My friends - Today, we are reviewing a narrative which appeared in the 1931 "History of Calloway County", authored by The Ledger & Times. The piece speaks of two colonels who served in the War Between the States who had Calloway roots: Albert Petty Thompson and Gustavus Adolphus Christian Holt. We will have some additional items from this now rare publication as we go along. -B ===================================================================== Calloway's Two Colonels -History of Calloway County - 1931 Calloway had about 1800 citizens of military age[in 1860]. At least half of them enlisted and many were killed in battle, many others were crippled or bore wounds through life. Calloway's soldiers were in the thick of the fight at Shiloh, one of the bloodiest [battles] of the war. Calloway furnished two colonels to the Confederacy - Colonel 'Press' Thompson[Albert Petty Thompson] and Col. G[ustavus] A[dolphus] C[hristian] Holt, both men of rare courage and ability - brilliant, dashing, intrepid. Colonel Thompson was killed in a charge on the Federal fort at Paducah. A cannon ball struck the horn of his saddle and blew him to bits. His grave and monument thereto is in the Bowman Graveyard, north of Murray. Colonel Holt was with General Forrest's left wing at Fort Heiman. He always rode a magnificent horse, and dressed in the picturesque uniform of his rank, booted and spurred and with gleaming sword. He was as splendid a picture of the typical and storied and romantic soldier as was ever put on canvass. He was idolized by his men. Colonel Holt was afterward Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky and President of the [KY] Senate, and was known as one of the best lawyers in the state. Mr. C[rawford] D[uncan] Holt of Murray is a brother of Colonel Holt. Their father[James Patterson Holt] was a noted doctor of the town and a brave, fearless and patriotic citizen. His office was in a frame building on the lot now occupied by the First National Bank, and the descendants of the patrons of Dr. Holt can now be seen wending their way to the Keys & Houston Clinic, where old Dr. Holt formerly held forth. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++