear and tied it to a tree. When the President at last arrived, he famously refused to shoot the helpless bear, which another of his party eventually killed with a knife. The Washington Post and other newspapers publicized Roosevelt's compassion for the animal. Some reports maintained, erroneously, that the bear had been a cub. The story eventually gave rise to the "Teddy Bear
" phenomenon.
Collier served again as Roosevelt's tracker during a Louisiana bear hunt of 1907. Holt Collier National Wildlife Refuge
in Mississippi is named in his honor. He died in 1936 and is buried in Greenville, Mississippi
.
Teddy bear
The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
phenomenon.
Biography
Collier was born circa 1846 as a slave in MississippiMississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, serving on Plum Ridge Plantation, owned by General Thomas Hinds
Thomas Hinds
Thomas Hinds was a politician from the U.S. state of Mississippi.Born in Berkeley County, Virginia , Hinds would later move to Greenville, Mississippi...
, veteran of the Battle of New Orleans
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the...
.
He killed his first bear at age ten; thereafter, his job was to supply meat for the table of the Hinds family and field hands. At age fourteen he ran away, successfully, from the plantation.
When the North invaded the South, Collier’s master and his seventeen-year-old son, Collier's childhood companion, left for the war after manumitting him. Although told by his master that he was too young to fight, Collier disobeyed by stowing away on a riverboat, and joining Howell and his son in Memphis. Collier joined the 9th Texas Brigade, serving in Company I throughout the war.
At the Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
he witnessed the death of Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston
Albert Sidney Johnston
Albert Sidney Johnston served as a general in three different armies: the Texas Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States Army...
. Collier's biographer says that although there was a prohibition against blacks serving in uniform, Confederates made an exception for Collier because of his demonstrable skills. Weeks later he signed up with Company I of the 9th Cavalry Regiment (United States), fighting in Mississippi, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
During Reconstruction
Reconstruction
In the history of the United States, the term "Reconstruction Era" has two senses: the first covers the entire nation in the period 1865–1877 following the Civil War; the second one, used in this article, covers the transformation of the Southern United States from 1863 to 1877, with the...
, Collier was accused and acquitted by a military tribunal in Vicksburg
Vicksburg
Vicksburg is the name of some places in the United States of America:* Vicksburg, Florida* Vicksburg, Indiana* Vicksburg, Michigan* Vicksburg, Mississippi** The Vicksburg Campaign, an American Civil War campaign...
of the alleged murder of a white man, Captain James King. Collier left the state on the advice of William A. Percy of Greenville, going to Texas to work as a cowboy on the ranch of his former commander, Sullivan Ross, future Governor of Texas.
Upon the murder of his former master, Collier returned to Greenville for his funeral and remained in Greenville for the rest of his life.
He became a noted bear hunter, killing over 3,000 bears during his lifetime. So famous among big-game hunters was he that Major George M. Helm asked him to serve as President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
's tracker during the President's famous Mississippi bear hunt of 1902.
On that hunt, Collier and his tracking dogs cornered a large bear. Collier had bugled Roosevelt and the rest of his party to join in. Before Roosevelt arrived, the bear killed one of Collier's tracking dogs. Collier ordinarily would have shot the bear immediately, but, wanting to keep the bear alive until the President arrived, he instead whacked the bear over the head with his rifle — bending its barrel. He finally lassoed the bear and tied it to a tree. When the President at last arrived, he famously refused to shoot the helpless bear, which another of his party eventually killed with a knife. The Washington Post and other newspapers publicized Roosevelt's compassion for the animal. Some reports maintained, erroneously, that the bear had been a cub. The story eventually gave rise to the "Teddy Bear
Teddy bear
The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
" phenomenon.
Collier served again as Roosevelt's tracker during a Louisiana bear hunt of 1907. Holt Collier National Wildlife Refuge
Holt Collier National Wildlife Refuge
The Holt Collier National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located near Darlove, Mississippi. The Refuge was named after Holt Collier, a Confederate veteran, cowboy, and tracker and was created in order to provide a habitat and resources for over 250 songbirds...
in Mississippi is named in his honor. He died in 1936 and is buried in Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 48,633 at the 2000 census, but according to the 2009 census bureau estimates, it has since declined to 42,764, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. It is the county seat of Washington...
.